The Cherry on Top: Many Micro Updates: A Bakers Dozen

~1~

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!

Kateri will rush next to Chiara, and shout, "Mama!! Sisters! SISTERS!!!" She loves this song, even though the only line I know is the very first one!

Chiara admires these colorful warm and fun socks from Mihi. You did a beautiful job yet again, mom! Thank you so much.

~2~

I just love these pictures of Chiara~ the angle is so cute. (It also reminds me how I need to paint my windowsill. Can you believe anyone would ever willingly chose to paint their windowsills that barf-brown color?)

Was there ever a cuter nugget?

~3~

Aunt Mimi recently gave Sebastian an awesome fire-fighter suit! I don't have a pic of him in it, but I do have one of Kateri:

Ready to go into action!

~4~

We went camping a week and a half ago, and some of it is best unremembered haha, but we survived and the kids really had fun, in spite of the rain!

Proof we brought our pop-up somewhere!

We learned a few things, and went again this weekend and it was such a fabulous time! And it even rained. I will post more pics when I can!

~5~

Aunt Mimi also gave the kids a dinosaur egg, and guess what came out!

Stegosaurus!!!

Who has been much loved and played with, these kids are so enamored of dinosaurs these days.

~6~

They love reading, and occasionally will even share a book!

Photographic evidence that it CAN happen

~7~

Mormor gave Kateri these special knives for Christmas last year, and they have been very popular. Kateri (and Sebastian whenever he can) will clamour to help me cut, dice or chop whatever I am cutting chopping or dicing!

Kateri is getting a little better at her methodology! Now we just have to work on pulling back all that long hair when you are anywhere near food!

~8~

The other day, Laura and I decided to make a huge batch of relish using Aunt Betty's secret recipe. We had no idea what we were getting into. We chopped lots of peppers, onions, and tomatoes.

So many, that they didn't fit in the gigantic pot.

Aunt Betty generously dropped everything she was doing (and she was in the middle of making muffins!). She brought us another pot and a bunch of canning equipment and know-how we didn't know we needed. Mormor~ that was such a huge gift! Thank you so much!!

After quite some time, we had the finished product:

And they turned out quite well!! Mom also did about 5 million things to help out with that production, as did Jeanne. Whew, made me understand why canning was such a big production back in the day!

~9~

One of my favorite things in the morning is the sunlight streaming in.

~10~

Another thing I have been doing a bit of is water color. It is so relaxing and so wonderful to be able to make something that is "done". (unlike cleaning, folding laundry, etc)

~10~

We have been working on getting the garden ready for fall, and I have a LOT more work to do in that regard. We also have A LOT of gladiola bulbs. If you want some, let me know, I need to get rid of a lot!

~11~

We went to a farm with some good friends and my dear little goddaughter Adalyn one weekend. It was such a beautiful day! The kids loved seeing the animals, playing on the playground, and making new friends.