Life is going by so fast! I've been told it just gets faster! Hold on to your hats folks, this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!! (My husband is so going to make fun of me for that- but it just came out. Oh how I miss Disney World!!! (For those of you who may not know, I grew up in Orlando, Florida) Well, September kept us hopping around here. I have definitely caught the canning bug. First I ordered a HUGE load of pears to can. Then, the tomatoes in our garden came on, then I was given apples- it's like it was never-ending. Canning is really hard work- especially with three little ones. But, I tell you, there is something about seeing the food in the beautiful jars and hearing the pop! of the lid sealing and knowing that if anything happened, I have food to feed my family right here in my home. In addition to the canning we had a few fun adventures, plus the regular craziness that is the Larchar Household! Here are the pictures:
Emma helping me sort the pears in preparation for canning. 
Some of the tomatoes I was given or grew. My neighbor gave me a whole bunch before she left town, my other neighbor gave me some from her son's garden, my friend gave me some from her garden and we grew some! Those darker ones in the middle are black cherry tomatoes. I had never heard of them. I threw them in the salsa.
Salsa- yum!
The ballerina, the princess and the little guy helping to make applesauce.
My hard little workers.
Here are Emma and Arianna and their friend in front of the Seymour Center in Santa Cruz. They had fun climbing on the seal sculptures. 
Emma and Arianna- don't they make a cute crab and shark?!
The touch tank. The kids love this part! They get to touch starfish, kelp, sea anenomies, sea cucumbers, small crabs, etc. Very cool.
Here are all three observing the Sunflower stars.
Here is one of the whale skeletons outside the center. They actually have the largest assembled blue whale skeleton in the world outside the center! There are only 4 assembled in the world and theirs is the largest!
Probably my most favorite beach- Natural Bridges. After the Seymour Center, we hopped right over there to play. It' just down the road. My kids had so much fun playing with the 2 other families that were with us!
Emma and her friends trying to pull in a huge wad of seaweed.
Emma and her good friend playing in the waves. I love that natural bridge. 
More fun- camping in the backyard! Kenneth had a lot of fun having 3 little helpers put that tent up! 
But, in the end we were successful. Here they are eating s'mores!
Emma got a hold of the camera and got this shot of Arianna- I just liked her expression. That's my Arianna!
Emma got this one of Grant, too. 
They lined all the animals and babies up to watch a movie with them. 
It sure is nice that Emma can read to them now! 
This one and the next one are for Grandma Pilz. He sure loves those Thomas Train pajamas! Thanks, Mom!
What a ham!
You are a canning MACHINE, woman! (Canning pears is my fave, btw. They are easy and they taste SOOOO much better than canned pears!) Did you camp out in the backyard? What aquarium did you go to? It doesn't quite look like Monterey....anyway, keep up the CA adventures! We love you!
ReplyDeleteYour kids are darling. I am jealous of that BEACH--I love a rocky beach (I'm partial to Oregon). And I'm canning this week. I'm a little afraid. But it's low-key. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteOh wow- lots of fun things! I got a kick out of your big canning excursion, cuz this week I was canning pears, applesauce, and dehydrating tomatoes too! I can't imagine doing it with 3 kiddos around, but it was so cute to see them helping you! I totally agree with you- hard work, but so fulfilling when it's done. That backyard camping trip looked AWESOME! I wish we lived near enough to actually go camping with you guys!
ReplyDeleteWOW! I was so amazed by the amount of pears in that top picture that I had to show my hubby! Sounds like your cute little family has been very busy!
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