Waffles, Syrah, Bathing, & God Bless America!

Here are some random photos of the last two weeks of my girls...

Eric decided one morning (at 4 a.m., mind you) that he wanted waffles and we were going to load up and go buy a waffle iron. We did and Bitty played sous-chef. She loves stirring.

The expression subsequent to Mama requesting a smile via "Cheese." She looks scary.

Before we were done, she had batter dripping down the counters and cupboards and all over her jammas.

They have begun bathing together to make our lives easier and Bitty loves it and LindyJean is beginning to find Adelaide very entertaining.

Tummytime!

Here we are singing God Bless America and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I am going to get this on the Flip and send it to Brandon, because it's patriotic and so very funny.

It's harvest/crush in the Yakima Valley and I took the girls to the winery because Bitty wanted to see them smooosh the grapes. Carlos gave her a bunch and she was estatic. I mistakenly allowed her to eat them in the car on the ride home. Her shirt, the carseat, and her face were a mess.

She was eating Syrah, which is the most deeply colored wine grape.

Here she is telling me how they sort the grapes and how important it is that they get out all the yuckies (leaves, sticks and other foreign materials that get in the bins) before they make the wine.

Pork Butt

Eric has decided that one weekend day will be devoted to the BBQ-ing of a large chunk of animal flesh. Slow-fired roasted and eventually accompanied by a schmorgy sides, we will dine like royalty celebrating some festive occasion. I made a mole, fresh salsa, homemade refried beans, and tortillas. The Pork Butt was 10.9.10

Not sure if this look on his face is because of his BBQ glory or the beer... likely a combination.

It was seriously delicious.

What a goofball.

I have been woefully negligent in capturing our lives as of late. The following weekend was our neighbor Brian's 40th - which involved a rotissiered leg of lamb, a bunch us gathering at his house (including a fellow visiting from Georgia (the country), who taught us how to toast in Georgian and we drank from goat horns that he brought), Maggie & Bitty watching baseball and hollering God Bless America at the top of their lungs...

I've canned apple butter - 28 pints to be exact. We've been harvesting and dismantling the garden as a hard frost is imminent. I returned to part time work at the winery in the first week of October (the wine club is a mess, they've hired a new manager, and somehow I landed the job of training her and I've been there a lot - girls in tow). Eric has been working like mad and the girls are, as ever, a lot of hard work. Those are my not good enough, but trying very hard to be, excuses for the lack of documentation.

Being busy is good, it beats boredom. And you know what they say... idle hands are the devil's handiwork!

dozens & dozens of dahlias

The fella who cultivates the pumpkins, also has hundreds of the most beautiful dahlias in every color, size, and petal shape you can imagine. They were absolutely gorgeous.

The girls and I.

This photo is just plain funny.

Bitty picked a huge dahlia and decided it would make a lovely hat.

Ta-da!

pupkin batch

10.6.10

While in Ephrata for the applesauce canning schmorgy, Aunty Staci - the most fabulous of Aunties - took us to a local pumpkin & decorative gourd patch. Bitty convinced herself that it is a 'pupkin batch' and any attempt to sway her otherwise is utterly fruitless. It was loads of fun and we got enough pumpkins for us and our friends and neighbors.

Pre-pumpkin festivities.

Every time we found a teeny-tiny pumpkin or gourd, Bitty would holler "It's a baby one, just the right size for my baby LindyJean!!!"

She's a big 'un...

"Your baby is lovely, when was she born?" "Born? We found her under a pumpkin vine!"

Zoom in on this one... I don't remember the exact conversation, but look at our expressions and that is a knife in my hand.

A is for Autumn, Apples, Adelaide...

A while back, Staci posted our saucemaking activities. It began here in Prosser in a Golden Delicious orchard. Eric's current project is a remodel for a fellow that has a HUGEmongous orchard and vineyard. We spent a couple of evenings with girls gleaning a variety of apples; Goldens, Fujis, Newtowns, & Galas. It was really pretty & quite fun!

Miss LindyJean attempting to abscond our sauce. She uses her hands pretty well these days.

"Smoky and the Bandaid"

10.3.10

Eric loves, loves, loves Smoky and the Bandit. One evening we were dining and listening to Jerry Reed, who sings the theme song - Eastbound and Down. Adelaide commented to Daddy that this was the song from "Smoky and the Bandaid" and that they should watch it together... "Daddy, I'll 'nuggle you and we watch it together, ok?"

I told her, you have to eat all your dinner and you are going to have to get ready for bed, then we'll watch some of it, not all, and you'll go to bed without complaint when Daddy says it's time to turn it off. By golly, she listened. Even LindyJean got to watch.

By the way. The movie is completely inappropriate for 2 year olds and we won't be viewing it as a family until they are MUCH older. Made for a cute photo though.

Sittin' Pretty

yakivegas

Friday 10.1.10

Could they be cuter? I think not. Salome & Bitty taking a break from squealing and wreaking havoc to munch on some string cheese. I went to visit Dana, who lives is YakiVegas - "Palm Springs of Washington" (there is a sign just outside of Yakima that actually says that) - to visit and meet her new baby, Mariel, born 9.11.10.

Incidentally, I got no photos of her b/c everytime I thought to or had the camera out, either I was nursing LindyJean or Mariel was on the breast herself! They call her "Stickers" and she is the tiniest, cutest thing you ever saw. She could use your prayers... she has a heart condition and down syndrome and it looks like they'll be spending some time at Seattle Children's Hospital trying to figure out exactly what is going on with her heart.

They both love babies... little ogres.

Salome's baby is not as interactive as Bitty's yet and Salome seemed to enjoy LindyJean's responsiveness. Stickers is still in the newborn stage - translating for a toddler as a squeaky, boobyfiend, who steals all of Mama's attention. :)

Happy Camper.

Bitty & Salome colored, played hide & seek, chased bubbles, danced, sang, ate snacks, played with noodle balls & puzzles and generally had a fabulous time. Good company. Thanks for hosting us Dana!

89 & still kickin'

9.27.10 - 9.30.10

Yeah for Gramma! She's a rockstar ya'll.

Gramma Hunter came for a Washington visit from August 10 to September 30. We passed her around from my house to Dad's, to Uncle Russ, to Uncle Tim and back. She helped us can and while at my house she did the dishes every night, cleaned house, shucked the ton of corn that Boss sent our way (THANKS BOSS!), and did the pile of ironing that was beginning to resemble Mt Rainier! If I have that much gusto at that age (hell, if I'm alive at that age), I'll be thrilled.

LindyJean does a lot of tummy time and seems to like it. Doesn't hurt that big sister gets down there to set a good example, as well as provide chitterchatter and unending encouragement.

These last three images are because I absolutely adore her face. I cannot get enough of this little droolbug. She is turning into a very social baby. She loves to converse, has begun to be able to manipulate her hands, and takes real notice of her surroundings.

Prosser Balloon Rally

I am a little behind on posting and will try to catch up...

September 24-26, 2010 - The Great Prosser Balloon Rally.

You have to get out of the house by 6:30 a.m. to catch the launch and watch a cloudless, gleaming blue sky ceremoniously fill with brightly colored balloons. Bitty was enthralled.

This is from Sunday morning, when Kate, Bryan, & Mitch came to visit. They are inflating the balloon.

Here's Eric and Bitty, down on the river watching the green/yellow balloon touch down on the river.

I can't believe I got this to show up. Look at that perfect spider web! Cool.

If you enlarge this photo and look at the house on the right... that's Eric's current project. They live right on the river and invited us to come and watch the balloons on Saturday morning from their place.