Happy Harvest

Our garden produced beautifully this year. We have worked reallly hard and it payed off. The only thing that I think we could have been better at is weeding our garden. The weeds grew just a plentifully as the vegetables. Below is a list of what our harvest produced:

Lettuce
Peas
Grean Beans
Onions
Carrotts
Corn
Potatoes
Cantaloupe
Pumpkins

I did ALOT of canning too!! I made:

Strawberry Jam
Apricot Jam
Apricot Butter
Canned Peaches
Canned Pears
Applesauce
Applebutter
Salsa
Canned Green Beans
Canned Dilly Beans
Canned Pinto Beans

Are you hungry yet? I think I am done with food storage for the year!! Too much work!

You Must Visit this Blog if You are LDS

Announcing My New Favorite LDS Related Blog!!

(With Angel Moroni's Help)

I stumbled across this website and it is great! This girl does LDS Church Lesson Helps and Handouts she has stuff for primary, activity days, relief society, and more. My Favorite: she makes a handout each month to correspond with the visiting teaching message. You can just print it out and it is cute and totally appropriate to give to the sisters that you visit teach. Here it is: http://emmasplacetobe.blogspot.com/ . Sorry, if you aren't LDS and reading this post. Visit my blog some other time to read about our really exciting life on the farm!

My Cell Phone Drowned

About 10 days ago Emily decided to give my cell phone a bath in a bowl of water. The picture below is not of my cell phone I found it on the Internet of someone's phone that had the same fate. I took the battery out and tried to let it dry out with no luck! It is still dead as a door nail. Of course I don't have phone insurance because I am pretty responsible with my phone. What was I thinking? I know that my kids destroy everything that they can get their hands on. Next time, I will definitely be purchasing phone insurance. Does anyone have any tips on how to revive a drowned cellphone? If you need to reach me sometime in the next month or so, you might try our home phone, email, facebook, or this blog. I pretty much check those things everyday.

Grand Nan Visit's Idaho

Grand Nan came for a visit last week. We were busy ladies the entire time. We did alot of chores, went shopping a few times, and went out to eat a few times. We always love having her come visit and we can't wait until the next time.

Princess Polly

A few months ago, one of Darin's co-workers said they had kittens and asked if Abigail would want one. Of course Abigail wants a kitten, what kid doesn't want a kitten? So, before I was even aware of what had taken place we added a new kitten to our house. So, now we have 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats & 6 chickens (I have stopped counting the livestock, the number changes too often). Ralphs Ruckus at it's best. Meet Princess Polly.

Our New Family Members

Our family just wasn't the same with out a dog running around, so when I found out a family in Chubbuck needed to find a good home for their Cocker Spaniel and Springer Spaniel I couldn't resist these cute faces. Meet Samson & Aggie.

The Springer - Samson means Service so hopefully he will serve our family well. He is 11 months old and full of energy he loves people and follows us wherever we go. He is still learning good manners and sometimes forgets them when he gets excited and jumps on people. We are trying to teach him some basic commands so he is not so uncontrollable. He loves to chase the farm cats, I don't think he really has interest in hurting them. He just think he needs to chase anything that is running away from him. Mr. O'Malley has had to put him in his place a time or two.

LOOK AT THOSE CUTE FACES!!

The Cocker - Aggie means Virtouous or Good and she is a good girl. Aggie is very loving and will just cuddle up in your lap to be pet. She still needs to learn a few manners too. We have to make it to where she doesn't feel like she needs to jump on people to get attention. Aggie's former owners named her Abbie, but it was really confusing having tow Abbie's around so we changed her name to Aggie in honor of our Texas A&M Aggies.

Soccer Has Begun

Abigail gets to play soccer this year. She is such a cute little soccer player.

I hope she doesn't get her athletic abilities from me.

Abigail's Kindergarten School Picture

Abigail was so excited to show me her first school pictures. She said, "see mom, don't I look cute!" Well of course I think SHE is cute, but WHAT HAPPENED TO HER HAIR???? I was very disappointed to find out that they took pictures after recess and snack. If you look really close, you can see food on her lip. It is definitely noticeable in the 8X10 that we got. Abigail's hair was not in that location when I put her on the bus that morning. Of course, I still think she looks cute, but I probably will not be ordering pictures anymore from the school and just might show up before her pictures are taken next year to make sure that she is still dressed. I will stick to going to my very inexpensive photographer friend Kristin, she does a MUCH better job. My mom took one look at the picture and said, "Well, she looks like a Kindergartner!" She still is my sweet little Abigail with a sweet little smile.

Pick Your Own

Okay, I have fallen in LOVE with this website. www.pickyourown.org It has everything you need for canning, freezing, and drying food. There are great tips and recipes for canning all kinds of fruits, vegetables, soups, salsas, applesauce, pie fillings, jams, jellies, etc. Also, they have a list of Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and Christmas Tree Farms for all 50 states. Just thought I would share, my new favorite go-to place for all things produce.

Rockland Homecoming

Last weekend was Homecoming for our little town. It is a BIG deal here. Everyone stops what they are doing to watch the parade (which lasts about 10 minutes). People take off work to go to the football game (which is at 2:00, I guess because we don't have lights). It amazes me how much school spirit this little place has, but I guess when the school is one of the only things you have, you stand loud and proud for the Rockland Bulldogs.

The kindergarten class got to ride the fire truck in the parade.

Abigail was in a little mini cheer at half time at the football game.

This video is dedicated to Grand Nan who was a DHS, UNT, and All-American Cheerleader. Abigail is on the front row wearing jeans. The sound isn't very good and it is kind of hard to see, but watch if you would like. The video stopped before they did their cheers, but you can see part of the dance.