A "Berry" Jammin Morning

The whole crew was ready to make Freezer Strawberry Jam this morning...since we only had 1/2 inch left in our jar. Opps. Thank goodness strawberries are on sale this week. Making jam makes me feel like I am slightly like a pioneer (making my own food), but then I think about my Bosch and food chopper and I realise I am not a pioneer. Oh well.

We love freezer jam and as I have made it for years now we've learned some great things to use.

First...a wonderful funnel such as this one that my sister, Kim, found for me. Thank you! No more crazy messes as we pour the jam.

2nd...Plastic Peanut Butter Jars to store the jam. Sherri Davis taught me that a few months back. Use old PB jars that are plastic and it saves on the glass jars. Perfect for my home. No kidding...before we started with these jars we would loose one jar from each batch because it was dropped and it broke. Yahoo! More jam to eat!

3rd ...Certo Premium Liquid Fruit Pectin. My mom found it last fall on clearance and grabbed us all a ton. It is great. You just pour it into the mixture. No need for boiling. Wahoo! One less pan to use.

Here is our final product waiting to go to the freezer and then be tasty jam! We love strawberry freezer jam.

This time I actually ate some of the strawberries before mixing them up...they sure brought back summer to me...just the taste and suddenly I was at home in NY eating them out of my mom's patch!

Before and After

Who doesn't love a good before and after picture? Well, I can't supply that because I had to take self portraits of myself, but today I got my hair done. It has been 9 months. And sorely needed.

Before shot of Kindy. Long hair just hanging there.

After shot of Kindy. Curled nicely. Feels about 10 lbs. lighter. It won't ever look like this again, because I don't have the talent. Picture doesn't do it justice of how it looks.

Thanks to my hairdresser, Lora, who makes me feel beautiful for a day!

One Busy Saturday!

Saturday Morning (4/18) started early. 5am early. Vern was off to run the Pat's Run in Tempe at 7am. It is a 4.2 mile run to celebrate Pat Tilman's life and dedication to our country. He was an ASU football player and then a Cardinal player before he died in Afganistan as an Army Ranger. Every year they have a run to remember him. Vern decided last year that he would be there this year and he ran it in just over one hour! I am so proud of him. He has worked hard and continues to do great!

Our fabulous bikes on loan from the Rapier bike shop.

At 5:30am I (kindy) and my sister, Karen went over to Litchfield Park Rec Center to participate in their second annual Triathlon. It went well. It was 300 m. swim, 8.4 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. The pool was heated...a little too warm. It all went well except when I followed the runner in front of me and missed a turn off. Don't worry...I went back and corrected myself (thanks to Karen's reminder...twice). Karen came in 2nd place in our age division of 25-34 year olds. With a time of 57 minutes. I can in 5 minutes later, but didn't place in the top 3 spots. Darn it. Watch out Karen...next time my legs won't be so dead for a mile and I'll get you.

Karen and Kindy feeling awesome we did well.

We all finished our races by 9ish and we headed for home. Lots of thanks goes out to my mother in law, Eileen Wolfley, for coming at 5:30am to watch all 9 kids and then to Karen's mother-in-law, Carmen and Michelle Scott for taking over at 8am. They were lifesavers.

A kind family in our ward called and asked us if we wanted to have their trampoline so because we can't say No to anything for free we scooped it up and got it all set up for the kids. As you can see in the photo...it takes up half of our 48 X20 foot backyard. Love it. The kids are so excited. But sad this morning when I wouldn't let them jump on it on Sunday. I am such a mean mom.

The girls try out the trampoline wetted down since it was so warm yesterday!

Needless to say we were all asleep by 8:30pm last night and slept great all night! What a fun day we had and hope for a jumping good time this week and many more to come on the trampoline. ( I hope I don't do anything irrational trying to impress the kids on the tramp, I don't think the body is like it was 15 years ago).