Sydney

Thanks my friend for taking the beautiful photos. Nice that you can catch a smile on my girl. Also thanks for letting us ALL invade your house....good times.

Visiting Melly at last!

This is Jennifer. We love her. Just because we do. But after this weekend I love her even more. She is one BRAVE woman. Why? She took all of the Rapplings and myself to Melly's house this weekend for an overnight visit. That is a four, really five hour, car ride with children! Don't forget to add in the car ride home. Much fun was had by all. We had some delicious Caprese salad upon arriving. The grown up girls stayed up late watching a movie. Don't know what it was because we were having too much fun talking. The Rapplings enjoyed Melly's yard, other living room, and all of her dogs. We spent the next morning eating a delicious breakfast. Played in Melly's yard and garden. Then visited Traderspoint Creamery where they make their own, cheese, yogurt, and most important Ice Cream. We saw cows, Paige chased chickens, and all the girls played on the beautiful deck. Then we were off to Archiver's for a quick scrapbook supply fix. I seem to make people want to collect paper and embellishments. Beautiful new lines out for fall and Christmas. Yes, in September. Melly took the girls out to play in the grass embankment so that I could shop for a minute. Thanks for keeping them busy and safe. Another big thanks to Melly for having us. Melly's house always feels like home. On the way to Archiver's I had spotted Penzey's Spices and had to stop in before leaving town. Really yummy stuff. I bought Chili 3000 an amazing chili powder but forgot to get more Vietnamese Cinnamon. Did you know that cinnamon from different places tastes different. I think Jennifer was pretty excited to discover all of the deliciousness in the store. Before our ride home we had dinner at Five Guys Burgers. Delicious! The potatoes they used were from a city in Idaho where my college roommates packed potatoes. Love coincedences. Excellent time had by all.

Dance in the rain....

Playing with photo shop. Quote especially appropriate.

Practice makes perfect...

Miss Paige loves to go to the "Botanicals". Rain or shine, or preferably misty with puddles. Two umbrellas, snacks, and waterbottles later we were ready to go. Paige is an outside kind of girl...she must play and play hard or she will become an agent of distruction in short order. We chased geese, floated leaves down the stream, played hide and seek in the arches, taught her to jump into my arms from a "scary" height, and I taught her how to take photos. Every Rappling can do it. It's important to start the photography bug early right? Courtesy of Paige....

Sunday can be a long day...

Let me tell you how it ends with me in tears...laughing at my cat. Chip, her brother is munk...Kate she's good with names ie. chipmunk. Chip took a leap off the entertainment center trying to reach Eileen across the room. Like a flying squirrel...arms all splayed out and boy did she miss. I guess she must really like Eileen.
I started the day before the girls were up...Caddyshack was on and I made it in time to watch the amazing Bill Murray. Here enjoy...
It's always fun to meet your friends family. Mr. Matt whose openhouse was today, has a large extended family and the best grandparents. His grandmother reminded me of mine. I definitely think she's the boss. The girls were excited when we arrived. Needn't worry about getting lost the large blown up Spartan Mascot was a give away. Beyond coooool...especially if you're three, or six, or even eleven. Photo op with the mascot and some hotdogs, salad, tomatoes, apples and dip later we were off to church. Sydney..."Mom....I think I'm carsick." Yeah from eating way to much for such a little lady. Honestly where does she put it?
When I walked into church a friend pointed out that my dress and Paige's bag matched. Not only did I match the bag but she pulled her new reading light out of said bag and well I matched it too. Hilarious...and no I didn't know she was bringing her lamp into church. To liven up a already entertaining hour we had a visitor sitting in our pew. She looked lost on the way in and I insisted she not sit alone. Church alone is well just not fun. When Paige whipped out the light and meticulously set it up with crayons and paper all good to go I just shook my head. Great impression right...but she did make me laugh.
My Sunday school class was fun...poor Devon and Shannon...it was only us. Every 15 minutes we added another student...Sam, then Travis, then Paige. Yeah Paige. Sorry Dev no holy hangman for you. Travis HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Enjoy it...sorry I had to tell everyone who saw you but it brings me joy to watch you look all embarrassed. Really a lot of joy.
Tera and I were a up to no good in Relief Society...sometimes I just can't not laugh...which made her laugh...which made me laugh, a vicious cycle. Paige came in at the end of this lesson too. She and Tera are great friends but I had to laugh when Paige started tickling Tera's chin. Really what's up with that? She was also in love with the Monday's baby, Jacob. Mesmerized actually that's the longest she sat still all day. By the way Lisa great lesson my friend.
We drove Miss Esther home after church...I gave all of the girls and Esther cookies...I was eating an apple (Honeycrisp....YUMMMMM)When Esther started telling us about how apples are on sale at Monette's. Which lead to a discussion of teeth, which she is lacking a few. My daughters moaned about dentists. They've had a bad year with them. Esther told them how she had pulled out five of her own teeth. I choked on my apple, Kate rolled her eyes, and I just prayed that Paige didn't hear her. Ummmm really where do I go with that conversation?
At home the girls were outside enjoying the great day. I worked in the garden after Paige woke up. Paige ended her evening by getting out a container and a half of sour cream and while I was unloading the dish washer. She had sour cream up to her elbows. We had another lesson on what not to use as lotion and how to properly wash our hands. At least she didn't find the scissors!
Bedtime came. Oh to think they could all be sleeping soon. Right. Eileen came home in the middle of the bedtime extravaganza. Sydney was sobbing...no one's being nice to me. A lot of drama for someone who was also dishing it out. I was on the phone with my mom and Eileen went to bat. Sydney learned that "no one can be mean to you if you're asleep." That just made her more mad because now Aunt Eileen was "mean too". Long, long bedtime. Suddenly it was silent. "Susan do they just go from yelling to sleep that fast." I wish! Five minutes later the littlest minx was back.
Eileen and I had a little ice cream watched Dirty Dancing....neither of us had seen the entire movie before. Then we had a little of this only not as cute...
I'm now watching, Dick and Jane, with Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni while blogging...this movie really seems to be how some years go.

