Monday, November 24, 2008

Grossed Out!

 

Please accept my sincerest apologies if I upset your stomach, made you vomit, made you feel light-headed, forced you to eat out because you were feeling queasy or just plain ol' grossed you out.

That was not my intention (however, you have me to thank if you did get to eat out) when I did the post on Hudson's deer.  I guess I am just a proud mama living in my own little world.  Not really thinking about what you, my readers, might think when you see a dead, bloody and skinned deer hanging in our garage.

Please forgive me!!

 

And here are some flowers to sweeten the deal!

Two "Sweets" in One Day

 

After our tour of the Sweet's Candy Factory, we went home to prepare dinner for Baby Caroline's family.  Abbi made bread, Maggie made cookies and I made Chicken Tetrazzini.  Then the fun part...

delivering the meal and holding Sweet Caroline!

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IMG_3007 Now that is a good day!!!  A tour of "Sweet's" Candy Factory and holding "Sweet" Caroline.   We love babies (and unfortunately, candy also)!!!  She is adorable and each of my girls adored her.  What a "sweet" blessing!

 

A Factory Tour ~ SWEET!!

Last week we had another Homeschool Field trip.  This time it was to our local Sweet's Candy Factory in Salt Lake.  This is the home of Salt Water Taffy, Cinnamon Bears, Orange Sticks and many more.

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We watched a short video on how the Sweet Family started the candy business back in the 1800's.

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Then our tour guide gave us our Candy Maker Hats.  Even Tess got one to cover her all 5 pieces of hair.

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Isn't everyone cute?

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Here we go!  Into the Sugar Zone.  We watched taffy get made, cinnamon bears poured in the molds, and jelly beans packaged.

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On tour.

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A very fascinating tour and lots of fun.  They even gave us samples along the tour and a bag of taffy at the end.  Any suggestions on how to handle the sugar highs and then the sugar crash for 8 (+ 1 Evan was able to join us) children all at once?

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It is always a fun day when we get to be with other homeschool families.  And to learn new things!

Friday, November 21, 2008

WARNING: Skinning and Skin

 

I remember the day when Brian would bring home an elk or a deer.  I, the loving and supporting wife, was the one to help him hang it, skin it, quarter it, cut it, grind it and bag it.  And keep in mind, most of those times I was pregnant (pretty much always pregnant). And we would get started after our children were in bed b/c they were too little to help.  So it would make for a very late night. What a trooper I was. (patting myself on the back)

Well, I think I have passed the baton - 100%

Remember that Hudson shot a doe a few days ago? Well, I am proud to say that I never once had to touch the deer or doing anything to help get the meat in the freezer. 

1. Caleb and Hudson hung it. 

2. Hudson skinned it.  Sidenote: I don't remember ever skinning wildlife without a shirt on so I asked him why he was doing it this way.  His reply: "I don't want to get blood on my shirt."  Hmmm. Why didn't I ever think of that?

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3. After it was skinned, the boys and Brian quartered it.  They brought the quarters in and (4.) cut the meat off the bones.

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5. Then the meat was given to Maggie (and Brian) to be ground up.  We use my Bosch Bread Mixer with an attachment for meat grinding. It works fabulous!

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6. The meat then got vacuum sealed and put in the freezer.

(However, we did not freeze all of it.  We will make sausage and jerky with the rest.  That will be another nights activity.)

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7. DONE!

In case you are wondering...Yes, we sanitize and sterilize the kitchen before and after this little project.

So, let the question be asked...

Where was I when all of this was taking place?

I was in the family room reading books and playing on the floor with the little girls.  Loved every minute of it! 

The Processing crew did a great job!  And I am retired!!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

What Do You Get WHEN...

 

...you have 3 BFF's (best friends forever), 2 of which are sarcastic and one of which is pregnant and in labor, and a kiddie pool (full of water)in the family room?

A Home Water Birth and Lots of Fun!  Of course!!!

Erin labored all night and the next day when she finally called Laurie and I in for support.  It was time. Time to get serious and time to get this baby out.

It was like a girls night except that Laurie and I were having fun and Erin, well, not so much.  And, there were 2 midwives, Erin's husband and Erin's mother. So not really like a girls night at all.

We rubbed her feet and massaged her shoulders and back.  We forced reminded her to keep walking because as soon as she sat down, the contractions would slow down.

She finally hit the 6cm mark and it was time to fill the pool.  That is where she continued her labor and gave birth to "Sweet" Caroline!

Erin was awesome and did a great job laboring and staying focused!  Even though Laur and I were having more fun than her, she actually came out ahead (Erin wins!) because she is snuggling and nursing her sweet new baby daughter.  Even though we do not have a newborn, we did experience an amazing thing ~ Birth!  With a dear friend.

I was in Salt Lake for an appt when I got the call and I did not have my camera with me. So I don't have any pictures. Laurie sent me this one...

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So Sweet!!

Just a little Faith

Before devotions the other night - Brian asks, "Do you trust us?"  The children all said yes.  "Prove your trust/faith" was his next statement.  We then did the Faith Fall.  Fall straight backwards and let the rest of the family catch you.

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Now, lets just say,  I trust my children and I know they would do their best to catch me.  But could they physically do it? I was quite nervous.  But they did it!!  They are so strong!

Then there is Tess... after watching everyone else do it, she climbed up on the stool and away she went.  Of course, once was not enough for her.

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We are going through the book of Proverbs as a family.  Many great discussions and lessons!!!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Very Focused

And she takes her job seriously!

Dani brushing & squirting, brushing and squirting,  brushing and squirting Tessa's hair.

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Tess is licking her lips because there was so much water in her hair and it was dripping down her face.   Soaked.  But combed.  AND, very patient with her older sister.

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Monday, November 17, 2008

Doe - a deer, a female deer

Ray - a drop of golden sun.  Me - a name, I call myself.

Oops!  I got carried away and a little off track.  Anyway - -

Hudson filled his doe (female deer) tag last night.  He took hunter safety in January so this was his first large animal kill.  Oh, the adrenaline!!

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As soon as they heard the hunters arrive home, they ran out to the garage to see.  Even the dogs came to watch.

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Everyone watched Brian cut out the backstrap ~ The very tender piece of meat of a deer.

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Brian, Caleb, Hudson and Evan

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Way to go Hudson!!

P.S.

Uncle Bob (my sisters husband) filled his buck tag in the mountains of Colorado about the same time last night.

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A successful night for the hunters in our family!