Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Daddy has been gone all week, but today he was off!  Momma put him (and the kiddos) to work digging the sweet potatoes...

The ground was so dry and hard to dig since we haven't had a decent rain all month, so Daddy did all the digging!  It wasn't our best crop of sweet taters, but I'm sure we are going to have plenty to get us through the year.  And we will have enough to make some baby food for Number 4.

After we were done digging, we went to check on the fruit trees.  Unfortunately, our peach trees produced absolutely nothing this year.  (Insert sad face)  Our apple tree on the other hand, put on a handful of apples.  One looked perfect, so Dallas picked it!

He was teasing that he was going to eat it, but it is sitting in the fridge waiting to be shared.

Until next time...

Fun Friday Fotos

Daddy had a rough day at work yesterday.  They started harvesting, but only one of the 3 combines was able to run.  We thought we would cheer him up this morning with a picture.

This evening, Reba helped me dig the carrots out of the garden!  I was very pleased with how they did.

I think these carrots will be destined to become baby food for Number 4 and a carrot cake for everyone else!

All that is left in the garden are a few bell pepper plants and the sweet potatoes.  I think I'm going to wait for the weather to cool off before digging them.

Until next time...

Baby Food

Remember all those green beans I picked a week or so ago?  After I reached my goal for canning, I decided I had better prepare some baby food!

I was in the middle of packing pickle jars when the beans were done steaming, so I asked Doug if he would be willing to help fill the ice cube trays with the puree.  Dallas and Reba quickly asked if they could help too.  The more the merrier!

Until next time...

Julianne - 8 months

When Julianne turned 7 months old, she had just started army crawling.  

Now that she is 8 months, she is can sit herself up, crawl with her belly off the floor, pull herself into a standing position, and so much more!

Our little lady loves to clap, as well.

Of course, now that she can crawl, she is into even more things!

A few of the other things Julianne has accomplished include:

• Putting herself to sleep at nap time and bedtime without being swaddled.
• Putting everything in her mouth - including a pacifier she found! 

• Went to first tractor pulls
• Still loves to blow raspberries

• Loves to play peek-a-boo
• Giggles a little when tickled, but usually stops after 2-3 times
• Eats: sweet potato, banana, applesauce, green beans, butternut squash, carrots, rice cereal, puffs, ice cream.
• Drinks water (and pumped milk) from sippy cup

Until next time...

Meal Time!

On May 15th, Julianne got her first taste of "solid" foods.  I started her on Oatmeal cereal because Dallas and Reba didn't care for Rice cereal when they were infants, so I wanted something that had a little bit more flavor.

Daddy was excited to help feed Julianne one of her first meals.

As well as my little mother hen!

Dallas was able to help one day because he was home from school (he had a dentist appointment, and I let him stay home all day).

Julianne has a few items on her meal list: Oatmeal, Bananas, Applesauce, Butternut Squash, and Rice cereal.  I decided to try the Rice cereal because Julianne started spitting up more than normal after eating the oatmeal.  She did much better at keeping the rice cereal down.  I have reintroduced the oatmeal, and she is doing great with it!

Julianne has started to curl up her nose when she eats, and makes a snorting sound.  It's pretty funny.  I remember Reba doing the same thing, but I don't recall Dallas doing it.

Next menu item on the list is going to be green beans, but first I have to dig them out from the bottom of the deep freezer!

Until next time...

Photo Round-Up

This was the only picture I took of Miss Reba at her baptism party...as you can tell, she enjoyed a nice nap during the party! Dallas enjoyed the pie and ice cream that was the dessert for the party.

Reba hanging with Pa-paw and Ma-maw before they had to head back to Indiana

Dallas having fun on his pedal tractor

This is Dallas' new past time activity (notice the hat backwards...that's new from the weekend too)

Dallas loves to help feed Reba. (As you can tell, Reba doesn't mind who feeds her as long as she gets the food!)

Reba found some new "toys"...she loved the clinging sounds they made

And, lastly, Reba has started on carrots (that I made from last year's garden crop).

She ate the whole bowl...even if she did give me this face!

Until next time...

Rice – It’s what for Dinner

About a week and a half ago, we started Reba on rice cereal.

Here's her very first bite...

...and her very first reaction

She quickly got the hang of it, but she thinks she is ready to do it herself!

Happy baby girl - once her tummy is full

As a side note: Reba had recently started waking up through the night wanting to nurse, but since starting on the cereal she has returned to sleeping through the night!

Until next time...

A Bountiful Harvest

With the possibility of our first frost tonight, I decided to gather the remaining veggies from the garden. All in all, we had a very successful year with our garden.

I canned 43 pints of sweet corn, 34 quarts of green beans, 14 quarts of pickles, 7 quarts of zucchini, 7 quarts of beef and veggie stew, 4 quarts of tomato juice, 7 pints of pizza sauce, 7 pints of spaghetti sauce, 8 pints of whole tomatoes, 7 quarts of chili base, and 20 quarts of salsa.

In my freezer, I have 5 gallon-sized bags of green beans, 10 pint-sized bags of broccoli, 6 pint-sized bags of kohlrabi, 2 gallon-sized bags of chopped green peppers, 6 gallon-sized bags of spinach, and 3 pint-sized bags of carrots.

Lastly, I have a gallon-sized bag of each of the following baby food: green beans, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli.

Today, Doug and I dug up the sweet potatoes (which I need to figure out what to do with them)
I pulled all my onions...these were my "prize winners"

And, I finished cutting the celery

Until next time...

Picture Update

I know, I've been a little slow about keeping the blog updated. I really have no excuse, other than chasing Dallas around the house occupies most of my time. The little guy can crawl like a pro and can pull himself up on anything. The other night, he actually let go of the couch he was holding onto and stood alone for a brief second! Well, enough words, on to the pictures...

We had a recent full moon...
Dallas loves his riding tractor...he has actually figured out how to make it go forward.
Cleaning off my end table.
Dallas got his first major boo-boo. He was trying to pull himself up on the walker, and the walker walked away!
Dallas and his puppy (Charlie)
Fred didn't want to get in the picture.
Dallas feeding himself...
Aunt Katie sent a new outfit! I think it says it all..."Chubby Cheeks"
Yesterday, while at the grocery store, they had "fresh" peaches on sale (they were from Chile). They looked good and were just the right ripeness for a pie! I think it turned out very pretty...and it tasted even better!
Until next time...