Learning to Can "Jar" Green Beans...

Soo.. like my previous Blog stated... I am a Yankee! So when our garden started to overrun our fridge~~ I had to call on the brilliance of my Mother In Law. I have never in my life "canned" anything. Did not even know there was a process.. never mind a special aluminum cooker canner!!! :) I tried to take pictures to document which was difficult and to work at the same time... Although Jim was home part of the time and helped quite a bit!!
The first thing to do was "pop" the corners off and break the green bean pod into about 3-4 pieces. Aubrey helped too :) Mema was DEFINITELY the fastest!!! The result was a ton of green beans to can!! Next step was to boil (clean) the jars and keep them warm. You can use your dish washer but ours was already running. SOOOO then you put the rinsed (4 or 5 times) green beans in the jars... You use this tool... HAVE no idea if it has a name~~ but it looks like an oversized butter knife with no jagged edges. Anywhoooo you use this to get some of the air bubbles out of the jars and add more beans until all the way to the top! THEN ... you take the lids (also boiled) on the top, but not too tight~ and put them in the canner cooker :) which holds 7 jars...

Then you wait to see steam coming out of the pipe line thingy :) (don't you love how knowledge-able i sound) and then you put this bobbly thing on.. pic below ;)Then you wait til the temperature reaches 250/15 for 15 minutes... you have to stay and watch and make sure you adjust the stove to not go over 250. After 15 minutes you move the cooker over and allow TIME to bring the temp down to zero!! That is what takes what seems LIKE FOREVER!!!

Then you carefully ~~ using another handy dandy canning tool~amajig... you pull out the cans and set them down~ somewhere where you can leave them without them moving for 24 hours. Which was hard for Aubs.. she wants to eat them!! :) OIY!!! more picking tomorrow to eat!! :)

The Temperature at the end to keep it at 250 went all the way down to level 4 on the stove!! :) flat top stoves are different than ones with eyes i guess

Some amazing Photo moments

... I LOVE photography!! :) all i need now is Photoshop and a Mac to go further!! :)

First is a family expecting their third baby!! So fun!! :)

Next is an engaged couple that i am thrilled to know and love.... Aren't they cute!!! Then.. a family that i used to teach back in the day!! They are an amazing family!! It was great seeing them again!!

A Super great and fun wedding~~~And a couple more pics :) for you to see :)

A little bit of May

OOOH how i love my garden!! I say My like i do anything but cook what comes out of it :) hahhaha ... And to think soon we will have chickens laying eggs!! If you had told me 20 years ago i would have the best husband ever, have chickens, and a garden that i eat from~~ i would have reminded you you were talking to a YANKEE!! :) But i have learned a TON from My married into family!! :) Next year we are doubling the size and selling it!! :) anyone interested!! :)We have had quite the full year already!! C is finishing up his year at school which he is kind of sad about.. ??? i don't ever remember that feeling :) ~~ A is ready for summer to start so she can start her dance classes... and possibly singing with Gracie~~ hopefully we can get C with Micah for some piano.. and some sports too :)
We love Sea World and Aquatica... not sure how often we will go as the belly grows and the thermostat RISES!! OIY!!! i have already seen some swelling in my hands and feet on hot days! But we had a family day recently and had a blast.. cool water felt great!! :) The kids are so fun and full of life!! I LOVE IT!! I hope they can remember these days!! A couple of pics from the day... The kids area is sooo awesome.. and i can just sit in the cool water and watch them play! MUST bring the Bullfrog though~~ no other seems to work as well!!We also had a Mothers Day Cupcake making night with our favorite Coco~~ We decided to try to decorate with fondant!! SOOO much to learn~ I was sad that i never took a picture of the final product~ it was quite late :) and we made a mess~~It was soo fun though!! We even made all our own icings!! :)

The other day Aubs said, "Daddy dance with me!" it was sooo cute!! i have a feeling this will someday make it's way to the picture slide presentation at her wedding!! I love my kids and am so excited to see the personality and fun of Baby #3!!! No names for sure yet... We like Josiah, Logan, Bryce... and...??? irgh!!

Some May Moments...

Soon i will have more pictures of Caleb when he will finally be home with me more over the summer... I love that he loves school~~ but there are days i miss him being home playing :)
These are some May pics and our going abouts :)

This is Aubrey holding her favorite little Rio... She is so good with little ones. She has the patience of ... well i dunno... more than her mommy!! He is such a cutie patootie!!!

Last Saturday we had a Birthday party to go to... actually the biggest Prego Brain fart YET!! It is THIS saturday!! :) OIY so the kids were all dressed in bathing suits ready to swim... and we were a week early... SOOO we had to find something fun to do :) Aubs on the swing with daddy pushing... yelling the WHOLE time faster DAD!!! Caleb kept running from me with the camera ;) silly boy..

Our first garden... I say ours like i do anything but cook what comes out of it ;) hahahaha!!! It is so yummy!! We have had Squash and Green beans... tomatoes to come, and bunch of other stuff :) Jim had the kids help him plant some more peas!! Aubs is ALWAYS up for being outside with daddy helping with the chickens or garden.. Caleb on the other hand LOVES air conditioning :) He told me once before he chose basketball as a sport because it is indoors :) hahahha Not that he does not play outdoors :) he just likes his air :)

Some pool moments with daddy... Mommy was just coming from a photo shoot so i took some pics of them swimming :) Yay for Family with pools!! :)

My silly little girl!! :) cheesin it up!!!