Back to School and Family Fun

      We started school officially with students on August 9, 2012.  I was introduced to my new 8th grade student aides and started training them to run the Library.  They are great students to work with and I really like my job.   The library was pretty well organized by the students last year and now we are fine tuning and getting ready for a book fair in two weeks. 

      Saturday Christina Yazzie, our daughter, called and asked if she and the boys could come to California for a visit.  She just graduated from school and needed a short break before starting back to work and the boys to school. They arrived Saturday in the heat of 107.  It has been hot all week.    

      Sunday, Danell and Deborah made cookies for Sister Rodgers because she was not feeling good.  These are the no-bake cookies.  Definitely a good idea for a HOT summer day.

      Monday, Christina and I got up at 6:00 and went to the High School track and walked until 7:00.  She ran for a while until her knee was bothering her.  I then went to work.  We had fun in the evening with a big family home evening.  Hannah had hot chocolate pudding and ice cream for the treat.

     Tuesday, Christina took Me shopping for hair products and then proceeded to color her hair and straighten it.  This was a weird experience for Diane to have straight hair.  Clifford laughed because I did not know if I really liked straight hair.  He was going to tell, Grandma Good who always told me how lucky I was to have curly hair and not have to get a perm.  It is funny because I got lots of compliments at school.  Next week I will go really curly just for fun.  I am in the process of trying to grow my hair out and it has lots of layers. I don't know if I can do the straightening iron by myself.

       Wednesday, was another 108 so the youth went to the Rogers house and had a swimming party.  They have a slippery slide into a pond in the river and a rope swing, lots of tubes to float the river, and a large yard for a tramp, swings, and barbecue and picnic area.  The 20 youth started playing keep away with a soft ball in the river and had lots of fun.  It was a nice way to cool off and play together.  Christina and the boys went to the beach to cool off and relax.  It was 70 degrees and the beach was fun.  They stayed in a motel and enjoyed the time together.

      The boys wanted Jared to help them play a role playing game so one day they spent setting up their characters and then got busy doing other things.  Finally the night before they left Jared got with the boys and played a game.                                                                         

        Clifford has spent a lot of the week in bed with a bad cold.  However by Thursday he is starting to feel better and I am starting to get a stuffy head.  I stayed home this week end with the "cold" but will need to go to school on Monday.  I was able to get two of the baby blankets and bibs crocheted that Melanie gave me a year ago. 
        Christina, I finally was brave enough to wash my hair and try to straighten it myself today.  I think it came out pretty well.  Clifford had to help me with the back but that is fine.  It is still strange to see me with straight hair.  The weather is cooling off this week down to the 90's instead of 101-110. 

Last Days of Summer Vacation

Monday July 30 - I go back to work on Wednesday, August 1 and start with staff meetings on the 3rd so I only have a few days to get some summer projects finished.
      Today I cleaned out the Breakfast Food Closet and did an inventory to make sure we had our year supply of items.  Our menu is pretty simple and easy to store.  However, it always seems to take quite a while to get everything back in order and ready for the next year.

      Clifford and I found some hamburger on sale today so I bought 6 pounds and canned it for my meals in a bag.  I am just amazed at the price of food now since I don't do the shopping or much cooking.   I did not use the "Sun Oven" today and even cooked a cake for family home evening in the house oven.  I was canning and it was hot already.  On the 3rd shelf you can see the canned beef and chicken and other cans.  Sorry for the bad picture but this is in the hall way and hard to get good lighting.  The clear bags each have a date, recipe and food for that meal.  Each shelf holds 8 meals so I have 24 meals there. 

Tuesday July 31 - I was working on the Food storage closets more.  I got the menu's and food ready for August and September. I am doing half of each month with the meals in a Bag that Melanie introduced me to.  It is nice to have them outlined and ready to start school.  

