Success report

Well, the peaches were even better than I had hoped. I wanted to report on my success. I canned 4 dozen quarts of peaches, made 3 dozen pints of peach-raspberry jam, and numerous peach fruit leathers. I definitely patted myself on the back a few times. But I never would have gotten it all done without Shauri! She's my hero!!!!!!! My feet are killing me--I am definitely getting a pedicure when I can safely walk on those dogs for more than a few yards without wincing.

Larita--I know you are salivating! Darla brought her own half-and-half so she could just eat those peaches. We just got home last night, and this morning, Larry had his peaches and cream. I think Lauren followed him around for a little while hoping to catch some from him, but no luck! She's the only one who REALLY appreciates a good peach. We had a couple of pancake breakfasts while we were at Delyle's (that's his way to bribe people to help him with manual labor), and the boys only wanted whipped cream and sugar on their pancakes! EWWW! Talk about sugar overload! But there was Lauren, after eating a whole bowl of Cheerios, then a few peach slices stolen from the kitchen, eating her pancakes with puree, peaches, whipped cream--the whole nine yards. Definitely a girl after her parents' hearts. But I did notice that the pancakes remained...I guess she has her favorites!

If any of you are close enough to Ogden, I would be happy to share (well, maybe not happy, but willing :) peaches and jam. But I am keeping all of the fruit leather. My kids think fruit-by-the-foot is better--ICK!! More for me, then!

By the way--no Storytelling festival for us this year--the barn and the peaches took precedence. But I have read on the website (www.timpfest.org) that Bill Harley and Bil Lepp are coming in February to a Mid-Winter Story Event. I am stoked! Bill Harley is my favorite and totally rocks, and Bil Lepp tells the greatest tall tales I have ever heard. We are looking forward to that since we missed it this weekend.

I think that is all for now. We are headed to CA this weekend for Karin and Wayne's wedding!! Yippee! Darla (that absolute saint) is watching all three kids for us so we can have a final weekend away before baby #4 comes! Thank you Darla--we love you! We are looking forward to seeing our beloved Oxnard family! Oh how we miss our "family". We love you guys!!!!!!! See you soon!