Grandma's Funeral, Tomatoes, Apples

Our trip to Rexburg was short, but actually really good. I wasn't a fan of being in the car all day again, but we made it in time to see Joseph (James's brother) perform his marching band routine. Our wonderful fall weather also ended at that point. It was so windy that 1-15 was closed north of Idaho Falls. We would've been cold if we hadn't had our winter coats on.

We went over to Sam and Jesse's house for pizza and a movie. After getting back to the barn, I made Katie's birthday cake while James oversaw showers and getting everyone to bed.

We left at 8:45 Saturday morning to drive to Driggs for the funeral. Actually, the viewing was first, but I didn't love that part. We had to wait in line a while, and there were way too many people in one room. The actual funeral was really nice. I laughed and cried. Saying goodbye at the cemetery was emotional, cold, and rainy. At the luncheon, I was able to catch up with some of the cousins we hadn't seen in a while. There were a lot of them there from as far away as Alaska.

We returned to Rexburg and celebrated Katie's 9th birthday that evening. Everyone loved the cake, and Katie loved her presents.

Our drive home on Sunday was all right. I got everything unpacked. Joseph has missed all week of school due to a nasty cold. Samantha is sick too, so I'm going to have to cancel her playdate for tomorrow. It's such a bummer since it's been 3 weeks since the girls got to play.

My neighbors gave me another 75 lbs. of tomatoes, plus onions and peppers. I also got a big box of apples from Devin. Every day, I dehydrate 5 trays of apples. I've prepped all the peppers I need for salsa and pickled the rest. As the tomatoes ripen, I'll get them ready for salsa, and after I've made that, another batch of sauce. I already made 5 quarts of meat sauce this week, which takes 30 lbs. of tomatoes! Once I get tired of dehydrating apples, I'll probably make a little apple sauce for Devin out of what's left. By then, the apples will be a few weeks old (a month for the older ones that I got from my in-laws).

I'm grateful for such generous neighbors. I haven't had any luck with gardening or have been too busy for the past 5 years, so I'm really glad for all the produce from them. I've been giving back at least half of what I make since I can't use it all. I really enjoy the process of taking dirty veggies and fruits (some past their prime) and turning them into neat rows of jars that I can use over the next few years.

Fall Break, Grandma Head, Apples

Fall break didn't turn out quite like we expected. Our drive on Thursday was completely normal, and we had a nice stop at lunch. Friday, we left for Victor to see the grandparents. We got lunch on the way and planned to see Grandma Head one last time since we knew she wasn't doing well and had been in a lot of pain (or sleeping.) When we were about 30 minutes away, we got the call that Grandma had passed away.

James and I went in to see her. She lay peacefully in her bed as if she were sleeping. Everyone in the house was feeling pretty emotional, but the dim lighting gave a sense of calm at the same time. We didn't stay too long (and the kids were outside the whole time), but I'm glad we could see her. We went kayaking for a bit and then went back to Rexburg. Being on the water was soothing, but I still struggled a lot the next few days. I didn't sleep well and had either a headache or stomachache until we left on Monday.

We did have some fun moments. We visited the gardens on the BYU-I campus where James and I got engaged and had ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa Lee on Saturday. Everyone came for dinner on Sunday. The kids adore their cousins, and I'm grateful for that.

Monday, we got home around 5 P.M. I've been super busy for the past few days with laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, parent-teacher conferences for 3 kids, and processing apples from my in-laws. I've made 15 trays of dehydrated apples and canned 6 quarts of apple sauce. We still have more apples to dry next week and a drawer full for snacking.

So we're leaving tomorrow for a quick trip to Rexburg for Grandma's funeral, which is on Saturday. We'll come back Sunday. I left our church stuff there, so I'm hoping the packing today will be light compared to our last trip. I'm a little worried about my emotional state this weekend, and it's also going to get cold and possibly snowy, but I've made it through this before and I'll do it again. I'm grateful for eternal families.

A Weird Cold, Ice Cream

Well, that carnival on Thursday was fun. The past 6 days haven't been too fun because I've got a minor cold with weird symptoms. I had headaches for a few days before painting, but now I just have lightheadedness and fatigue (made worse by working really hard and inhaling paint fumes). It's really driving me crazy, even though I don't have congestion/runny nose/coughing. I get tired much more easily and can't do anything for too long. Since yesterday, I've been able to do a normal amount of work, but it feels like recovery is going way too slow.

We did game night on Saturday, which was fun.

I feel like my lesson on Sunday went well even though I had the worst brain fog while trying to prepare it.

James had parent/teacher conferences on Monday, so we didn't see him much. The kids and I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and finished it yesterday.

Today has been a challenge so far. I'm trying to get everything done before we leave for Rexburg tomorrow. I'm also trying to get enough rest in between tasks so I won't burn out before we even leave. I've already pushed a few things until we get back since they're not essential.

I haven't liked the last few ice creams I've made. I think I'm going to throw in the towel with  mint (at least for now), but I want to perfect salted caramel. I also haven't figured out how to make a good fudge swirl (like moose tracks) that doesn't taste weird once it's frozen. Chocolate + butter ganache is NOT the answer. I'm not going to give up, though!

Despite my illness, I've really enjoyed October so far. The weather is wonderful, and the leaves are starting to look beautiful. Our drive tomorrow will be absolutely gorgeous, I'm sure.

Conference, Canning, Painting, Walking

It's been a crazy week so far. James and I went to See How They Run (a movie), which we really enjoyed.

We watched all of Conference over the weekend, which was great. I patched a few holes to get ready for painting. We had friends over for the Sunday morning session and lunch.

Monday, I touched up the paint in the cabin. Since we painted it 2 years ago, I figured I'd better use up the paint before it dried up and had to be thrown away. I mixed the colors that were left so I'd have about a gallon to use for the laundry room. I helped my neighbors pick a bunch of tomatoes.

Tuesday, I completely cleared out the laundry room with help from James. I had Joseph scrub the floor since I was pretty wiped out by then. I also made 30 lbs. of tomatoes into 5 qts. of sauce. I still can't believe how much they cook down. I felt like I was elbow deep in tomato guts all morning.

Wednesday, I primed and painted the laundry room walls and shelves. I finished around 3 P.M., just in time to take a shower and take Katie to an activity. I really hurt by the end of the day. While I was waiting on the primer to dry, I prepped all the ingredients for salsa.

Today, I'm making a double batch of salsa with the rest of the tomatoes. I should get about 6 pints. I've also got grocery pickup, a trip to D.I. to drop off some stuff, and putting the laundry room back together. I already scrubbed the floor one more time so it can be extra clean before I put everything back. I'm so excited. I also need to do laundry again.

I started walking with Katie, who teaches with James and often comes for game nights. We did Monday but not yesterday since we were both so busy. I'm hoping to walk with her 3 times a week.

I've now painted every room in this house except for the bedroom closets. Though my week has been super stressful due to lack of sleep, more manual labor than I'm used to, and no usable dining room, I know it'll be worth it.

We're taking the kids to the community carnival at the park today. It'll be a welcome rest after working so hard on the house. It also has free food, which means I don't have to cook dinner and mess up the clean kitchen (coming soon this afternoon after I put everything away, finish canning, and mop the floor.) Whew. I need a nap.