The Law of the Harvest

"That which ye sow, that shall ye also reap."

Three years ago, the Stahr family planted a garden. We included corn, peas, beans, and something else that I can't remember because it was three years ago. I'm lucky I remember today! Our corn blew over in the wind, the peas didn't really grow, and the beans were thin - at best. Not to mention the deer. They ate what we didn't pick as soon as it made a showing. We vowed we weren't going to plant another garden until we had a fence up. And so, we didn't.

This year, Andrew put up a fence made of fishing line. I will admit that I was extremely skeptical and kept hinting that we do something different. The fence was wonderful! We didn't have a single deer in our garden, and it flourished. Not because of the fence, I'm sure - although the fence certainly kept critters at bay!

In our garden, we planted corn. We planted pumpkins. We planted beans, peas, onions, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, three different types of peppers, and the weeds came on their own. That was the upper garden. In the lower garden, we planted tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, and more peppers.

Fast forward to the end of summer... Our broccoli died. Our cauliflower died. Our zucchini is JUST NOW getting zucchini (just in time for the first frost! How fantastic!) The weeds did fabulously. The corn blew over - but not until we had already harvested most of it and canned a lot of it. And when I say a lot, I mean 40 quarts. The onions didn't do very well, but that's o.k. Our potatoes harvested out two 5-gallon buckets full of the largest potatoes I have ever seen. Our beans didn't get picked except for dinners a couple of times. We just ate the 12 carrots that we grew (we started with two rows, and they just didn't grow... Tonight, we picked 43 sugar pumpkins, and the children grew 3 carving pumpkins each - we had 4 giant jack-o-lantern pumpkins volunteer themselves by our burn pile to the side of the house. We picked more gallons of tomatoes than I can count. We've picked a peck of peppers to pickle - and there are still peppers left to pick. We pickled 3 gallons of dill pickles.

In the last three months (because we started in August...) we have canned the following:

41 pints of blackberry jam.

11 pints of gooseberry jam.

50 quarts of applesauce. (spiced and plain with a little sugar)

97 gallons of apple cider.

38 quarts of white grape juice.

23 quarts of peaches.

7 quarts peach pie filling.

9 pints triple berry jam.

5 quarts pickled tomatoes.

40 quarts tomato juice.

12 pints tomato basil sauce.

11 quarts spaghetti sauce.

20 pints pizza sauce.

5 pints, 6 quarts pickled peppers.

40 quarts frozen corn.

11 quarts southwestern salsa.

9 pints corn salsa.

11 pints sweet pickle relish.

15 pints, 8 half pints dill pickle relish.

And we pick up between 15 and 18 farm fresh eggs daily.

We have literally filled every. single. one. of our quart jars. And we still have pumpkin to do. And red grape juice. And I forgot to count the quart of dried tomatoes that I put into the freezer.

So... if there is a food emergency on the planet somewhere, and grocery stores are all sold out of things that are yummy to eat, you're all invited to dinner. We can eat some of the meat stored in our freezer and grind wheat to make bread. We'll have to use rocks, because we don't have a wheat grinder, but... at least we won't starve to death!

Cookie Cutters... For Soccer Players!

Amber, my sister in law, and Richie - her husband, have started a cookie cutter business. I'm inviting you to check out their website, and, please recommend it to anyone you know who plays (or cheers on) sports!

Their business is Briarmark - they sell more than just a soccer ball cookie cutter. They sell the markers to color on your cookies, and other sports shaped things to make fun cookies, cakes, and lollipops!
Just click on the link below - and refer often!
www.briarmark.com

A new Photo

Of the whole family! Still can't see Bailey's face too well, LeGrand is off in LeGrand land, and Caroline is - well, Caroline... but here we are! If any of you of the Pierce Clan want a copy, please leave a comment and let me know - I'll gladly send you one!

Photos taken by Alisha Kathleen Photography

Look who DROPPED in?!?

9 years ago, three of my sisters and I all had babies within months of each other. Patience, the sister 2 years younger than I had a baby girl, Chloe, in October; I had Savannah in November; Charity, my sister 4 years younger than I had Kirstina in December; and then Missy, my oldest sister had Gracelynn in May of the following year.

To honor Bailey - and to visit us, my sister Charity surprised us by walking in my door with her husband, Nick, and Kirstina. On Saturday, Missy came to visit. Both of them brought their 9 year old daughters. The only one missing from this quartet was Chloe. It was so refreshing to visit and to see how well these girls - so similar in age, and with such fabulous personalities - related to each other. And how Margaret fit in with them also.

It was fantastic to have Charity and Nick and Kirstina and Mom and Dad and Missy and Gracie come to visit (some, even at the same time!) I truly have missed the interaction with my siblings. Thank you for the surprise.

And a HUGE thank you to Kirstina for her rendition of the never ending camp story. She helped to create memories that will NEVER be forgotten. The campfire was awesome, and the visit gave us an excuse to build a long talked about and as before not acted upon fire pit. "Cause I'm Peanut Butter, and YOU are Jelly!"

We love all of our visitors - This has been the most fun summer since we moved here. Hands down.

