Sunday!
Travis left early and drove trains, the rest of us went to church and learned about God. When we left for church we left poor Henry in his kennel because I wasn't planning on coming back home after church. After church I got to feeling bad for Henry and we ran home and let him run for a little bit and the girls changed their clothes. Then we headed south for Rochester to hang out with the Blanshans for Linda's Birthday party. We had a really good time visiting with everyone and staying way longer than we were intended to stay. It was really nice to get to see all of them and a few other people that aren't on our regular visiting rounds. Beatrice and Catelynn had a lot of fun playing imaginary games in the office while Gregory and Joel played every board game there. Margaret and Harrison rode bikes with Benjamin and held Shep. We got home about 9pm, just a little after Travis got home from work.
Monday!
Travis replaced some of the towel dispensers at the church building and then went and picked up Hans and Garrett to spend the night at our house. While Travis was out running he stopped and got his Anniversary present, new speakers for the downstairs computer. They are awesome, just ask anyone but me. We are enjoying a couple fresh tomatoes each day now, they are quite yummy!
Tuesday!
Tammy came and got the boys mid morning. Margaret and Harrison each had their music lessons. I jarred up my dried herbs.
Wednesday!
Travis mowed all of our neighborhood it seemed like this morning before he went to work. He did around the pond, the empty house and the houses that don't have a lawnmower and he weed eated all along the alley. I prepared my lesson for class this evening and got groceries. Harrison went home with the Verhoeven's from church so he could go to Wild Mountain with them in the morning.
Thursday!
I had a dentist appointment to get my teeth cleaned. Beatrice went along to keep me company. When we got home it was already about time for Travis to go to work again. So I made lunch and he got ready to leave. The trains are really moving right now it seems. I went on a baking spree and made bread (since we were out), Mary L.'s zucchini bread (since I had one more zucchini to use up) and Chocolate Chip cookies. They were all so yummy! I hadn't had zucchini bread in quite awhile, every one but Harrison thought it was good. Harrison said he could still taste the zucchini! Harrison got home exhausted from a busy day riding lots of rides. They have an alpine slide there that I think would be fun to try.
Friday!
Today was Nati and Heidi's birthday. The kids made Nati a couple of presents and took him a plate full of cookies. He is a big fan of chocolate chip cookies so I thought that would be a good gift for him. Margaret made a rainbow jello for the church picnic tomorrow. It turned out quite beautiful. I did some sewing. I remodeled a dress for me, a skirt for Margaret and a little mending. We took a picnic to Battle Creek park and hiked awhile around there and had our supper there. It was a pretty evening to be outside. It was really hot out but there was a nice breeze and in the trees where we had plenty of shade it was pleasant. The mosquitoes came out pretty heavy at the end of our walk. We went off the paved trail and followed mountain bike trails that are pretty exciting. I would be walking most of them even if I had my bike along. Way to up and down, around and around.
Saturday!
We went to help a couple move from their house to an apartment. The husband, Roger, is in the hospital and when he comes home he won't be able to maneuver stairs so they had to move. Their house had been decorated very cutely. It would have been hard to move. They are a part of the deaf ministry at church, so although I recognize them, I didn't know them. The kids had wondered what they would do but there were plenty of things their size to haul out and we were a valuable asset to the moving team. It was a fun morning of hard work. Travis got home from work about noon and then Hans and Garrett got to our house about 12:30 and we got home about 1pm. Then I made tacos real quick for lunch. After we had lunch I took a quick nap while the house fell down from wild kids. Once I got up I got together the rest of the food for the church picnic. The picnic was fun, at first it seemed there weren't to many coming but by the time it was over there were quite a few and we had a good time. I just visited,
Travis and Harrison, Hans and Garrett, Margaret and Deborah all played volley ball with others.
Gregory pretty much just stayed in the jumping house the whole evening.
Beatrice kind of flitted from here to there.
BONUS!
Sunday!
We loaded up in the van and went to church. After church we headed over to Robert Street for Hannos' baptism. We had a little time so we ran in to Walmart. Travis wanted to get me a watch and he needed socks. When we got to the Ethiopian Orthodox church building Solomon was outside telling people goodbye. He told Travis we were to late and we could come over to their house to visit later. So we said that is what we would do and were going to go back to the van when one of Saba's sisters came and said we ought to come inside. We felt kind of awkward so we said we could see Saba and Hannos later and we got back in the van. Then another guy came out of the church building after we were in the van and talked Travis into coming into the church building. So we all got out and followed this person, I think their preacher, into the basement of the church where they were cleaning up from the meal after the baptism. Saba had invited us to come for the dinner and not actually for the baptism. She was quite excited that so many people had come and she said "it is like a party, people can come whenever!" A couple more Ethiopian families came after us so I felt better about it. They fed us their enjura, another type of bread that is traditional to them that is very similar to our white bread and then several types of topping for the enjura. It was yummy to us. Hans and Garrett not so much. We have a wider pallet for flavors we like to taste. We also got to try Saba's homemade beer. It was very interesting. Travis doesn't think it actually had any alcohol in it. Mine was called honey water and had a bite like vinegar but was quite sweet, Travis' wasn't sweet (He said it was too sweet) and was a color like ice tea. After we finished eating and it seemed a good time we said thank you and headed home. In the early evening after Travis left for work we all plus Osmond went on a bike ride to a park and hung out there for awhile. When we returned from the ride I made supper of potato wedges, hot dogs and veggies. The kids had a water fight to cool themselves off and wash off all the sand. Although that didn't happen, getting the sand off, my bed had a lot of sand on it where they had been sitting playing the wii. Tammy came and got the boys about 9:30 pm.
