Just Peachin' Away!

So life at our house is just peachy (pun intended)! My Mom and Dad have given me a lot of peaches from their garden this year and I have been learning how to save them. I think I have peaches to last forever. I did 10 bottles of peaches, 10 jars of jam (with my friends help, thanks Alisa) and 10 big bags of frozen peaches. I remember weeks of bottling during the summer when I was a little girl. We did peaches, pears, cherries and tomatos. I remember salsa and spaghetti sauce and chili sauce and grape juice. I remember shucking and silking the corn an then putting it in bags to be frozen. It seemed like it would never end. But I have found myself following in my Mother's foot steps just a little. I have a wonderful memory of my Grandma Wetzel who passed away almost 15 years ago, she organized a little competition between my sister Julie and me of who could make the prettiest bottle of peaches. We cut and peeled our peaches and then after we added the sugar and the water we put he lids on and painted our initials in fingernail polish right on the top so it would last through the water boiling. I don't remeber who won but I do remember my Grandmother and my Mother. What stalwart examples they have been in my life. As I was peeling and cutting up the endless bowls of peaches amid the crys of my children running all around me and making messes and getting into mischief I wondered if this is what it was like for my own Mother. I can just imagine all the whining that took place probably mostly from me! I know it wasn't easy for her and she probably dreaded these weeks of canning but I think she was doing more then just preserving food for the winter, she was showing me how raise a big family. It helped me to realize that families don't thrive without hard work. I felt a real connection to her and I am grateful that she has been able to teach me to feed and care for my own family as she was able to feed and care for us. So thanks Mom, for working so hard. I love you!

School Days

Oh how these years have flown by. I can hardly believe it, my baby is in kindergarten. Where did the time go? Tolman has been so excited to go to school. He gets on the big bus and it whisks him away from the safety of our home where another person teaches him. I am not so sure about the whole thing but he is having a great time. His first day I was so nervous probably even more then he was. Was he going to be able to find his classroom from where the bus drops him off ? Would he get on the right bus to come home? What if he gets lost? What if he is scared? How can one teacher take care of all those kids and still give my kid what he needs? When I met him at the bus stop after school, praying that he would get home ok, he jumped off of the bus and came running to me with a big grin and said "Mom we did fun things the whole time!" So there we go... now we are getting into a pretty good routine and life is great and school is fun and I wonder why I ever stressed about it in the first place. I am not sure he even missed me.

Here it is...

The moment you've all been waiting for... After much deliberation I have finally decided to post my favorite summertime recipe Mango Salsa! It really is to so yummy, My mom keeps telling me I should find a way to sell it as a business, but I really have no idea how to do it so I guess I will just share the recipe and hope you all enjoy it! I wish I had a picture of it to show, it really is quite pretty to look at. I just love pretty food!

Mango Salsa
5-10 medium tomatos peeled and chopped (depending on how big of batch you want to make)
I like to use roma tomatos.
2-3 mangos peeled and chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 of a purple onion chopped (I probably use a little less then this because I am not a huge onion fan)
1 clove of garlic crushed (I usually buy the garlic in a jar and then I add something like a small teaspoonful)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
the juice of 2-3 limes (I like a little more lime so I usually use 3)
2 tablespoons of vinegar (I have been using seasoned rice vinegar because that is what I have on hand but you could use regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste. If it seems a little sweet add a little more salt and it usually is just right.

Put it all together and let the flavors blend for a few minutes and enjoy
It is delicious on chicken taco salad and fish or just with chips and the best part about it is, its fat free!

Summertime Updates

Eww poop! I Didn't see that before I posted the pic. Sorry!

Tait is growing as fast as he can... literally. I took him to his 2 month appointment about a week and half ago (I know I kind of late) and he weighed 16 lbs and was almost 25 inches long. What a round little tummy he has. His smiles just melt my heart and he is just starting to laugh a little. What would I ever do without this kid? My favorite thing is to see him laying on the bed watching the fan and kicking and wiggling he gets so excited! Sometimes I just hold him and hug him and feel so much gratitude that he is so healthy and bright.

