What we have been up to

Summer is flying by and it has been wonderful!

Finishing our long hike in Natural Bridges,carrying both kids

We have been on lots of fun vacations and are spending a lot of time outside. We planted a pretty big garden and have been enjoying peas, potatoes, onions, lettuce, spinach, and broccoli.  This last week we picked the first of the zucchini. It was so delicious. Dinners lately have been bread (cook on the grill in a dutch oven), veggies, and eggs. This year I planted a few new things that I haven't tried before, artichokes and eggplant. I only planted 2 artichoke plants. One is doing really well and we will probably get 3-4 artichokes off of it. The other plant isn't growing at all. I'm not sure what happened that was different. They both have a lot of earwigs. This year was the first year that we have ever gotten cherries from our cherry trees. Most years the birds eat all of them before they are ripe enough but for some reason they didn't this year. It has been a strange year in the way of weather and growing timing. Ben pick and stoned so many cherries. Our freezer is very well stocked with cherries for months to come. What else? Raspberries! Oh delicious raspberries. If only they didn't take so long to pick every day.

We will have much more coming soon and lots canning to do. I am so very grateful for my mom and dad for teaching me to grow and preserve food. It is so satisfying to know that with a lot of work, we can have good food to eat. It is a busy time but I really do love it.

I successfully made a farmers cheese that was really tasty. I have tried to make cheese a few other times but it hasn't always turned out so good. I can't wait to go get more milk so I can make it again. We occasionally get milk from a dairy on our way down to visit Ben's family in Utah. The fresh milk is perfect for making cheese. The cheese turned out so much better then when I tried to make it with grocery store milk. I just wish the dairy was closer so we could get fresh milk regularly.

I am going to try and do so back blogging on our vacations soon I hope.

• In May we went on a trip through Central Utah to Mesa Verde. Most of our plans for the vacation didn't work out. It was cold and snowing but we still had a lot of fun. We went to Gobblin Valley State Park and did a really cool slot hike in a slot canyon there. We went to Natural Bridges National Monument and did a cool (really long) hike there. Then we went to Mesa Verde and did a few fun short hikes. More coming soon with lots of pictures.

• In June I left Ben at home to work and the kids and I traveled to the Oregon Coast. We got to ride with my parents otherwise I don't think I would have ever made that long of a trip. We spent a lot of time on the beach, staying out of the freezing cold water. Actually the kids got it, everyone else stayed out. We got to visit my sister and her husband who just moved there a few months ago and it was great to see them! The Oregon coast is so beautiful there and the weather was really nice. Lots of pictures coming soon.

• We are now getting ready for one last summer vacation, river rafting with Ben's family. It is sure to be a lot of fun with lots of cousins to play with. We are very much looking forward to it. 

(These pictures were taken in April or May and don't have anything to do with this post, I just don't like to blog without pictures and this is what is on my computer right now)