Today's Blog Post is Brought to You By The Letter S

Steele, Strawberries and Baby So

I guess technically it's baby Xo but the whole thing just sounded cuter with an "S."

Over the next little while you might see this blog o' mine take a bit of a turn.

I don't have a lot of time these days to think about fun and interesting things to post, or to make a bunch of beautiful crafty stuff to write about - but since I do use this as a sort of scrapbook I want to be sure and at least continue posting pictures. But I don't know.... maybe I never really posted about anything that interesting anyway. Or maybe you'll be happy to get a break from me blabbing on and on about stuff. Who knows.

Sunday afternoon, as we were hanging out in Leavenworth, Steele asked me if it was his birthday. When I told him that 'yes' it indeed was he said, "Well, where's my cake?"

Hmmm.... I hadn't really thought about a cake. But never fear, Grammy to the rescue. Monday evening we went over to my grandma's house for a party. Grammy made some cupcakes, Steele got some presents, Mee Mee snuggled with the baby - and, as usual, it was good being together.

Aren't 4 year old birthdays the best?
Steele couldn't have been more thrilled.

My grandma's been having some discouraging health problems lately,
so she was glad to have us all there.

The hit presents this year were power tools.
Steele helps Justin work out in the yard and has had pretend tools that he uses -
so he was super excited to get a new plastic lawn mower from us,
a blower from Justin's parents and a 'weed eaterer' from my parents.
So he can do some 'lawn mowering' some 'weed eatering' and some 'blowering' of course.
(Steele likes to come up with his own verbs)

Tuesday, our whole family + my mom, brother and sister went strawberry picking. I'm glad we got out as the strawberries started pretty early this year. Between the four of us (well, 5, if you count Abbey, my dreamer of a sister, who picked maybe 10 berries...) we picked about 50 lbs of strawberries. I've spent the last 2 days making freezer jam. It was so much work but I will be so glad to have it this winter. Justin also requested raspberry jam this year - so that's next on the list. And just so I have it documented somewhere - next year I will use only the Sure-Jell low sugar freezer jam recipe. On recommendation from my MIL - I used Ball liquid pectin for a few of my initial batches - half of them set up, half of them didn't. Grrrrr..... Sometime I would like to try and use Pomona's Universal Pectin - but I was too impatient to order it this year. Goodness, that would take planning.... who has time for that?

Gabe and I flashin' the Strawberry Gang sign

After Strawberry picking Uncle Gabe stayed the night with us.
Justin set the tent up in the backyard for our first overnight camp-out.

Gabe flattered me by sleeping in the hat I made him for his birthday.

And what post would be complete these days without a few pictures of this sweet girl?


This concludes the marathon picture post.