Corn Cob Cutting...

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME. And yes I AM yelling...


Recipes...they are useful to a certain extent. Usually, when I try a new recipe, I follow the recipe exactly how it is written the first time and then I modify it or completely chuck it--never to use it again. This was one of those that I should have chucked, but it was easy enough to modify--and very tasty. Notice how nicely the kabobs are put together in the picture. Easy, right? Wrong!! Especially when it came to cutting corn cobs into 1 1/2 inch pieces!!! THIS WAS NOT EASY! And I have since modified the recipe and roasted the cobs right on the grill--no cutting involved. Notice I attempted to use 3 different knives and I was sweating when I was done and my hand hurt so badly that it took a few days for it to feel "right" again! By the way, the 2nd time I prepared this, I tripled the recipe and put in way too many roasted red pepper flakes--I guess you don't need to triple those! Burning mouths, lips, teeth and nasal cavities completely drained. And yes I did make my family finish all the food because there was no way I was going to waste such yummy food...even if it was too hot!

Free...

We found the FREE rock...Russ posted an ad on Craig's List and some guy was beggin' him to come take all the rocks we wanted off his property.

We had the FREE labor...Kyle helped with a load.

Hannah and Russ worked together finding a creative and FREE way to move the rocks from the side of our driveway to the front of the house.

What a great idea!

If you ever drive by our house you will see that it is unfinished. Russ calls it an "eye-sore". I say we just need more FREE time, which won't happen anytime soon...

Sleeping Bag Wars...

Our kids have grown up having sleeping bag wars. Bailee Vollmar was introduced to them not too long ago. You'd never catch me having them...way too claustrophobic.

Strawberry Pickin' June 2005

Here's the picture I was talking about. They all seem so small! And it was only 4 years ago.....

Jeremy Abbey, Hannah Miller, Jessica Abbey, Caley, Heather, Matt Miller, Hannah, Emily Abbey, and Brian Abbey

Strawberry Jam Makin'....

Heather and I make a great team...Caley and Hannah had to be somewhere and we didn't want to wait so by the time they returned we had made 12 batches of jam.

I better be careful...I might get fired from my jam makin' job for eatin' too many berries! Ohhh--they were so good! I wish the season was longer...

This was just a partial stack...Heather was taking most of the pictures.

Strawberry eatin'....

I've always told my kids they need to be weighed before we go out to pick because of all the berries they eat.....I've also told them I was "fired" from my strawberry pickin' job for eating too many berries...really I was.

Strawberry Pickin'......

This is probably the last year that this will ever happen....all the kids were free to help pick berries. Brian and Caley actually had at least this part of the day off. As the kids get older and busier, this is seen less and less. These pics are from Caley's camera, so they are on her computer. When I get back on my computer I will try and post a picture like this from several years ago!