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.