backyard-homegrown texas peach preserves

we planted two baby peach trees in our backyard almost 2 years ago.

(we actually planted the tree before my husband built that shed...his wife wouldn't let him cut it down :)

i just love the pink blooms in the spring.

(hard to imagine a peach coming from such a delicate flower)

we watched in amazement at how fast they both grew.

the first year i was determined and excited about making peach preserves.

 

the first time i ended up picking them way too early and didn't peel them.

my first experience was a flop...and i even attempted the freezer kind which i read was super easy.

as you can imagine...i was a little nervous this year about the whole thing.

so, this time i ended up picking them way too late. ugh!

i don't even want to tell you some of the surprises i found. 

i will say it reminded me all too much of reading James and the Giant Peach as a child.

i even scored the peaches on the wrong side before blanching them and then ended up cutting my thumb pretty bad. 

(peeling peaches with a bum thumb is not fun...and it stings)

i followed different directions this time and had to cut the recipe in half because of the quality and quantity of my peaches.

i heated...and heated...stirred....and stirred...and never really seemed to reach the consistency that the recipe called for.

just as i was about to throw my hands up and never make jam again...i heard a sound that changed everything!

a lid popped proving that i had actually sealed my very first jar!

later the next day i dared to have my first official taste test.

i was worried that it might be too sweet...but it was actually very delicious!

this is my breakfast and snack every chance i get.

"you've got mail"

growing up, there were no cell phones, no facebook, or twitter. when we wanted someone to know something we would typically write it down and give it as a note. because of that, i love leaving "love notes" around for the people i love. my kids and husband get them in their lunches, by their beds, and hidden to find in many, many different places.

in doing so, my girls have caught on...and we now receive a lot of mail from them as well!

our favorite place to leave messages for each other now is our mail station in the kid's art room. (more on the art room later!) we each have our own mail box. my husband's mailbox is actually from his childhood. the kids have fun writing or drawing messages and then lifting the flag up indicating that "you've got mail." 

the other day i walked into the room and my oldest daughter hid her mail in a hurry. this was what i came upon...

we had just told the girls that we were going to visit mom's beach this year "crystal" beach, my name is crystal, and we need to take the ferry or "fairy" over to see it.

i do make it a rule that we don't keep these notes very long. we try and recycle them within a week. (in this case though, i might have to hang on to this one and add it to her journal that i keep for her) until then it is placed up on our family tree that we made several years ago as a fun fall project.

so there you have it...our post office that stays open 24/7 all year round!

this started out as a valentine's tradition, but has now made it into our everyday...

What is the most creative way that your family communicates?

moms and pools

when i was a kid i couldn't think of anything more fun that swimming. i never understood why moms just wanted to sit by the pool and talk. it seemed so boring to me. i just knew i would never be one of "those" moms...

fast forward to today...i'm so one of those boring moms who don't want to be caught dead in a bathing suit unless i absolutely have to and when i am in one it is solid black with the longest skirt possibly sold.

pictures are from eoy school pool party

my younger self never knew just how much enjoyment i could have out of the water while simply watching my own children have fun.

Summer Reading Tree

who needs reading rainbow when you can have a reading tree!!! i got inspired (as i usually do) when i was looking through a pbteen magazine and spotted something special in the background. i knew right then and there that we would be growing a reading tree this summer just for the sheer fun of it!

during the summer is when my kids begin to really excel in their reading and math because we dedicate special time to focus in on it. they then reap the benefits once they return back to school. 

cari made the bird and cami wrote the sign

 

 

cari placing her first book down 



the kids are wondering how high their books will stack...we will continue to post more pictures of our growing tree!

how many books will you read this summer?

The beginning of Summer

i believe that june 21st is the "official" first day of summer, but for us it starts june 1st!

Bug'em

at valentines, we purchased these cute little guys along with a book that explained how "bug'em" was able to help his friends with encouragement. they are a part of hallmark's new interactive storybooks. my girls love them (especially cari who is 5) and get surprised by them a lot. during the last week of school, the girls would discover them in the mornings with summer goodies in hopes of building the summer excitement and shoeing away the sadness that goodbye can bring. my plan seemed to work...especially for me!

How do you celebrate summer?

remember when i used to blog...

remember when i used to blog....

i have found my life a little busier since my last post in july of 2010. i have been working part-time and have two children in school. i am sitting on a stability ball in a half empty office because i decided to re-due this space, but now wishing i hadn't. why i give myself more work to do is beyond me.

one thing i do know is while i was blogging i was reading more, learning more, searching more, and sharing more. i think it is about time i start taking more pictures and looking up more scriptures.

if anyone is still reading this...i'm back!

here is my inspiration for my office/kid's entertainment room...or as cari has named it...the art room or as i call it my mom-cave!

we will see how it turns out...