Socks, Canning, Preschool…that about highlights my life these days

Here's my first place ribbon with my socks. These are the ones I entered in the Laramie County Fair. I entered some in the State Fair and know I got a first. My mother-in-law also said I got a gift certificate for Superintendent's Choice (or something like that)…YEAH!!

I've been pretty busy canning this weekend. I canned some chokecherry jelly and syrup (thanks to my mother-in-law and Lloyd for the chokecherries), peach butter, and sweet pickled green beans. Jeremy still wants me to can some meat and some chili, so maybe next weekend.

We I have recently decided to quit buying paper napkins and I'm making some fabric napkins from my stash. We've got some blue camo, cherries, and stars. I'm just doing a quick zigzag around the edges and, Voila!, napkins. We've had arguments over who gets which napkin….

Next week a coworker and I are going to the National Hydraulic Engineering Conference in Park City, Utah, where they had the last winter Olympics. It is work related, but my coworker and I are pretty excited to get out of town.

The new daycare/preschool is going pretty well. There were no tears on Monday, tears from Anna on Tuesday and Wednesday, tears from both girls on Thursday. Yet on Friday, Grace smiled and waved from the window. Anna didn't go on Friday as she was running a fever. Of course, the fever broke by 8:30 that morning and I decided not to take her to the doctor. Almost like a wasted day off, but not really because I got to spend it with Anna and we never get Anna-Mommy time all by ourselves very often.

New Daycare

We have finally said enough is enough with our daycare and found a new one. The new one is a facility with 118 kids! Grace will be in a preschool setting learning her abc's and getting prepped for kindergarten. Anna will be in with other 2 year olds that are actively potty training, as we're trying. She'll be learning some things like colors and counting. They have fun days with slip-n-slides or the ice cream truck comes by. The hours are more flexible, so I'll be able to sneak in the gym a few more days a week. And the price is comparable to what we are currently paying. And no more closed days.

I thought we needed some little girl pictures, so here we go….

Sunset Socks

I took my Sherbet Socks into the county fair and lol and behold, I got a first place!  My mother in law suggested I enter them in the State Fair.  However, they don't release the exhibits until later on Saturday afternoon, when we had already planned to be in Douglas.  I'm going to enter the recently completed My Sister's Sunset Socks.  For those of you who care about the stats:  2.25mm needle, Bubble Wrap pattern, took exactly one month to make with Patons Kroy Socks FX color "Cameo Colors"  I started another sock, but this one is hush-hush for now.

I've also been the crazy canning lady.  So far I've canned apple cinnamon syrup, applesauce and peaches.  I also plan on canning dill pickles, peach butter, carrots, and beans except I have run out of jars and do not have any dill.  However, I will be gathering both from my mother in law this weekend.

Garden Produce

The garden is actually producing green beans this year…yet we only have one lone pea plant. Last year was quite the opposite. It's wonderful to be able to have a salad straight from the garden.

We have let the chickens roam around the property in hopes of keeping down the grasshoppers and other bugs. Lately I've noticed they come a'running when somebody goes outside, especially if you have a bucket or two in your hands. Check it out.

one chicken

more have materialized

almost everybody

everybody's here!

and they followed me all the way to the coop...

Out of the mouths of babes….I was getting ready to give Jeremy a haircut using the clippers and I was trying to figure out which one was the shortest we'd been using. Grace asked me which one I use to "mow" daddy's hair. We got quite the chuckle out of that.

My kiddos are currently pushing a baby doll stroller around outside.....in only their underwear/diaper.  Gotta love the country and lack of close by neighbors!