Bailey's Weight

I think most girls would be mortified if their weight were posted on any sort of public forum. However, since Bailey is still only three months old, it doesn't hurt for me to tell the audience that she's finally topped 10 pounds! Besides, that's barely more than a sack of potatoes.

She is starting to get some rolls under her chin, and certainly no longer looks like she's starving to death. O.K. So she never looked like she was STARVING, but she was really small.

As an added bonus, she's developed this really great smile that she shares freely, and with almost anyone that smiles at her.

Her next appointment was supposed to be tomorrow, but the Dr. called to postpone it until the 13th of September. I'll give an accurate weight and height then. Until then, my scale says she weighs 10 lbs., and she's 23 inches long.

Prayer...

A Pastor was praying over one of the races in Nashville. (Sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke - but I actually heard this on Sports Center tonight...)

His prayer went something like this: "Dear Lord, Thank you for my SMOKIN' HOT WIFE and my two children  (who he mentioned by name). Bless this race... (and then there were some words to bless the race)... In Jesus Name; Boogedy, Boogedy, Boogedy, Amen."

I think I would laugh really hard if someone closed a prayer during church with three boogedys.

I'd offer someone money to actually do it, but I may have a brother or sister who really would... and with a straight face too. I'd love to be in church if someone actually used those words...

Closet Sleeping Update

Apparently, sleeping on the floor is hard. And by hard, I mean: THE FLOOR IS HARD. Savannah and Margaret both found that out sometime in the middle of the night when they BOTH woke up with sore bodies. And ended up downstairs in the living room on the same chair.

Margaret woke me up to ask me if she could sleep with me. I sleepily pointed her to the chair. The couch just wasn't big enough for Bailey, Margaret and Me. Savannah just came down and crawled onto the chair with Margaret. That's how Andrew and I found them this morning. Sleeping peacefully, sprawled on the chair. Together. And we chuckled over it.

So much for the fort. It was fun while it lasted.

Currently...

Savannah and Margaret are sleeping on the floor in their closet. They dismantled their beds (took all the sheets and blankets off...) and made a fort. In the closet. Yes, it's that big. Not only does the closet have two dressers, all their hangup stuff, their shoes, laundry basket and Friend Box, now it's also housing two not so tiny girls! And they're loving it.

LeGrand is sleeping with his mouth open and NOT under the covers.

Caroline is sleeping in a partial backbend on top of all her covers and one unfortunate baby doll... and we don't dare move her. At least she's not snoring with a fever and clogged nose tonight!

Bailey keeps pretending to be asleep enough for me to safely put her down without needing more food. But it's all pretend. As soon as I put her down, she wakes up and wants to eat some more. This time, she may really be asleep - she was drooling.

Andrew is safely tucked into bed so he can be ready for work tomorrow.

I'm hoping Bailey will sleep for a long time tonight, Caroline will sleep through the night (although I will admit that moving her crib to a different location in her bedroom has improved her sleeping...), and I will be able to get some good sleep.

Here's to hoping!

Another Doctor Check-Up

Caroline didn't disappoint when she had her weigh in. Those thighs tell A LOT about how much a person is going to weigh, and Caroline tipped the scales at 22.9 lbs. That's in the 38th percentile. She's only 31 inches tall, so that makes her more round than any of our other children at this age, but she's only in the 20th percentile, so I'm not worried. She'll hit a growth spurt one of these days, and hopefully it will be UP and not OUT! She's healthy, and I'm not complaining. Caroline is FINALLY getting the rest of her bottom teeth - I saw that they were coming through today!

Bailey, on the other hand, is going to be tall. Very tall. She's already 21.5 inches tall, which puts her in the 21st percentile for her age (7 weeks - TODAY!). She's petite at 7 lbs, 1.5 ounces. She's gained 1.5 pounds since bringing her home from the NICU - which doesn't seem like much, but she eats constantly and is growing... slowly. I can see the little fat rolls forming already! She is, however, not even on the charts yet for weight. We have another appointment in three weeks to see how much weight she's gained - and I'm hoping it's more than a couple of ounces! She's also healthy... and doing well. Here she is, engaging in one of her favorite activities. Her other favorite is eating.

I sure love these two little girls!

P.S. I didn't get to be queen at the dentist... I got made the court jester. Making half of your face numb for 8 hours will do that.

A Date...

Andrew and I are going on a date. To the dentist. It's likely not going to make it to the top 20 dates ever, but hey. It's a date. He gets a cleaning, I get a root canal. And a crown. Do you think they'll make me a queen?

