Make yourself comfy...this one's a doooozy!

Wow! What a busy couple of days we've had already this week! It started Sunday afternoon when we had Uncle Brian over for lunch. He came to town to go on the annual "brothers camp out" thingy that they do. The kids enjoyed spending a few hours playing with him - he's such a good sport!



Early Monday morning, Brandon and his brothers left for a week of camping in Montana...so, the kids and mom packed up and went to grandma's house for a couple of days. It never feels like we get to stay long enough (to us anyway...I'm sure to grandma it feels plenty long) - but we packed a TON of things in to 2 days!

We started first thing Monday picking the apples in grandma's yard. We got them in the house and made some amazing applesauce. It was such a domestic moment for me - and really all I did was pour it into containers to go into the freezer! LOL But the kids had a blast picking apples. Jason was the first one up the tree! He was followed closely by Jacob!




Megan is her mother's daughter and opted to stay safely on the ground and pick apples from there! There was a little bit of playing around going on, too!



Joseph enjoyed UNpicking the apples out of the bucket. At first he'd pick them out and take a bite out of each one - then he moved on to just hucking them down the hill. Good thing he's so cute!



Later Monday evening we went to Uncle Dick's house for family night. Joseph made quick friend's with the cat.



Malorie and Melanie took their cups and ran around the raspberry bushes picking berries.



Jason and Uncle Dick picked some zucchini and squash for us to take home.



Jared and Megan enjoyed taste testing the berries and peas from the garden.



Aunt Lori, Aunt Marlene, Uncle Mike and Maddie were raspberry picking die-hards!



LOOK! Mom made it in the blog - Joseph and mom (and her chins) playing the Binky game. I hold it by the back in my teeth and he grabs the bink from the front - looks like a big old sloppy kiss (and sometimes it is).



Melanie and Joseph "sharing" - well, not so much!



Maddie getting kisses from either Duncan or Dianna - one of Aunt Marlene's Yorkshire Terriers (I think that's what they are anyway).



After all of that tromping through the garden and the raspberries, Melanie's and Malorie's feet were DISGUSTING! I don't know that I've ever seen those two girlies so dirty before! So, a bath in grandma's kitchen sink was in order!



Tuesday morning we started some projects. First Maddie and Jason sewed together some wet bandannas for Jason to take to Scout Camp in a couple of weeks. They are the coolest thing. They start out as a tube and then we added I think the same thing that they put in baby diapers! LOL It absorbs water and then keeps your neck cool throughout the day from all the water stored like a soggy diaper! :)



Jacob ventured into the kitchen and made some Rice Crispy Treats!



Jared helped grandma pour the soggy diaper beads into the neck bandannas.



Malorie and Melanie got to sit down w/ grandma's smelly pens (remember those from grade school - blueberry is still my favorite) and some stickers and do a "project" of their own. (ps - Magic Eraser will get pen and stickers off of hardwood flooring)



Megan had a busy day! She got up before the rest of our family and made some raspberry jam with grandma - would share pictures of that, but like I said, she got up before the rest of us, so I missed the photo opportunity. Then she sewed a pillowcase that matched the curtains she also sewed for her bedroom!



We had a wonderful time at grandma's house! It was a fast and furious couple of days, but we loved every second of it!

We're home now waiting for dad to pull in from Montana. He and another brother couldn't take the whole week off work, so they're coming home early - wish he could stay longer, glad he's coming home. It's always fun to be gone - but it's nice to be back home!!

ALSO - see all those pictures up there? I'll have y'all know I uploaded them ALL in less than 2 minutes! Yes - our satellite internet connection is FINALLY up and running! (insert the sound of heavenly harp music) Wahooooo!