Monday Confessional: The Bumbling Duo

{Ahhhh, the majestic sight of freshly sealed 1/2 gallon jars of grape juice!}

Last Saturday was grape juice and jelly making day at the Halverson homestead. Really, the only time of year I truly embrace my inner pioneer days spirit and make use of the fruits of our fields (aka: backyard.) As always, my mother came over to help me (because she is a saint), and together, we managed to harvest all of the grapes, make 4 batches of jelly, can six 1/2 gallon and four quart jars of juice, AND create a number of fiascos that had us laughing and crying throughout the whole day. 

First of all, while clearing out my sink to fill jars with hot water in preparation for hot grape juice, I grabbed an empty soup can by the lip and deeply sliced the inside of my thumb below the first joint. Probably the worst cut I've ever had... I might have even taken myself to the hospital for a couple of stitches if it hadn't been a Saturday and we didn't have Kaiser insurance (a combination that would have equated to a full day wasted in the waiting room.) Instead Mum bandaged me up and I tried to only use one hand the rest of the day. It didn't work. Thumbs are important, guys. 

Next, after cleaning up my hand, we decided to check on the first batch of grapes we had started steaming and discovered we'd forgotten to make sure the tube coming out the bottom of the steamer was squeezed shut, so hot grape juice was pouring across my concrete back patio and into the grass. TRAGEDY! We quickly closed it and mourned the loss of propably a quart of juice. Not the best start to our day!

After filling all of my 1/2 gallon jars without incident, we decided to move on to jelly and made our first double batch on my stove inside. I like to turn my jars over to help them seal after filling, and it was during this process that fiasco #3 occurred; a newly filled quart jar of hot jelly was accidentally dropped on the counter while being turned over and the lid hadn't been put on properly so it popped off and the entire contents poured all over the counter, engulfing all the other jars in a sticky mess, seeping through the tea towel they were all sitting on and oozing under my toaster. ANOTHER TRAGEDY! Homemade grape jelly is like GOLD in our house! Mum and I were horrifed but couldn't stop laughing, what were the odds?!!  

After that mess was cleaned up, I decided I needed to make an iced coffee and poured the last of the pot Russ had brewed into a tall glass and went to the fridge to get milk and ice. When I turned back around coffee was all over my other kitchen counter... the glass had cracked and while I was sad to have to toss it, the worst part was that there was no more coffee! Why, God? Why?!

After finishing laughing over our bumbled day, Mum had to head home and I decided to hold off on making my second double batch of jelly. I set aside the 10 cups of grape juice I'd steamed for it in my large cooking pot sitting ready on the stove, and put the lid on to keep till the next day. I did want to finish steaming the last of the grapes into more juice though, so I turned on my small saucepan of lid seals to simmer and it was only AN HOUR LATER, while wiping down my entire kitchen, that I discovered I'd turned the wrong burner on and had been slowly simmering away my reserved grape juice instead. 

Dang pioneer spirit! Look where it led me! I'd call the whole day a giant fail except, look at all my pretty jars all filled up and looking delicious! I think I still came out ahead ;)

Life Lately {extended edition}

Oh boy, I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do. Life! It gets so full and moves so fast! Here's a few things that have been going on, from the entire last month...

Kendall turned 15 and promptly got her drivers permit. We're taking it slowly on the lessons but I've learned I'm not a horrible teacher, and I only grip the dash or my seat about half the time so, really, things are going well!

Russ took Kendall out on a special date as part of her birthday celebrations and gave her a beautiful purity ring, one of her birthday requests.

They had a great conversation about what the ring stands for (to us)... not a binding vow of abstinance that would lead to shame or a broken relationship with us if broken (even though abstinance till marriage is our goal), but rather a daily reminder to live purely in thought and action, and to trust God (and her daddy) to help protect her heart as she gets older and eventually dates and falls in love. Russ put a lot of thought into how he wanted to present it and I could tell when they came home later that evening that they were both very pleased with their talk and time together :) 

Blake got to go on his first overnight backpack trip with his Grandma Wilson and had a TON of fun.

We ate a lot of fresh Oregon berries. A LOT.

My sister and I helped celebrate Christine's upcoming wedding to my brother with a bachelorette party totally up my alley... a private painting lesson followed by a dressy night out! 

This included a wine tasting where I finally confirmed the long-suspected fact that no, there is not a single wine on the planet that I like! Which is fine because: more money for white mochas, hehe ;)

We helped Kendall throw an end-of-summer class party for her classmates about to enter the 10th grade, and LOVED having our place full of fun teenagers. They swam in the river, had a water balloon fight, played volleyball and basketball, ate pizza and roasted s'mores, and all called their parents at the end of the evening to see if they could stay an hour longer :)

Russ left town on a hunting trip and wasn't home to celebrate my birthday at the end of August so it was extra fun to come home the day before my birthday to find this on my bed from my sister... a little hunting widows care package! 

And then my best friend picked me up that evening for a fun dinner out with a side of shopping, and had my fave drink waiting for me, and my heart was full and happy :)

Kendall's first time driving into town. She took me to my favorite coffee drive-thru and bought me a drink for my birthday (which I didn't dare touch until we were safely back home in our driveway, haha.)

Kendall serving at her first home volleyball game of the year! She is co-captain of the JV team and swinging up for varsity and is SO fun to watch. 

Blake the proud tooth-puller lost another tooth and is currently sporting a spectacularly lopsided grin.

We went camping over Labor Day Weekend and had a wonderfully relaxing time, playing games and kayaking, and playing so many rounds of corn hole that I actually got a sore arm and had to stop throwing! (Tricia and I were a pretty good team together though!)

