Gold Rush Days

This past Saturday was the annual Gold Rush Days in downtown Sacramento. Papa and I decided to dress the older kids up and go have some fun. I was a little apprehensive because all through the week the temperatures had been soaring in the 105 range. Luckily the forecast for Saturday was only mid 90's so we decided to brave it.

In past years Papa has been involved in the local Mormon Battalion reenactors so he had all the gear to get dressed up. He let Cooper borrow a cowboy hat and I threw on a dress that Jonathan brought home from his mission to Paraguay and my hat from Williamsburg, VA as my pioneer garb. Catelyn on the other hand was able to wear a dress that my mom had made me when I was 4. She loved it and has been wearing it almost nonstop since. She calls it her "cowgirl dress". She also threw on her straw hat and we were ready to go.

Cowpoke Cooper

Serious faces!

Cowgirl Catelyn

I tell you, she didn't take that dress off for days!

I'll make an update soon with pictures of our adventures while at the Gold Rush Days. Stay tuned!

1st Grade

Cooper started 1st grade this morning at his new school. I think it will turn out to be a great school with a great teacher. He's actually in a combined K/1 class which I was initially apprehensive about but the school has 3 or 4 of these classes so they must have a good routine down. Tuesday - Friday he goes from 8:50-2:20 and Monday goes in at 7:50 and gets out an hour early.

Cooper says that he had "a lot of recess today!" I asked how many and he said 3 or 4. He also said that Tuesdays and Thursdays are "recess days" and that he needs to have tie shoes. I'm guessing those are their PE days.

His classroom is nicknamed "the bears" and the kindergarteners are called "cubs". His teacher seems to be a hands on, caring teacher that wants to help each student learn to the best of their ability. (she gave Cooper a hug when I came to pick him up)

Poor Catelyn was ready to go to preschool today as well but I've been unable to get her in one so far. She went around half the day wearing her backpack w/ her snacks in it saying she was ready for school. I told her that her school hadn't started yet and "her friends" weren't there either. Poor girl.

Cute kids

This evening Papa was lying on the floor and Lydia came over to play with him. He soon turns to me and says "What is she saying?" because Lydia was signing something. I look over and she has her fingers on her cheek. I say "Maybe bird, or peach?" She then signs something else. "That's either cheese or clean." I look over at Papa and think for a second. "Oh! She's saying that you shaved your face Papa!" Lydia throws her hands up and laughs with joy. I had got it right! We all burst into laughter. She really was so thrilled that I had guessed it right.

Later this evening after her bath and it was getting to be bed time I ask her "Do you want to eat or go to sleep?" She signs "Sleep please sleep." She's the cutest thing ever.

Meanwhile during the bustle of trying to get dinner on the table after church Catelyn announces "I'm trying not to work! I'm trying to be a princess!"

Visit to Nana's

This week we went down to visit Nana. It is probably our last visit down there because she is selling her house. On our way down we stopped in Fresno for Papa's work and were able to visit with Aunt Mimi and Ben and Lucy!











Tuesday morning they came up from their house (45 min away) to eat breakfast w/ us and swim in the hotel pool.
Continuing on our trip, Grammy caught this cute moment on video while driving in the car.


We also took the opportunity while down there to visit Aunt Erika and cousin Scotty at the beach!
Erika's sister Jenny has been staying with them for the summer and she turned out to be so great with the kids. We are very glad she was there.

She even took the time to take Cooper out on her surfboard! He had a blast.We love you Nana and are glad we were able to visit with you this week. Come see us next time!

I cut Catey's hair!

You can refer back to Catelyn's birthday post to see how long her hair used to be. I've been wanting to cut it to thicken it up a bit for a month now but she never was in the mood. Today Uncle Josh stopped by on his way to the airport and Alaska and Papa gave him a haircut. After he was done Catelyn exclaims "My turn for a hair cut!" so I got right on it! Therefore no before or during pictures are available because of the spur of the moment decision. But here's the AFTER shots!

Becky Home-Ecky

We have been busy here this week being very domestic. As you can see from my post last Sunday we had a lot of zucchini on our hands, plus the tomatoes I mentioned. Since then we went to Sarah's parent's house and picked blackberries, which added to the raspberries, tomatillos, and peppers we have been picking here.

So, like I said, we had to put them to work and get them off of the island counter!

Bushels of roma tomatoes went from this (sun drying on window screens w/ cheese cloth over top) to this.

Great space saver! Plus, I'll eat sun dried tomatoes!














Those huge zucchinis were put to good use. I peeled them (which turned into a crazy slime on my fingers that was excruciating to get off) and put them through the grater to make zucchini bread (which we disguised as "cinnamon bread" so the kids would eat it). 8 loaves of zucchini bread plus zucchini brownies (which turned out delish!)













Add to that, 7 1/2 pints of blackberry jam, 4 pints blackberry/raspberry freezer jam, raspberry/mango freezer jam, raspberry lemonade concentrate, canned tomato juice and two delish blackberry/nectarine cobblers and you will see why I am now to be called "Becky Home-Ecky".

Grapes and Raspberries