Late summer updates/ Garden wrap up for 2008

In this picture, Abby is enjoying an apple that she picked from the tree in our backyard. We've lived here for 6 years and just this year Andy discovered that we have an apple tree in the edge of the woods. I'm told the apples are very yummy, though I haven't had any myself.


It's been awhile since I've done an update on the girls and as always, a lot has been happening!

Abigail is working daily on a preschool curriculum with her wonderful babysitter, Jennifer. She is learning so much and really loves the structured activities. Often we also take a bag of books with us to the sitter's and Jennifer reads them to the kids. Abigail loves this! Almost daily she has some silly story or saying and thoroughly enjoys explaining them to us. Dance and gymnastics classes are going very well and we are anxiously awaiting the first "watch week" at the end of October. Sometimes on the weekends Abby can skip her nap and just have a rest on the couch, this is just another sign that she's growing up and it kind of turns my weekend upside down. But, we're working on making sure there is actual rest taking place, not just more play time. As always, she loves being outside and helping Andy with anything and everything. Her current love is her new tennis shoes!
















Hannah is as easy going as always! She is just such a sweet little thing and we enjoy her happy disposition so much. Hannah can sit up by herself now, just for a few minutes. She reaches for and grabs anything and everything and loves her sippy cup! She is beginning baby food, slowly but surely. So far she has had rice cereal with not much interest and sweet potatoes which she liked better. It's funny though, when we mix them together she does really well. Next we will try peas, bananas and yogurt. Just depends on what I have time to make this weekend! Also, Hannah thinks Abigail is the world's funniest person. They have so much fun as Abby dances or jumps around and makes funny faces, Hannah watches her and chuckles, giggles and belly laughs. It is hysterical! Andy and I sometimes get them going just for our own entertainment!

The Garden is done for the year :-( We ended up with 47 quarts of green beans canned, plus a lot more that we ate fresh or gave to friends and family. We had sweet corn for two meals, plus about 9 quarts frozen. Countless zucchini and summer squash, 3/4 of a bushel of onions, 5 heads of cabbage, 5 acorn squash and just a handful of tomatoes. I really missed having an abundance of fresh tomatoes this year, but every year brings us garden surprises and challenges. I have collected more zucchini recipes (with help from Andy's mom) and tonight I'm going to try making Onion Straws which look totally unhealthy but really tasty, too.




Here's Abby eating a raw ear of corn in the garden. She kept saying "Daddy, I want to bite that!" Until he gave in. I was afraid she'd have a stomach ache but she was just fine.