Sunday we hosted family dinner. Grilled cheese, tomato soup, fruit and chocolate chip cookies were on the menu.
I made a couple sourdough rounds, white bread and Italian sweet bread for the sandwiches.
Nick toasted the sandwiches out on the Blackstone. My favorite was pesto, tomato and mozzarella on sourdough. 🤤
Arm day coincided with couple skill building day. -photo by Grace
Fred still prefers taking the lid off, sitting on the bottom shelf and eating. Hazel is traditional. (It’s still weird that we have cats but we are supposed to have them.) They are entertaining to watch when a fly enters the house.
You think kids are the only ones who knock books off shelves?
Fred likes to challenge himself. He will crawl on top of the books, drop a toy back behind everything then try to get it out.
Nick borrowed a wood splitter. The goal is to fill the woodshed completely. Last year we got it about half full and didn’t use it all but if we could always have it at least half full, that would be less we have to get each year.
The garden is growing well. Nick put down some miracle grow. He and Grace have been weeding in the evenings. Bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and yellow squash have started showing up. We are going to start some flower seeds in small pots and fill the empty spaces in the rows.
This is such a fun little flower. It’s called: Blue Hawaii. Every time I see it, I get Elvis stuck in my head.
A deer has been our backyard twice this past week. Thankfully it didn’t eat much. But first it jumped the 6’ fence and bent it all up. The next time it just walked through the garage - so, we put the door back on. The next day…
This may look like the beach, but it’s just our backyard.
Midweek, I made some more bread. Sourdough wheat. It’s pictured in the pans because I didn’t spray the pans and they were stuck. But good news - after they cooled, I was able to scrape them loose and they came out normal looking. Pretty tasty. I had to take a loaf next door because we have too much bread in this house.
In other news, Nick was able to run Work Crew this week and his days off are getting switched back to Saturday/Sunday.
The kids have been funny this week…
T: Are you lying?
J: Well no. I’m just joking.
And Jake has been calling human boys and girls: does and bucks. 🦌
Grace has started using air quotes. Sometimes they are fitting and sometimes not. Jake has pickup on the fad as well.
Lastly, this week has been tough. A beloved lady from this town, our ward, who was very active in church and the community passed away from cancer. She was the best piano/organ player I have ever known, playing every Sunday at church with so much passion. She played not just the notes, but the words. She was the best example of a mother I have ever met. She was so gentle and kind while standing firm for what she believed in.
Her passing is especially tough because she was out and about in the past 2 weeks and now she is gone.
She and her husband have many children and grandchildren (52 to be exact) and we helped with food and childcare for a few days while the the family said their goodbyes.
Hours after her death she was wrapped in a quilt and buried in a pine box in their field near the house, per her request.
The kids and I were able to attend one of the grandchildren’s baptism this morning. We were one of two family’s there that wasn’t part of their 52. What a strong and great family they are.