(WARNING: NONE OF THESE PICTURES GO WITH THE TEXT THEY ARE NEXT TO!!!! WE'RE GOING HODGE-PODGE THIS TIME AROUND. ENJOY!!)
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I always think I'm going to be lacking stories for the next blog entry, but it never happens. I always have something to tell everybody. Well this week was a busy one too! I had just finished doing the blog entry on Monday when I got a call from a lady down the street. She called me to let me know her back yard was full of grapes and they needed picking that night or the next day. I was so excited! So I immediately called Brian at work to tell him the great news. Needless to say, he wasn't as excited as I was, but he eventually submitted cheerfully to the idea of helping me pick the grapes.







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(I hinted that it would be nice for him to help since we would both be drinking the juice!) He was great. I gathered up containers and coolers, and even a little harness with a bucket attached for picking. By the time Vaughn and I got over there it was after 5pm. Brian met us shortly and brought dinner, which really helped! We were able to eat and then get started picking. We picked for almost three hours!










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We picked white grapes, concord grapes and champagne grapes. I know what you're thinking. Just so you know, they're named champagne because of their color....at least I hope that's why! Brian took Vaughn home a little early and I was there until after 8:30. But while we were picking I got stung by a bee! It hurt so bad! It's been about 17 year since the last time I was stung. I guess I'd forgotten how much it hurts. What I didn't know is that bees actually burrow into the grapes and eat as they go. I guess I had grabbed a cluster that had a burrowing bee. That sting hurt for almost 5 days straight. I guess that's the price to pay for WONDERFUL grape juice!
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I spent the entire next day bottling juice. Brian came home from work and very kindly took Vaughn and watched him while I continued to bottle into the night. I was able to get all of the juicing and bottling done in one day. All together I bottled 61 quarts and my sister-in-law Amy bottled 18. Then on top of that we drank about another quart or two. So all together we got over 80 quarts! I was very pleased! So our entire total for quarts of grape juice bottled this season was over 160 quarts! That's incredible!!! I will say this, I have never bottled so much in my entire life as I have in the last three weeks. I really love it though. I feel like I am helping our little family to have a supply for a rainy day. I feel like I'm really using what we are given. I feel very blessed.
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Tuesday evening I got a very unexpected call from my very good friend Brooke Burbank. I was totally surprised and very happy to hear from her! She was in New York watching a Broadway production about The Wizard of Oz. Her mother Tonya Ashford had flown her there for a belated birthday present, (her birthday is on February 13th). Brooke called me during the intermission to talk, and it really made me feel great that she would think of me! I guess one of the ladies in the production reminded her of me. I hope she played the good witch! Kidding. I think she actually played a wicked witch! If you're reading this Brooke, I LOVE YOU! You're the best!





















On Wednesday Vaughn was playing with a little Fisher Price piano, and he started at C and went down the scale, playing each note twice. He played four notes down the scale and then stopped and turned to see if we were looking. We couldn't believe what we had just seen and heard. We clapped really loudly and yelled, "Yeah Vaughn!" He was so happy that he started clapping and then tried to do it again. But this time he would only play one note, and then whip around and clap. It was pretty cute!

On Thursday Brian let me know that a co-worker of his was trying to get rid of his pool table. He said he would just give it to anybody who wanted it, so guess what? Brian brought it home! His co-worker drove him down to Payson to pick it up, and then he helped Brian to load it onto our back porch. We really need to get into our own home, and a big one! We have so much stuff! We can't even set up the pool table in our house right now. But I guess we will store it until we buy our own home. It is neat though to have something to look forward to using that's so fun!


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Then Friday night I got another surprise phone call. Laura called me from her apartment to tell me that Lindsey was in town for the weekend! I flipped! So around 8:30pm they came over to hang out for a little while. It was actually to see Vaughn, but that's okay! It was so great to see them! The first thing Lindsey said was, "He (Vaughn) is so big!" I guess Vaughn has gotten a lot taller since she last saw him a month ago!





On Saturday we spent the day watching General Conference. For those of you who don't know, our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, hold two conferences each year. They hold one in April and one in October. It is a general conference for the entire church membership around the world. It is quite a spectacular thing actually. They broadcast simultaneously to countries all around the world, and translate the broadcast in over 200 languages!















The leaders of our church, our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and his Apostles speak and give us counsel. It is a wonderful time to listen and make goals to be a better person! So we watched that all day! Then Saturday evening Brian went to the Priesthood Session of the Conference, which is for men, and I hung out with Lindsey and Laura and Vaughn! I got to go to the Relief Society Session, which is for women, last Saturday.
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So anyway, we had a great time messing around. We made triple layer cookies and watched a movie. We laughed and talked about boys. It was a blast! It is always a real pleasure for me to be able to spend time with my sisters, since it is also a rare event! Vaughn was in a very testy mood, so most of the time he fussed and cried. But he did eventually warm up to everyone.



Then today, Sunday, we spent the day watching General Conference again because it lasts for two days. This time we were watching it at Brian's parents' house. Lindsey came over for a little while and ate lunch with us. She left around 3:00 so she could get back to Rexburg where she goes to BYU-Idaho, my old school!
What a week! I think I need a break, but I have a feeling I'll be just as busy this next week! Love to you all!
Love, Lisa