Grammy Beach's Lilac Trees Get A Hair Cut

2 weekends ago Will and I gave Grammy's lilac trees a haircut and cleaned out all the leaves from under them. They were starting to take over her clothes line and hanging out into the alley. Well get to the point you say. When we were done we had a very large pile of sticks. Nice green bendable sticks. I kept looking at the sticks and decided to take a bundle home with me for a craft project. I know Grammy was shaking her head but she amused me.

My original plan was to make a 'B' to add to my collection out on the front porch. (that is another story on how that started). I am going to add twine to the joints to spice it up a bit.

Well as I sat there looking at my pile I knew I could do more with them. So I took a wreath I had in the basement I got for .19 after christmas last year and made this. Now I have to get another wreath and make one more for the other side to balance them. I think it needs some red or something too but haven't been out to the store yet.

(Try not to look at the reflection of my sexy outfit of sweats and slippers.

I was holding Mackay and he also amused me. )

My final project was a very simple one. I just cut down a bunch and stuck them in a vase. Everette thinks they need rocks on the bottom so he has been picking up little pebbles on his walk home after school.

Well of course Ev had to get into the act of making some art too so he made his own out of a stick he went and found from our christmas tree.

I still have a pile of sticks left sitting out on the deck so you might see an update to this post with something new I create. Or if you have any ideas shoot them my way. To my siblings, REAL ideas. I can hear those gears grinding and those comments are just not welcomed. Ha! Of course if anyone wants some of my special art sticks, I am more than willing to share too.

Floating Shelves

Here is the finished product of our $6.00 floating shelves. I got the idea out of a book I got from the library but I found it here too. We found the hollow core door in the clearance doors for $1.00 at Menards. Then we cut down a 2x4 for the brackets. Then with some lag nuts into studs they are pretty sturdy. We used screws to secure the shelves to the bracket instead of nails to make it movable otherwise they would have been permanent. They are for my oil can collection but as you can see I am missing 3/4 of the collection. The maddening part of it all is now we can't find the other 3/4 anywhere. Of course that is how it usually works out. We won't find them till we move again I am sure.

Adventures with Apples

Been awhile since I took my turn with posting to the blog, of course it's much easier for me to do with great (tasting) subject matter, namely fresh picked apples.

Our neighbor was kind enough to offer up whatever we could get from his tree. Its a tall old tree with almost all of the two kinds of apples just out of reach of my fingertips, that's right, one tree, two kinds, cool huh?

After a couple of jumping/long stretching attempts to pull off some of lower ones. I noticed Ev on the trampoline watching me with mild interest. Hmmmm...Two options there at my disposal. Ev or trampoline? I could get some serious air off the trampoline and reach some of the choicest pickings plus have a fun time doing it, but I'd probably end up tearing up myself and the tree and most certainly give Ev some ideas that he doesnt need from me, I'm sure he'll get enough of his own without my help. Ev it is and I wave him over. He's more than happy to climb right up, sit on my shoulders and get a couple more. Still most of them are out of reach. We try him standing on the shoulders but that doesnt last too long, since I loose some hair when he starts to loose his balance. Ladders are probably the best option.

Adventures with Apples - How many ways can you eat apples in a couple of days?
(Picture story)
Mmmm... Apple pie and ice cream for breakfast, if that doesnt jump start the day I dont know what will.

Nan's homemade applesauce. Sweetened kind (Sorry, Chad, that's better hot then the unsweetened) with the new secret ingredient, Mt. Dew.


Can't believe there's actually leftovers of fresh, warm applesauce, but that is good, my helper and I want to try fruit leather.


This will be in the dehydrator overnite, so we'll have to share the results tomorrow.


The apple peeler/corer saves a ton of time and its clean cuts reduce alot of waste.

Laboring over Labor Day!

This weekend we got a lot done. We finished painting the hallway, which had been put on hold since Mackay was born. We took off all 13 front porch windows and painted and reglazed them. Made some floating shelves for the hallway to display my oil can collection and started reorganizing the front porch. I will post more pictures when the porch gets done and shelves get hung.

