tart & pie

Emily's Tarts

Our pie that we made from scratch (the pie crust that is). Michael insisted that we make the crust - instead of buy it. I decided since it was summer we would go ahead and make it from scratch. The kids enjoyed mixing up the crust and helping mix up the mulberries as the filling. I rolled out the crust - so it would not stick to the rolling pin.

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush

Picking Mulberries - too bad they grow high up in a tree, so I have to use a ladder
Yummy!

Baking the pie
MMM - Good!

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush so early in the morning.



The kids and I have been picking form a mulberry tree and enjoying the berries. We have two trees growing between our neighbor's fence & our house. This is the 1st time in 6 years that we have had berries on the tree - dont' know what happened to make the trees produce berries this year, but we are enjoying it.



We first were not sure what the berries were, and thought they might be poisonous. But Boo kept eating them, and was not getting sick, so I decided to eat one too, and it was good. Then I did some internet research and found out they were mulberries. I also then found a recipe for mulberry pie :) If I was going to be around next week, I would get ambitious and make the mulberry jelly I also found.



I have one more pie for us to eat - and two to freeze. Emily used a toy muffin tin which Grandma had given her to make some mulberry tarts. I will likely pick one or two more times before we leave for the farm. Those I will freeze for a later date. I don't think I can get Doug to pick berriesnext week when we are gone - and when we get home the berries will likely be done.

summer fun

Well, now I have both kids home this week for the summer. Emily had her race & Michael's baseball season will end this week (this is tournament week). Wow! Now I have to have more ways to entertain the kids this summer. We are not going on a big trip this year - we did way too much traveling last summer and need to stay put and regroup. We will spend lots of time doing projects and crafts - as well as some time at school working. I also play on going to putt-putt some as well as possibly bowling. Of course the library will fall in there as a place to go. If you have any ideas for occupying the kids - let me know. Have a great day!

soap box derby racing

Emily did great at the soap box derby race. She placed 8th in her division. It was a great day for a 1st race. Check out her blog for more pictures and info about her 1st race.

Michael's blog

I created a blog to tell about Michael and his baseball season. Since Emily had one, I felt he needed one too. Of course I can teach her to keep hers up - but I will have to do his at this point. Enjoy!

http://michaelbaseball.blogspot.com/

week with Michael

Michael and I are enjoying our week together. I am doing little bits of school work from home - while spending lots of together time with Michael. We have created wood projects, played putt putt, played computer, played Rumikub, cleaned his room and sorted through things... Today I think we are just laying low. Tomorrow we will go downtown to the bat factory and to waterfront park.

Camp

Michael & Emily playing tether ball
Emily in front of her cabin
Michael getting a horse ride.
Emily and her friends Grace & Sarah enjoy the lake

Michael enjoys playing basketball in the lake

Emily started camp on Sunday afternoon. They had a worship service, lunch, and open house - so Michael and I enjoyed the camp also. I got these pictures before I left on Sunday. She will get picked up on Friday.

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend we went to Indy to celebrate Emily, Noah & Andrew's birthday. We spent a great weekend of family time with mom & dad, Holly, Gene, Andrew & Noah. Holly & family stayed the weekend at mom & dad's house as well, so we had lots of quality time. The guys went golfing, the girls took the kids to the Indianapolis Children's Museum and we spent time playing games & talking. Emily & Michael enjoyed the slip & slide - but Andrew walked around and said, "I can't do it." He would not say why, just that he couldn't do it. It was a fun weekend of quality time together.

Yeah! School is out!

Wow! I really have been distracted. School ended on May 23rd and I have not taken the opporutnity to post since mid May. Oops... lots of catching up to do. I am 1 1/2 weeks into summer vacation. YEAH!!!!

Emily & soap box derby

http://pipsqueekracing.blogspot.com/

I created Emily a blog for her soap box derby racing. When she returns from camp I will show her how to post things and turn it over to her. I got her going on it. She will race for the 1st time on Saturday. Keep her in your prayers - she has not raced the car yet - and will do so for the 1st time on Saturday.