To finish off today or to start tomorrow...it's 1 a.m. and Miss Paige is AWAKE again. Really?!?

Saving my quote....

Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that "leap of faith," as the philosphers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and step into the darkness to dicover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two. ~Boyd K. Packer

Now I can post a new one.

Junior Master Gardener Training....

So everyone who knows me knows that I love kids. Okay some days I don't like my own, but in general I love kids. I had to chance to go to Jr. Master Gardener training in Dayton. Very exciting getting to encourage smallish people to garden.
I borrowed Uncle Jims car (thanks Uncle Jim) and left early, very early. I love watching the sunrise. Better yet I love music on (loudly...no kids in the car), windows down, wind blowing, and a sunrise by myself so I could take a moment to appreciate it. Oh I made sure to stop in Wapakoneta on the way down dad. Some things are just a tradition. We had a great class. I'm hoping to have time to put it to use this year. Tricky to fit in while going back to school. I loved the Metropark we were at... Possum Creek. Here are some images from my day. Did I mention I was alone in the car for four hours.....Yay me!!! Which windmill photo do you like best?There were ducks a few varieties and turkeys...I love when listening to a turkey gobble. See how easily I'm entertained!

Grapes...

Sometimes you get to have fun with your parents. Today my dad and I picked grapes at the Botanicals. Well we picked a few since Miss Olga had already beat us to it. Pretty wonderful that she had a great big bucket ready for me when I arrived in the afternoon. So my dad, Mr. Matt, Paige and I spent the afternoon putting caging around some winter squash. Kate's squirrel friends had been having a field day eating everything in sight. Later that night the girls and I went to my parents where dad helped me make grape juice. Here are the fruits of our labor. Today was a great day!

September 15th..

3:15 a.m. take Uncle Jim to the Detriot airport.
6a.m. come home make sure Kate's up and take a half hour....
well it was really more and hour nap.
7 am...get girls up, dressed fed
8 am...Cameron over to wait for the bus
8:20-30 am...Cameron and Syd catch the bus
8:30 load the car for the day...snacks, toys, crayons, gardening tools.
9 am...read with the 1st graders
10 am...botanical garden
noon...lunch with Paige at the Garden...cheese, crackers, grapes, and geese
1 pm...Flu shot/Doctor's Appointment
2 pm -5 pm...finish Bridal Shower invitations, get ready to leave again
5 pm - 7:30 pm...drive to Ann Arbor, visit Hollander's, Zingermans to go
7:30 pm - 10:30 pm... Regina Spektor Concert
10:30-midnight....go home
midnight...try to upload photos for Jennifer....
computer down...then back up...internet down...then back up...

2 am...mission accomplished photos uploaded...

Seven Years

On my way to see a concert tonight...I realized that it's been seven years....count them...one, two.....seven years since I've been to a concert. Not Music under the Stars but a real concert. Which made me remember this scene from one of my alltime favorite movies...Grosse Pointe Blank. Thanks for the birthday present Miss Jennifer. You absolutely ROCK!!!

Who's that girl...

Who is this girl? Really when did she get all grown up on me? Thanks to Aunt Laura the hairstylist to the stars for the rockin updo.

Artist I love...

I grew up surrounded by Charley Harper's art. The seven years before they had me my parents started a collection. If you haven't had a chance to see his work. Here's a few photos. No my parents don't own all of them but these are a few of my favorites. Hence my love of all things linear and graphic. I found these sweet plates for Christmas and they hang on the walls in my kitchen. Hope you enjoyed!

Violins and Monarchs

Miss Kathryn in the proud new owner of a violin!She's been in Ochestra for two weeks. She's proud to say that she's learned Twinkle Twinkle working with a borrowed instrument at school. She loves that her's is new and "sparkly". I told her I'm expecting lessons! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Wibbeler for the amazingly wonderful gift of music.
This amazing miracle was found when Paige started picking apples off dad's tree and pitching them over the Heinemann's fence. Of course I got distracted by this amazing little guy working so hard on the bottom of the fence. Paige wanted to "help him." We sat and watched him for a while B-E-A-utiful.

My newest addiction...

This beautiful jar of sweetness is Purple Basil Syrup. I've been experimenting with different simple syrups. Easy to do....

Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. corn syrup
Huge handful of herbs

Here's the recipe for Basil Lemonade...courtesy of Susan Branch.

This makes 1 1/2 quarts.
You'll need:
1/2 c. sugar +
1 c. water
4 whole fresh basil leaves
4 limes, quartered
1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk
fresh basil or mint for garnish
2 + 2 cups water (divided)
Put sugar and 1 cup water in small saucepan, bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat, stir in basil leaves, and chill. When it's cold, pour the syrup into a blender; add quartered limes, condensed milk, and 2 c. cold water. Blend for a few (maybe four) seconds on high, just until limes are roughly chopped. Strain into pitcher. Put 2 more cups of cold water into blender, and then pour through strainer into pitcher, to get the rest of the juices from the limes. Serve over crushed ice, garnished with fresh basil spring or fresh mint. Makes 6 cups (1 1/2 qts.) Enjoy!

This is tart and delicious! Great for grownups but to complicated to make enough to feed the whole gang. So I started experimenting on something simpler that the girls might enjoy. I use Countrytime and just pour an ounce of the basil syrup in over the lemonade and ice. Simple easy and delicious.