Monday!
To continue with our alcohol bent week we did errands today and one was to go to Morelli's to get me some vodka. I have been wanting to get some for several days because I got my order of vanilla in last week and I needed to get the beans soaking so I can have real vanilla again. I have been pricing them all summer and wanting to buy but just not sure if the cost was worth it. Olive Nation had a sale available and I bought. We had fun getting the beans sliced up the middle and pouring the vodka over them. Now they are quietly soaking in the cabinet for the next several months. I can't wait! I also got a bunch of laundry done and all the beds changed. We watched a sweet movie called Dad that Travis checked out from the library. I made my own version of shortbread for supper's desert. It is so yummy. I might need to share the recipe with you all some time. I am sure it will be better when I have my own vanilla to use in it.
Tuesday!
This day marks the day Travis and I have been married for 14 years. It seems impossible that it can be this many years. But I am happy we have had them! He truly is a wonderful guy to spend my life with.
And now I bid the Weekly review good bye. We have had a good summer and now our time is over. I will be writing on an irregular basis again.
~Anna
PS Our Swallow tail just finished metamorphosing and wriggled out of his chrysalis!
PSS On September 1st he flew away and we got to see it!!
10 comments:
Happy Anniversary!
I like your new photo for your blog header.
I hope your vanilla making goes well. I want to try doing that sometime.
Happy Anniversary from Dad and I! I have thought about you today but it has been a busy and fun day. We like your new family picture, too. The blog was fun, as usual. Now it is time to do school I suppose....Maybe Harrison and Margaret and Bea would like to take one day a week and write a little post. :) Our wood shed is full! Yay! Now to get the rest of the wood for the shop and the maple syruping! I do believe every muscle in my body has been stretched to the limit!!!! And more broccoli, green beans and apples are in the freezer, too! Love to all of you!
I use a bourbon for my vanilla. "Everyone" tells me it is the best. please let me know how yours turns out with the vodka. I think the bourbon gives it a little to fruity of a flavor.
I will miss your weekly reviews. YOU guys are such good neighbors, mowing the whole place. Although in the end do you mow much more than mom and dads whole yard?
Thank you for the anniversary wishes!
Mom, that is a good idea about the kids each doing a post a week. The girls beg me for their own blog so they might not mind. Harrison, well it would be by force if he were to do it:) You guys have certainly been busy preparing for winter. I understand about the aching!
Martha, I think vodka would be simply vanilla you taste where there is a flavor to bourbon naturally so you will get more than vanilla flavoring. Vodka is a popular mix drink liquor because it is supposed to be tasteless. I know a lot about vodka because while I split beans and worked in the kitchen the other day Travis read me a "book" on vodka he found somewhere on the internet.
I think we mow more than mom and dad because of the field. It is really quite a bit of space.
I have no idea why, but it seems that each time I post I come back a day or so later and there is one really messed up paragraph. Usually the very last one. This time it was not the last, but third to the last or something. I have somewhat fixed it but it isn't what I had originally typed. Why is this happening, do you think? I do proof read :)
I am curious about the vanilla making now. How long do the vanilla beans have to soak? After you take the beans out you're left with vanilla? Very interesting to me as I had no idea this was how you made your own. I'll bet the burbon makes an interesting tasting vanilla, too.
The vanilla takes from 2-6 months according to my research and what you want. If you want it strong and a consistent flavor go for the longer time. Keep it in a dark area and shake it every so often to mix it. You know Eddy's Vanilla Bean icecream? Those little black dots are the beans! They are really small. The pods look really dry and hard but are actually fairly soft and easy to slice. Slice them down the middle to obtain optimal flavor extraction. I expect to be able to use them after I drain the extract for room deodorizers, but that might not be the case, maybe there won't be any scent left.
Vanilla production is very interesting. Each orchid flower has to be hand pollinated because there is only one type of bee that can pollinate it and it is in south/central Mexico. My vanilla beans came from Madagascar. The highest producing place currently. After the beans are finished growing they are hand picked and go through a tedious drying period. Part of that time they are aired during the day and carefully wrapped in soft cotton cloths for premium flavor development at night. Which all this causes vanilla to be the second most expensive spice used. Saffron being the most. Travis also read me a "book" on vanilla recently.
I am happy to hear that Travis entertains you by reading internet "books" to you while you work in the kitchen. I am sure it makes the time pass quickly. I am canning tomato sauce this afternoon. We got to watch Lucas this morning.
Yes it is quite nice. Today I learned that most soda drinks have a bit of alcohol in them. Did you know that? :)
I am glad to see the retyped version of your blog, it makes much more sense. :) I agree with Mom that you should have your children post. That would be a fun addition. I also really like your new blog header picture. It is very sweet.
the times I have made vanilla extract the beans had a lot of smell and flavor left so I would use them for making chai etc. Where is he finding these ebooks? sounds like fun. It sure is fine by me that saffron is expensive, I do not like it's flavor at all.
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