The kids went back to school... 10th, 7th, and 3rd grade, and my house is now sad and lonely and I miss summer already. although shockingly, I find it amazingly easier to keep clean! ;)

Christine getting her nails done for the big day... it's tomorrow!!!

Christine's mom and aunt with me and Kelly and our mom. Nothing like a girls day of pampering to help break up the hectic chaos that is last minute wedding-prep!

And last but not least, yesterday was Cooper's first cross country race, a 3-man sprint relay, and his team came second! He ran 2 miles in 14 minutes flat and definitely deserved those cookies that were his prize :)

Happy Friday!

Awkward & Awesome - The Monday Edition

Awkward:
- Well first of all, awkward is definitely how I feel about missing almost two weeks of blogging for no reason at all except I'm enjoying me some summer vacation.

You may be interested to know I've watched 8 seasons of Friends on Netflix, let my kids have all the backyard sleepouts and cousin/friend sleepovers they could ever wish for, said yes to pretty much everything that doesn't cost money (including after-dark swim sessions with the neighbor kids and 10 pm pancake feeds), watched a lot of Disney movies with my almost-two-year-old nephew, and caught up on all the naps I missed during baseball season. It's been fantastic.

- Sitting in a nice restaurant and glancing over at the table next to you to witness a rather buxom chested woman try to remove the sauce she just spilled on the front of her right breast by cupping it in a firm grip and aiming it upwards towards her so she can attack it with a Tide pen. Awkwardness level: train wreck... can't look away.

- After having a fit of the giggles over the above scene, noticing you've spilling sauce on your OWN shirt, and proceeding to make your sister ask to borrow Ms. Buxom's tide pen for a moment. (Sisters are the best.) And not only did the lady say I could use her pen, she had two and let me keep one!

FYI: I waited till I was back in our car to apply it.

Awesome:
- Deck progress, baby! With the help of our nephew, Sam, Russ finished building all our step supports this past week, and then on Friday decked two sides all by himself!

He's so handy! We had fun stuff to do on Saturday and Sunday so the third side will be decked this coming week, and then the whole thing will get powerwashed and stained. So fun to make progress. And to have stairs to walk down!

- Seeing the musical West Side Story for the very first time and LOVING it!

- Also, going with a group of ladies who aren't afraid to order dessert with their meals at dinner out beforehand, OR stop for pie and two hours of visiting afterwards! 

- When your kids don't play with plastic toys at the beach anymore, but instead spend hours creating "crime scenes" with their cousins and then take 52 pictures of their work.

- MIGHTY proud of their work they were too. (insert crying while laughing emoji here :)

Memorial Day Weekend

What a full weekend! We somehow hit a different family barbecue every day of the holiday weekend, and still fit in a new home project: building steps on our deck! We also managed to finally watch the newest Star Wars movie, not once, but twice, because we all liked it so much, and I sniffed and sobbed my way through a 10 minute montage of military personnel being reunited with their loved ones because those are my very favorite.

Up first: family BBQ at my parents. Amazing steaks, cake pops made by my sister, corn hole and Settlers of Catan, and s'mores around the fire.

Day two: family BBQ at Russ's parents after church. Perfect lazy afternoon, treehouse upper deck hangout, best strawberry shortcake of my life, cutest little snoozing couple :) 

And later that evening: Russ's sister and family came over to fish the river behind our house. Blake was invited to join them and came out all ready to go looking like this. Umm, that would be one of Russ's dress socks tied around his forehead! haha.  

Memorial Day: BBQ #3 was at my sister's house and was also a birthday party for my nephew Elijah. More corn hole, water balloon fights, fun visit with friends, third day in a row of not having to cook! Hash tag WINNING. 

Deck project: wrap around steps! The kids all pitched in and helped while I was the hardware store runner (conveniently also the coffee drive-thru runner) and sandwich maker.  

Blake probably played in the driveway with toys and a tiny stream of water from the hose for 3+ hours while his daddy worked nearby. At one point I thought he'd actually fallen asleep, but no, just laying down on the warm asphalt! 

(Did I mention we paved out driveway after 17 years of gravel? IT IS AMAZING. The end.)

Life Lately

By chance, have you seen The Jungle Book? 

We give it our hearty approval and highly recommend. 

(I also recommend inviting yourself along if your parents ask to take their grandchildren to see it. Don't be afraid to plead if necessary.) 

Last week we bought a tractor and my position as chief delight of my husband's heart was promptly supplanted by an orange machine. I wished Russell and his new love a happy future together and waved as they rumbled off into the distance. 

Just kidding. I mean I rumbled off into the distance. Turns out, driving a tractor is pretty fun and husband thinks I look pretty cute up there! 

Friday night, my 12-year-old self's dreams came true and I saw Newsies on Portland's Broadway with my girls Jana & Amy. As you can plainly tell, we were NOT AT ALL EXCITED.

Especially sitting 4 rows from the stage. 

I can't tell you how many times I watched Newsies as a young teen. Probably a very awkward amount of times... because I was head over heels in love with Spot Conlon. And I'm not kidding, I watched the movie two weeks ago with Kendall in preparation for the live show and was like, "Christian Bale is in this movie?!" I had no idea who he was when I was an 8th grader. I just knew I wanted to marry Spot. Haha. 

In other (possibly-non-interesting) Halverson family events, we sold our entertainment center to make way for a new-to-us center that could hold a bigger TV. 

Hi Tom! 

We are all in awe of the power and beauty of a 55 inch screen and would like to thank a yard sale and craigslist for our new acquisitions, which the sale of our old entertainment center all but paid for. 

Gotta love a good wheel & deal week!

(Now to paint my burgundy wall a nice neutral...)