Margaret & LeGrand

Margaret and LeGrand had successful visits at the doctor's office Wednesday. Margaret hears fantastically, LeGrand doesn't sit still for long periods of time without something to do, Bailey just wakes up to eat halfway through the appointment. Both of those who had appointments are healthy and right on target with where they need to be.Margaret is 41 inches tall, and weighs 38.8 lbs. She has informed me that she's going to be a doctor when she grows up - based on the fact that the doctor left her stethoscope on the floor when she finished the exam, and Margaret picked it up to listen to her heart. "It goes pat pat pat like it always does, Mom." Margaret is in the 8th percentile for height, and 30th percentile for weight. The doctor asked me if anyone had ever expressed concern over Margaret's height... when I told her how tall I was and how tall Andrew was (and how tall Grandma and Grandpa were) her comment was: "Oh. You're both short. Margaret will most likely be short based on genetics..." I politely smiled and told her thank you. In my head, I thought - "Yep. Figured that one out already. Thanks." So... unless there's some giant gene hiding in Margaret somewhere, don't anyone of you be surprised when she is just short as an adult.
LeGrand. LeGrand is 37.25 inches tall and weighs 29.4 pounds. He is in the 46th percentile for height, and the 25th percentile for weight. He is an energetic little boy who has recently started wearing big boy under-britches. (Yay! One out of diapers!) His favorite thing to do is whatever Dad is doing. And he loves his sisters. Soup is "disdusting", tractors are "annoying", he loves to watch for deer - when he sees one, he tell us that he has to "dit my dun! I need to shoot those deer!" He has yet to shoot a deer, but he is our #1 deer spotter! (The last one he saw was on Monday last, and since he kept telling us to "look at the MOOSE!" none of us looked. No moose in our yard. Nice big buck though! We love his energy and his zest for life.

You're not Mom!

I just think this is a funny picture. We had a rough night - Caroline was not sleeping well (hence the no pajamas - her leg kept coming out through the snaps and she couldn't sleep... so I wasn't sleeping.) Bailey was just snuggled up with Caroline in the morning - and then... the look. I love it.

Savannah... updated

Savannah had a visit to the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago for some allergy issues she was dealing with. While there, we found out her stats:

Savannah is pleased with the fact that she is 4 ft. 4 inches tall... "Only 6 1/2 inches shorter than Grandma Pierce!" She is slender and strong at 62.2 pounds. And, despite the allergy issues, she is healthy. Savannah was brave through 3 new booster shots - and is thrilled to not have to have more any time soon.

Savannah is a good helper with all of her sisters and her brother and still hasn't stopped asking questions. She will be starting 4/5 grade this fall and is a quick learner.

Funny Face... I love you.

Caroline has developed quite the little personality... here are just a few of her. (I love her little pig-tails too... she's not so sure about them, but they keep the food out of her hair! One of her favorite things to do is to twirl her hair, and she doesn't distinguish between clean fingers and peanut butter covered fingers...)

hair clips...

a funny thing happens when you bite a hair clip... it bites back.

caroline just bit a hair clip that she found on the floor... i think it may be from savannah's american girl doll... it clipped itself to the inside of her cheek. she started crying and came over to me - who is feeding bailey - opens her mouth and amidst tears says, "aaah..."

i didn't laugh this time when i unclipped it. i did laugh last time when savannah clipped her lip. she was old enough to know better, she "just didn't think it would hurt!"

A Good Website to Read

Just a small plug for a dear friend of mine... she has expanded her adventures on her family blog. for a fabulous read, check her website out by clicking HERE. More about how Jill and I came to be friends later... Just as a side note, her husband, Aaron, was in my ward at college. SUPER small world...

P.S. She has contests and giveaways, as well as highly entertaining stories about her family life and what it takes to be an excellent parent.

The Reason the Kittens Keep Moving...

A picture is worth a thousand words... I'll let these do the talking.

And one picture just because she's cute...

The Andrew and Linda Stahr Family

Mom with the children. I actually love that Caroline is so intent on seeing what Bailey is doing... she loves her little sister. I'm glad. Not sure what LeGrand is thinking though.

Andrew, Linda, Savannah (9), Margaret (5), LeGrand (2), Caroline (1), Bailey (3.5 weeks)

All of us. Taken today after church.

Planting Time!

the lower garden...

Andrew and LeGrand watering the upper garden

Savannah

Margaret

LeGrand planting his pumpkins

Savannah planting pumpkins

Margaret - trying not to get dirty while planting pumpkins...

It's taken us three weeks to plant our garden, but I am pleased to report that we're finally finished. This year we planted TWO gardens. An upper garden with corn, potatoes, peppers, carrots (if they come up...) beans, onions, pumpkins and peas. The lower garden has tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins and strawberries. Savannah helped Andrew put a fence in, the rest of the children helped to plant all the plants.

LeGrand was a good helper when it came to digging in the dirt... Savannah and Margaret did a fabulous job helping to get the actual plants in - the two of them planted onion and peas with Andrew and have been thrilled to see that their plants are coming up!

The three oldest children each planted their own hill of pumpkins yesterday; it's been wonderful hearing them pray that their plants will grow!!!

All in all, we're praying for a good harvest and just enough rain...

Name Update

The Great Name Debate (which really wasn't...) is now over.

In honor of generations of Grandmothers on my Mother's side, we have decided to give Bailey the middle name of ANE. Because this is the Danish spelling, the "E" is silent, and has no effect on the "A" sound, contrary to any and all phonetic fanatics out there.

So. Here's the official announcement.

Bailey Ane Stahr

18 May 2011

6lbs 7oz

19.75 inches long

Love and Adored by her siblings and parents