Anna's blessing day

I want to thank Kurt and Martha for traveling so far to have little Anna Catherine Taylor blessed.  We were going to travel to Arizona, but Martha's best friend was getting married the same weekend in Bountiful so Kurt and Martha decided to travel here.  It was so nice to see them!  Thank you Martha for staying at our home for a few days.  Kurt didn't have any more vacation days so he drove here, flew back to AZ on Monday, flew back to SLC on Friday and they drove back to Mesa the day after the blessing.  They are amazing!  Thanks for being so wonderful!  We also got to sing Happy Birthday to Martha since Anna was born on her birthday.

Enjoy the pictures!

What? You already have tomatoes?

         My wonderful husband loves to garden and can't wait until the ground is thawed enough to pull out the rototiller and begin preparing for his first seeds.  We have garden at the end of the pasture between the blue spruce trees, at the side of our house, below the quarter acre, and anywhere there is sun and ground.  Luckily we planted a lot of grass! :)   The nice part is that we get to eat all the delicious veggies and fruit.  His goal each year if eating a tomato sandwich by the 4th of July.  Last year we didn't get very many tomatoes, but this year WOW!!!  I just organized my fruit room and realized that I only had 9 quarts of spaghetti sauce.  So, I decided that I would can this first.  Usually it is during the first week of school that enough tomatoes are ready. 

 

Pot fit over two burners :)

 

 

Notice - US NASH 1987 and under it says 15 gallons

Last weekend I said, "Let's get up and pick the tomatoes on Monday because that is about the only day I can make spaghetti sauce".  Well, I arose at 6:30 a.m. and he had just finished picking them.  I was excited.  Caleb said he wanted to help and I was very thankful because we began at 6:45 a.m. Caleb did most of the cutting and I did the churning and washing and sending them through the Victoria Strainer.  Caleb said, "Okay Grandma, I'm just going to keep cutting until we get every one done."  He wasn't joking. We had filled one large pot and it was on the stove, filled another and it was on the stove, and then there was still more.  At 9:15 we were almost finished.  The problem, no more stove room.  Then the thought came to me, "The pot of all pots!"  It is one that I have had for quite some time.  I don't know where it came from.  I asked all the neighbors, but they said it wasn't theirs.  It just ended up in our orchard one year.  Anyway, I cleaned it out and started scooping out the tomato juice one pitcher at a time because the pots were to heavy to lift and dump.  After putting the two pots and the remainder in, there was just enough room to add the ingredients and be able to boil.  At 8:40 p.m. I turned off the last steamer.  I was so excited!!!  One full day and one big pot made 42 quarts!  10 1/2 gallons of spaghetti sauce :)
 

 

I need to be a little bit taller for this pot.

To celebrate, Dave and I went for a short hike until dark.  What a wonderful feeling to have spaghetti sauce finished for the year.  Thank you Caleb, you were the best!  I would still be cutting if it wasn't for you! I also can't leave out Chloe.  She woke up just as we were finishing straining the tomatoes so she helped wash the pans and strainer.  Reward?  Fun with the grandchildren and rootbeer floats for Dave, Caleb and Chloe.
 

Time flies on wings of lightning

 With life full of family and events, I have meant to post, but haven't sat down to take the time.  Today I have reflected on the past two months and I am amazed of how much has occurred.  Tasia and Scott blessed Estelle, Mike and Sarah arrived home from Germany, Kristin and David were married in the Salt Lake Temple, Kurt and Martha drove all the way from Arizona to be to the wedding, I left early for Germany to help Bryce and Beth while Bryce recovered from head surgery, Tasia came to Germany, Dave, Kaylee and Dresden arrived in Germany, we all went to Italy for the wedding celebration for David and Kristin, Scott surprised Tasia and flew to Rome, a new granddaughter Anna Catherine was born to Kurt and Martha just before we came back, and now we are home eating from our garden and enjoying the summer.  It's crazy how time flies.  Some day I'll post my journal of all the events, but for now, I'll post a few pictures to to give you a glimpse of our adventures, and boy were they adventures!!!