Eden is my twirly-girl and just had a birthday. I am sad we didn't get any fun birthday pics because our batteries for our camera were dead. Go figure! She had such fun day with her Daddy who took the day off of work to play with her. We went to the park to play on the swings (her favorite) and then to the waterpark in town by the library. While we were there we picked up a few stories and some movies to keep us busy. We made birthday brownies and it was a fun day!

Tolman is getting ready for kindergarten next week and I can hardly believe its here already. It puts me into a whole new phase of motherhood that I am not sure I am ready for. He is so excited to ride the bus and take his new marvel comic backpack to school. I got to take him school shopping on Saturday and we had a fun time throwing pennies into the water fountain and making wishes. He is such a good boy and I know he will do awesome in school!

We got new fishing poles this summer and had a lot of fun just practicing in the front yard. Maybe sometime soon we will get to go on a real fishing trip! I know, I know, its pretty lame that we haven't hardly even used them but with gas prices the way they have been our money is stretched way passed its limits so for now we are just having fun just practicing!!

Kimball is looking more and more like his Dad every day! Recently they got to go on a fun date together, they went to the park and played on the splash pad and the swings and then they followed it up with a slushy and a treat. Kimball really enjoys playing with his Dad and wants to do everything just like him. He is so sweet to me too, somtimes he runs up to me and hugs me and tells me how cute I am, and he wispers in my ear "Mom you are sweet!" I just love that boy!

Reeve is the advisor for the Girls fishing club out at the ranch and he has been having a blast and a lot of sucess. He is turning into a regular fisherman and tells me every day how big the fish was that he caught. You know how it is, "Today I caught a fish this big..." and each day fish gets bigger and bigger! He has just been called to be the 1st counselor in our new Bishopric which he is pretty excited about. The 1st counselor from the old Bishopric was made the Bishop and he felt like he couldn't do it with out Reeve so it looks like we are in for another 5 years! No rest for the wicked! ;) No really, I feel really good about this call. I know we have a lot more to do and a lot more to learn so I am grateful that Heavenly Father has trusted us with a part of his vinyard. I just wish I didn't feel so tired!

School is starting for him in just a few weeks and then it will be back to the grindstone for real! (Sometimes it feels like we haven't left) He is excited for an up coming backpack trip with the scouts this week and for the Knighton family reunion and campout at the end of the month. (Maybe we will get to go fishing for real then!!)


As for me I am just hanging out. Life has been a little crazy these past few weeks as I have been struggling a little with some postpartum depression and it has taken its toll on our family. I feel like I hit my peak, or should I say my lowest point, a few weeks ago, and everyday since then (mostly)has been better. I am amazed at how I have seen the hand of the Lord reach down to help me when I have had trouble hanging on. He has blessed me with so many angels in these last few weeks and I feel like things are on the upswing. My sweet husband has taken such good care of me. His love and concern and a sweet blessing have made this trial easier for me to bear. I love him for all the study and research he has done about the best ways to deal with postpartum depression and then for helping me put it into action. He has told me that he doesn't understand all of this stuff but he is doing all he can to help me. I guess I am pretty amazed that it has shown up this late in the game, after child number 4. My mother suffered from it with many of her babies and she has been one of my greatest sources of comfort and strength aside from Reeve. So all in all, there have still been some hard days but I feel like I am slowly climbing out. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father who has not left me alone, he is the one I have turned to when I felt like I couldn't make it one more minute. I have definately felt his love and care for me.

I think I need to mention one more person who has been a huge help and support and probably didn't even know it. Reeve's mom has been so helpful and kind to me and my family. Just last friday she called and could hear Eden crying in the background. I think she knew I was feeling a little crazy and showed up after Reeve came home and sent us out on a date. She even provided a few dollars for ice cream. It was nice to run away and just talk with my husband. Really she has done more for us then we can ever payback and I am so grateful for the sweet kind mother that she is.
What a long post. I have been hesitant to write about all of this, but sometimes it is harder trying to pretend that everything is just peachy when it really isn't. So here we are, and I think I can honestly say that I love my life and I am grateful for my trials because they are helping me draw closer to my Savior and draw on the power of His atonement. I know he can heal me and relieve my burdens.