Only 2 weeks to go

We have only 2 weeks of school to go! Actually 9 1/2 days! Yeah! Praise the Lord for 165 positive, successful, safe days of schoo. I am praying for 9 1/2 more blessed days.

hard working weekend

This weekend we as a family served at Camp Lakeview in Indiana. We went to the family work camp. Wow! Did we work hard. We worked about 9 hours between Saturday & Sunday and had some time for free time as well as meals, devotion, and Church. It was a good, productive weekend, but I am very sore. I don't know when I have been so sore - probably not since I had the kids. I am that sore. It hurts to laugh and sneeze. Oh well - after a few more days of ibuprofin & some icy hot - I will be all better.

I am sore because I spent 6 - 7 hours on Saturday raking leaves around the camp. They were wet leaves that had sat since fall -and in places were 6 inches deep. It was hard work. After raking them onto tarps, we had to drag the tarps into the woods and dump them. The only ones who volunteered to do raking were myself and another lady. We did it and finished the job - but both were very sore today!!! Today I cleaned trash cans - which was another difficult job as I had to haul the big cans around to the hoses so they could be washed off.

Doug fixed screen doors, the screened in porch, put up some new clothes line poles, and did some other handy-may chores. The kids filled sandbags, spread rocks, moved leaves & filled holes in the field with limestone. The kids worked about 1/2 the time and played the other 1/2 of the work shifts - with camp counselors who were already there on site.

It was a fulfilling weekend - there were about 50 people working (ranging from age 5 - ???) all doing various jobs. One of the kids asked the camp counselor, "Are we working for God?" How fitting. It was a wonderful way to serve the Lord and thank him for all his blessings of nature. Both kids will be able to experience camp - Emily for a week long session, and Michael for the father /son session.

Praise the Lord for Christian camp ministries - and praise the Lord for pain relivers :)

I forgot to take my campera - so I don't have any pictures of the weekend. Just use your imagination.

3 weeks to go

Wow! Where has this school year gone. We have only 3 weeks of school. That means I have only 3 more weeks as Michael's teacher. That makes me sad and happy. I will then again be just a mom - but I will likely not have the opportunity to keep such a unique eye on his learning again. I praise the Lord for a good year - and ask for his continued guidance on the remaining weeks.

Emily's birthday

Emily & Doug at Fiesta Mexicana



Yesterday was Emily's 10th birthday. Wow! My little girl is growing up. It is hard to believe that she is that old. For her birthday this year we gave her a water color paint set, an oil paint set, two art paper pads, charcoal pencils, a $20 gift certificate to a ceramic shop and some make-up/lotion/face mask stuff. No toys - she is growing up. That makes me both sad and happy. I praise the Lord for my precious daughter who is a blessing to all she meets.

Derby Roses

A trophy from the Derby

Emily in front of the rose carpet - and some ladies creating and hand sewing the roses. Aunt Gayle would sure love to watch them at work.

We went to watch them make the roses that the winner gets after the Derby Race. Kroger florist makes the carpet of roses. It is beautiful and takes over 400 roses to create.

Derby Day at school

Michael and some of his first grade buddies on Derby Day
Michael and the 1st grade boys painting their derby horse
All the 1st graders with their Derby Hats
Emily playing Churchill Downs with the 4th graders

Emily, Sydney & Savannah

Emily Modeling her new dresses

Bi g Grandma made Emily these dresses for her birthday. She enjoyed modeling them in the beautiful weather yesterday. Does she have a future as a model? Who knows - but she sure enjoys playing model. Thank you Big Grandma for the dresses!

Parade Preview & Bed Races

One of the beds at the bed races - during the bed race parade
Some of the bed races after the parade
Emily and Michael in their masks they made at the Derby Parade Preview

To me they look like Storm Troopers from Star Wars - what do you think?

Emily and Michale are world travelers - Aunt Amber this one is for you :)

Emily at the band festival

Emily attended the first annual Band festival - and played with a band of about 50 students. There were representatives from 5 schools. They played 4 songs and did a good job. The concert was about 20 minutes long. I was able to have sub for a few hours so I could go and listen to the concert.

Michael and baseball