I've been racing the clock all last week. On Tuesday we canned applesauce. Not just a little bit mind you! No! We canned baskets and baskets ~ something in the twenties basket number. I wanted 3 bushels of yummy Smokehouse & Ginger Gold apples mixed for my family. We got together at Mom Lapps and worked at it A-L-L day long. In fact, so long that the kids went home with Angie until Mike picked them up after work. Then we all met at dad's for a quick supper and then mom and I went back to getting more jars of fresh applesauce canned. I got home at 7:00 PM!!! What a day!!! I was so tired and very happy to know that that big day was over! We now have tons of fresh applesauce to last us all year long!!!
Wednesday was a day of being at home and mowing the yard, doing laundry, picking beans, etc.. Then we did our family pictures that evening and the weather and location was perfect!!! I am excited to see the finished products in a few weeks!!! We ended the evening with eating at Olive Garden and all sharing those sweet donuts and dipping them in warm chocolate as a dessert!!! Fun night!
Here is one that I captured while waiting for our photographer. She is so darling!!!
Thursday was cleaning the house. Then cleaning dad's shop. Then to pick up the children at school. I had a basket of pears waiting to be cleaned and canned. I packed for the beach and for the mountains. I made a stop at the store for some groceries. Supper was quickly put together and on the table for my growing family. We took Ginger to Sadie's. Time spent with the children was done in between all the small chores! I was very busy but not too busy to stop and remember that it was September 11!!! I will never forget this day! The day that the towers were distroyed and so many American families were changed. Forever. I will always remember this terrible day in history. Hearing stories from people that were directly involved are interesting. I was tuned in to WDAC and heard a powerful testimony of a pilot that was going to be on one of the high jacked planes but got bumped. He thrives to this day to make every single day count. A blessing. It was 8:00 in the evening and I still had a ton of things to do yet but Ashlyn wanted me to hold her and I am so glad I did! Having her on my lap made me stop. Slow down. Not everything got done on my list that night ... but it's ok. My bed felt wonderful!!! :)
Friday, we were up bright and early. Mike's 125 mile bike ride day has arrived and he was nervous and excited! As we prayed for safety and for a good ride, I held his cold hands. He trained hard and well for the 125 mile bike ride. He was ready to go when Matt Lapp picked him up! I had to remind him about his water bottles and he grabbed some clean clothes to take along for after his ride. I then had the children up and off to school. Ashlyn and I left right after the bus pulled away from the driveway and we picked up Marlene and Colson. We headed for Rehobeth Beach to enjoy some sunshine and then pick up the men when they arrived to their destination! The weather was perfect for biking and for sunning! We wiggled our toes in the sand. We watched the ocean waves come in and go out. Ashlyn collected sea shells. We even applied some sun block! We ate pizza, salad and ice cream cones. The day was super fun!!! The men got back in great time and Mike said the ride went better than expected. He just wasn't sure how it was all going to be? He trained hard and felt prepared yet nervous because he had never went that far all at once on his bike before. They stopped every 25 miles and took a short break before getting on their bikes for more miles. They finished in great time! Marlene and I were not even ready to leave the gorgeous beach yet but we went for the guys and gave them high fives!!! We traveled home with Matt Lapp's and stopped for supper on the way home. Colson and Ashlyn did great all day long too! They were both wanting to do exactly what the other one did. Marlene asked Colson what he wanted to eat for lunch and he said, "What ever Ashlyn has." :) We chuckled! Mike was ready to relax his tired legs but the whole experience and the whole day was such fun!!! Good job hun!!! I am so proud of you!!!
There were over 100 bikers this day but these six men stuck it out as a team.
Yum!
Saturday morning came fast and we were up bright and early ... again. My family was having a work day at the cabin. Hadassah and Matthew went up last night already with Tony. We drove the three hour drive and got there just in time for breakfast. They already had everything out of the cabin and were starting to tear down the cabin. Dad is planning to build a new cabin soon and the old, tiny, old cabin needed to go. EVERYONE joined the work! The men and boys worked in the morning rain. When the sun came out, it still left things wet. I went to change Ashlyn from her pj's to our dress when I realized that I completely forgot all her clothes!!! This like never happens to me because I am one that packs more than needed at times. If we stay for two days ... normally, I pack for three. You get the picture here so when I didn't have anything for Ashlyn to wear, we all just laughed. It was the mountains and who really cares if we don't look our best, right? :) We borrowed from Shakia and it all worked out just fine. Matthew was also struggling a bit though with his wardrobe. The only shoes he packed were his school shoes. They don't work very well in muddy conditions so he went searching for a pair of boots, shoes, or rubber boots. One day he were the rudder things that slipped over his shoes. Then the boot got stuck in the mud and his sneaker went sinking into the wet ground. Now they were both wet and muddy!!! So, the next day, he wore an old pair of dad's work shoes. He tied them tight and made the best of it! The cabin got all cleaned out and tore down and burned. All in one weekend. We were all safe but did need to take dad to the ER because his hand was in so much pain. Tendenitis in his hand muscles from working them so hard the day before. He came back with some pain meds and an ice pack!
This is the tiny cabin that my family hangs out in! Dad is building a new one soon and so the old had to be torn down.
Shambles ...
The new cabin is in the making in just a few weeks! We can not wait to go and enjoy the mountains in more luxury! :)