Here is Will painting the hallway. You can see why he wouldn't let me do while I was pregnant and why he wouldn't let me do it now. I am very clumsy.

Baby Gift

I had to share this really really cute baby gift our greatest friend Lisa Ailshie made for us. (Try to see past the patched wall,it needs to be painted yet.) I screwed the branch right to the wall so it 3-D art. I thought it was too cute to not share. The birds are fabric and it is just a real branch.

The weekend

Sunday we went up to our Uncle Bills and helped him clean out his garden. When I say 'clean out' I mean, take home good eats for us this winter. We came home with about 60 pounds of tomatoes and 42 bags of corn. I am in the process of making pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce to can. Here are a bunch of pictures of the awesome process they have to cut corn off the ear very effectively.

With this base of board with 2 super long nails to hold the corn. They put pans on the side or scrap the corn into.

They cook the corn for 3 minutes in their outdoor turkey fryer.

Here is Will and Aunt Pat showing us their corn cutting skills. When we were all done we we just hosed everything down. What a quick and easy way with easy clean up. We then packed the corn in a cooler with dry ice and took it all home with us.

Uncle Bill then fried a turkey in his big fryer. I had to go grab the camera since you always see how people blow everything up doing this. Uncle Bill told us the key is to drop the turkey in really really slow. It was the juiciest turkey we had ever eaten.

Well were are the boys you ask! Well Ev was reading science books and watching TV while sun soaking in the house in front of the window. Mackay was sleeping and Emmett was Playing with his cars.

Here is Emmett. Can you see him?

How about now?

Doctors office

Emmett went with me to the doctor's office for Mackay on Friday. He was a super star going from office to office and waiting all that time at each. At the end he was getting a little restless and decided to entertain himself. I of course let him since he was so good and thought what could it hurt. He started out doing this with short little kick offs but then decided to see if he could hit the other wall. He had a blast and good thing the Doctor came in shortly after this because he started looking at the exam table and I am sure he was trying to figure out how he could jump off that onto the rolling stool. (This video is from my phone so not the greatest quality. )

Earning Money

Ev has been asking for a new game system this summer. We decided that this would be a good way to teach him a little about value of money. Will has decided to give him odd jobs to earn some money. One job is scraping the garage. While he was talking about earning his money and what he wanted to buy Emmett decided he wanted to earn money too. Not that he knows what money is really but if big brother wants it than so does he. So here are the boys doing their jobs to earn their money tonight.

Everette is scraping the garage.

Emmett is mowing the lawn.

Where we been?

Mackay Daniel Beach

Been awhile since the last post. Nothing much happening, just a new baby and a trip to Georgia and back.

Mackay Daniel Beach arrived on July 9th after Mama was induced. He hung in there tight til the day, even though a valiant effort was made to work him out sooner, but when does the Mama ever sit still, pretty much never... check out the pics here.

At week at home then off to Alabama to check out Rick and Jody's farm and then to Georgia for Papa and Gigi's 50th anniversary, a fun time for all.

Another Productive Weekend

We had a very productive weekend here at the Beach residence. Cabinet doors are painted and up. I cant tell you how much this has brightened up the kitchen.  Now I am excited to tile my backsplash and put my shelves up on the end of the cabinets. We have a few little things to do yet but this really seemed to add so much finish to our kitchen.  (we have to add the 2 fronts yet in front of the sink) The boys wanted to show it off like the 'Price is Right' models. 

This what happens when you leave a 2 year old outside while you are inside for a moment. Does it surprise anyone? Not me. Good thing was that they were dry.

Yep, all of them.

We also got to eat some of our lettuce out of the garden. It was so yummy.

Memorial Day work weekend

We went up to Greene and worked on replacing the center of the ceiling in one of the upstairs bedroom. We weren't sure what we were getting into when we started. Ok I need to stop saying we because I was not part of the tearing out part of this process. Will started early and thankfully found that there was some sort of backing under the plaster. It wasn't your typical lath and plaster thank goodness. That meant no insulation falling down all around him.  Jeff and Mary came to his rescue later that morning and turned his one man team into a 2/ sometimes 3 man team. Yeah Jeff and Mary. 