     Tonight we had "Corn on the Cob" and you can tell that Rebekah 1year-old loves it. It is so fun to see them growing and learning.                   Clifford was excited because he was able to pick up his next gun.  The shooting range is not open until Thursday so he will be cleaning it and taking it apart to see how it works. Guns and gardening seems to be his contribution to the years supply.  

      We pulled more carrots from the garden for the roast this week and they are huge and sweet.  Our peaches are beginning to ripen and will need canned by the end of this week.  Of course, just in time for school to start.  That will be an evening or weekend activity. Nothing like fresh fruit ripened on the tree. We only have our peach tree and citrus trees left so we enjoy them as the fruit ripens. 

End of July and my last days of summer vacation. It has been a great summer with visiting family and friends. We enjoyed the cool weather in Washington and Oregon and loved seeing children and grandchildren, sisters and parents.  We have been able to spend time together as a couple and with family.  We are grateful for the tender mercies that have blessed our lives these last few months. 

  

July 22 through 29 2012

I decided to try to do this blog again with pictures and the new updated program.

Saturday we received our "SUN OVEN" and cleaned it and prepared it for cooking.  I am so excited about using this oven and not having the hot dutch ovens outside.  We do NOT cook inside during the summer because it raises our home temperature so it is a lot of barbecue or dutch oven cooking.  This new "Sun Oven" looks so much easier. 

Sunday, I taught a Young Women lesson on Forgiveness and the girls were wonderful about sharing examples and reinforcing the importance of forgiving each other, family, etc.  I cooked beef enchiladas in the

round pans and stacked them.  I have cooked something in the oven almost every day to see how it works.  The instruction book said you just have to try it to see how it works.  I LOVE IT!

No hot briquet's and heavy dutch ovens.  Just an easy pan in and out of the oven.  I do have to move the oven with the sun each 1/2 hour or hour.  

Monday-  Cleaned house and for Family Home Evening went with Jared and his family to Kaweah Oaks Preserve on a walk.  It was fun to see the rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks.  The kids had lots of fun getting out in a field and away from the house.  We came home and had dessert. 

Tuesday, Clifford had surgery on his left hand because he had another trigger finger that would not open and close correctly.  It is an out patient operation and he feels much better.  Tuesday the missionaries were coming for dinner so I made an apple crisp in the sun oven.  Wonderful!

Wednesday - We worked around the house and I got to sew on my new machine while the children were gone to the beach.  I am trying to do a few Christmas presents and see what this Viking can do.  I also go out all the yarn and looms for the Hats of Hope project at school and got them organized and taken over to the school library.Clifford mowed the lawn and I made zucchini bread in the Sun Oven.  A friend found two zucchini that were huge, I don't know how you overlook them.  The oven holds two loaf pans side by side and the bread was moist and delicious.  I took one loaf with me to YM/YW swimming party and it was gone fast.  "I love Zucchini Bread" was a common comment."  I liked I did not heat up my house. 

Friday - Jared and Danell went to the early morning session at the Fresno Temple and Clifford and I babysit.  The kids and I went to the park while it was cool and played for an hour.  Then we came home and cleaned all the pine needles out from under the trees in the front yard. It sure looks better. I figure I only have to do this once a year.

Today we cooked chocolate chip cookies in the oven.  They are very moist.  It is nice because you can cook about 10 cookies on each rack so 30 at a time in 20 minutes.  The top ones are a little browner then then bottom but all are moist and done. 

Clifford sent a couple of hours Friday playing with the children with magnets.  They tried all kinds of neat tricks.  Remember how fascinating they were when we were little. Being a grandparent is lots more fun than raising our own children.  We can go to the bedroom and relax if they are to wild. 

Saturday- is our ward social and I am in charge of the home made root beer and dessert (rootbeer floats)

We are doing a pioneer activity with Grandma Donna Howell celebrating her 97th birthday.  The Primary is in charge of the pioneer games.  I don't think I will cook today since we are having a barbeque at the Rogers house.