Apricots!!!!

It is humanly impossible to eat this many apricots....even with 7 people in your family! Keep in mind...this is after many have already been eaten by family and friends and there are many more green ones still on the tree! We are blessed in apricots. Funny thing is, I have never bought apricots at the store but they are really very tasty! There is something also so satisfying about eating fruit you have grown. We are leaving tomorrow for 9 days and we always seem to leave right when our fruit ripens. We are also very close to having nectarines, peaches and plums ready to be picked. It makes me almost not want to leave! :) This year, I decided to make jam....but have no time before we leave. I am going to experiment. I am going to freeze the apricots in freezer bags and pray that they still work to make jam when we return! I am very excited! Keep you posted!

A Long Time Coming!

As a homeschooling mom, I always rely on summertime to get my projects done around the house. Last summer, however, sweet Jonah was born. I felt like I lost almost a whole summer because I spent it hogging him and the other kids and just keeping up with life. Losing a summer of projects was nothing compared to gaining sweet Jonah. However, it just caused this summer's lists to become much longer. The problem with that is that we will be gone a lot this summer. So....I have been trying to cram little projects in here and there, whenever I can! I'm sure many things will go unfinished! :)

Little accomplishments make my day! Last summer, I bought several memo boards for my upstairs desk area. We have had a LONGGGG bulletin board over the desk since we moved in. I have never really loved it. I wanted to replace it with a group of coordinating memo boards. Well, I am embarrassed to say that the box has been upstairs since last summer. However, I am happy to say, I got them hung today!!!! Yeah! Simple pleasures. There is still more I want to get done with the space and I feel like the picture doesn't do the color, etc. justice, but I wanted to post it because it was something that made me smile today!

Jonah's Birthday Celebration

Forgive me for having 1000 pictures in this post. My primary purpose in blogging is to journal so I can have it printed into a book. So, sometimes I have a really hard time narrowing down pictures. It is a bit of a disorder. I really want to be able to let them go but it is so hard. They tell a story and when some are missing, I feel like so is part of my story! I'll work on it!

So, this was Jonah's 1st year celebration. I had a huge party for all 4 of my other kids when they turned 1. As they are getting older, we are simplifying parties and having just a few close friends, rather than tons of families. Mommy just got tired of having 4 ginormous (I know that isn't really a word)  parties a year. So, we celebrated as a family.....but got super excited over Jonah turning 1. Picture story to follow!

In the above picture, Jeremy is hanging out traditional birthday banner for Jojo! (This was the night before his actual birthday)

Jonah sat and watched Jeremy hang it. He got a real kick out of it! :)

I woke him up on his birthday morning and had to get a picture of him the 1st time I saw him as a big "1 year old"....though it ade me want to cry.

We are cuddling on my bed....he is still in his bunting! I wish I could freeze time and he could always fit into a bunting.

Julia surprised him with a special breakfast of fresh fruit and yogurt!

Birthday picture of the whole fam. (minus momma)!

Throughout the day, he showed off his birthday bib and revealed various new talents...like standing for several seconds without holding on, while chewing food!

Here he is opening some of his new presents (because there were a few nooks and crannies in our house that weren't filled with baby paraphernalia yet) :)

We got him a pool because of his LOVE for the water...baths, etc. We will only fill it several inches deep with water so he can crawl around. He loved it empty, though, too!

Some of the yummy desserts to sing and celebrate with!

This above picture is of his face while we were singing to him!

Here he is enjoying his carrot cake cupcake!

And.....big brother took him swimming for the VERY 1st time ever in grandma's pool and he LOVED it so much!!!!! It was such a great day! Love you Jojo Bubs!

Jonah is 1!!!

I don't even know where to begin. Jonah turned 1 on June 11 and I really have no idea where this year went. Don't get me wrong....I have savored ever single second of the year with him. I held him every minute I could hold him, and still can't get enough of each stage ( since I know how fast each one goes). This baby's 1st year has gone faster than any other, though, and it must be because I have so many older kids to keep me busy with their activities. I must say, that Jonah has brought so much joy to our home. I knew he would. But, somehow, he brought so much more than I ever could have imagined. The kids absolutely adore him. They are excited to do every activity and experience everything anew through his eyes. It is so precious to me. They are also so excited by each of his new milestones. He adores each of his siblings just as much. He kicks and squeals with delight when they come home or when he hears them in another room, after getting up in the morning. I just want to kiss on his face and squeeze him to death every second that I see him. He is always smiling and happy. He LOVES music and fast rides. He drives little cars and trucks around all day, while making motor noises. He loves animals and has a generic "creature" sound that he makes each time he sees one. He has such an expressive face and his many faces keep us laughing all day long! He is A LOT of personality, all wrapped up in a tiny body (still under the 5th percentile!) We love him to death. He has enriched our lives. God truly blessed us with him and I can't imagine life without him! Thankful for this last year and looking forward to many more great ones to come!

Happy!

My dear friend, Stefanie, grows the most beautiful Hydrangeas. No matter how hard I try, mine never look this good or get this big. We swear she slips them steroids, but she claims to do nothing to them! She generously shared a few stems with me the other day (since she had so many to spare). They make me happy every time I see them! :) I had to take a picture and share them. I told her that a steady flow of these all year would be so wonderful! Maybe she will get the hint! ;)

Carlsbad!

I LOVE Carlsbad also. I, however, have never camped there before this trip. This was a new campground for us and the location was great but I don't think would go back. I'm not even sure exactly why. It just felt too crowded and there wasn't easy access to walk other places, without walking on the main road (without a sidewalk). We brought a friend for Jeremy (1st time we have done that). It made it extra fun for the kids. With that many kids though, we had the boys set up a tent, and we put them all out there at night. I think the excitement of that wore off after the 1st night! :) We had been in San Clemente 2 weeks before and had the most gorgeous weather the whole time. In Carlsbad, we had June gloom the whole time. Still fun memories for the memory book!

Love this sweet face! He feel so big sitting in my chair!

Hi 1st ride on the beach on a boogie board! This was a daily happening when all the other kids were little and as they got bigger, they would all pull each other!

Feeling "big" walking! (not really walking yet...but walking with assistance)

Cookie in each hand and bottle in the middle!

Hobo meal dinner!

Roasting dough boys...they were a big hit!

Jonah crawls around the RV and hangs out the door watching the other kids play. Thankfully, he puts up with it for now! ;)

The boys all watching the waves

Party Wave during an "after dinner session". L to r: Daddy, Jeremy, Frank!

Last Day photo (after packing all up)!

San Clemente

I LOVE San Clemente. I have gone there my whole life and there is something about it that is so relaxing. However, as a child, we stayed in time shares. Now, we camp. It's a lot different but I still love the beaches and the town! Definitely a happy place. Here are pictures from our trip in May!

Love this sweet boy! 1st time on the beach in his little play pen!

He crawled down the the beach and it was such an event with a rather large audience!

He LOVED when the water would come up and get him!

Our 2 campsites side by side...it was a good set up for us and the kids

Daddy and Jeremy caught the same wave!

The girls were hamming it up! (as usual) :)

One night we walked to a Mexican restaurant for dinner...it was a fun change