Tearing out the plaster!

This is my favorite picture!

 

After running for supplies, bracing up the ceiling in the hot attic then putting up new drywall, its time to mud. Mary is trying to mud screw holes for the first time. She did a fantastic Job.

Now left for another weekend will be to texture spray, prime and paint. Soon Grammy Beach will have a nice office/guest room.  

Emmett gets a new (to him) toy today!

Thank You Chad and Deckard for making somebody's day. Emmett has really been into watching the tractors in the fields lately and has to stop everything if the city tractor drives by. He has been riding it since daddy brought it home and even drug it inside for the night. It will be greatly loved.

 

Picking up legos Pregnant lady style.

I don't bend as well as I use to so I took the lazy way out to help Emmett pick up his legos. He thought he would try this way as well. Unfortunately he has daddy's short stubby toes and not mom's long toes. But you don't really think that would stop him though do you?

Easter 09

Weekend In Greene Iowa

This weekend we made a trip to Greene, Iowa to do some work for Ma and Pa Beach. 

We were able to play as well as work and so it turned to out to be a productive weekend on all accounts.

Friday morning Will, Uncle Bill and Ev got to sneak off and go fishing. They didn't catch anything but it is usually about just getting out for them. 

 

Saturday we worked on a bedroom upstairs. We were able to patch, sand and then texture spray the walls. On Saturday evening Grammy and I went out to Murder Mystery Dinner in New Hampton for Aunt Pat's Library fundraiser. We had a blast and Grammy won a prize for the most creative solution to the murder mystrey. 

On Sunday we painted walls and watched as the snow rolled in. The boys and Papa went out and enjoyed them selves. 

 

April Fools

**UPDATE: Ev's report. Well his trick didn't work on Ms. Monroe but it did on his classmates and all the other teachers in the school except for Mr. Big (I'm not sure who that is). He also said that his classmates kept touching his shirt but didn't believe him it was St. Patricks day. He had fun toay.

We were trying to figure out how to get Everette today since he has been talking about April Fools and with both of us so tired we found it hard to be creative. But.....
We got him.


He is so excited about April fools day that he wants to trick his teacher. Also he is wearing his St. Patricks day shirt to fool his friends. He is going to tell them it is St. Patricks day today.

Brotherly love.....

Everette loves his brother and is always trying to take care of him and show him love. Emmett eats it up. 

Everette making sure they are protected from the monsters on Scooby-Doo!

Everette made sure he was comfortable by bringing him pillows and blankets.

What can I get into today while mom is in the shower?

Cheese Gromitt.

He had to open the fridge and chew the wrapper open because it was a brand new block of unopened cheese. 

You gotta love this Devilish Grin I got when I asked him what he found. 

Helping Grammy

Emmett loved helping Grammy make her noodles when she was here. 

To fuel the addiction....

Daddy showed Emmett a new way to get his 'cars' fix. Via You Tube - Demolition Derby. He loved it and couldn't get enough.

Everette's Big Night!

We had the pine wood derby tonight for cub scouts and he placed second for the tiger cubs. He also earned a few badges and several beads. He did very well with losing and didn't mind that his car wasn't as high tech or fancy as the others. He was very proud of his creation and had a lot of fun watching the others race their cars. For our first Pine Wood Derby I thought it went very well and we learned a little for next year. Some of the boys or should say parents got very technical. They oil their tires and tested which side ran fastest and etc. Our challenge this time was Emmett, he wanted all the cars and wasn't very happy that he couldn't have them.

These are a few of the boys from my pack. They earned their badges for a lot memorizing and participating. That is Diana standing in the back. She is our Den leader and a superwoman. I don't know how she juggles everyone and everything.
Everette with his trophy and Emmett with his car. Everette gave his car to his brother so he doesn't feel left out and he gets something too. I had to laugh at his shirt because that is how a lot of my school pictures look.
Everette's First race. He lost to the first place winner.