Our last Hoorah! part 1

Kyle had meetings he had to attend in Salt Lake at the University of Utah the two days before the kids were supposed to go back to school.  I thought it sounded pretty boring to stay home in the sweltering heat and try to entertain the kids and avoid sleep-overs (ask George, I hate sleep-overs).
SO...we tagged along and made a very long weekend road trip out of it.

We drove up to Lehi early Friday morning (August 10th).  We arrived to full canning happening in the basement without us.  Mom had already canned beets for us and they were processing, even though I told her to wait and let us do the work.  

We did go right out to the garden though and started picking green beans and orange liquid sugar balls, I mean orange cherry tomatoes and 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes for the salsa to come on Saturday.  We picked an 8 inch long green pepper and it smelled so good we couldn't resist biting right into it.  Grandpa's garden is magical.  I think he could successfully grow just about anything in there including a whole lot of hardworking kids and happy grandchildren.

We also were eating blackberries right off the vine all weekend long. They are also like candy, although my belly doesn't like them right now, I found a way around that....We juiced them and made the MOST AMAZING blackberry jelly I have ever had.  It tastes like a blackberry pie in one little spoonful....

He is Willy Wonka my friends, I just made the revelation that my father is Willy Wonka with his magical candy filled garden!  Emily and Matty picked everything they could find that appeared even close to ripe.  When the harvesting was over they went and played with their cousins. The harvesting is never really over though, Emily learned, and every day she picked at least a little bag of something.

 The next morning we picked 4 onions 6 anaheim peppers about 4 pounds of jalepenos and 8 jinormous bell peppers, and started our SALTSA! yes SALTSA-that isn't a misspelling. (Jandy)

We had 10 quarts besides the 34 pints! We had no idea we would get so much, it was fantastic!!

I need to clarify when I say WE I mean my mom and I, and I really mean- my mom. 

 She is the hardest working person I know.  

She never slows down, and she gives us so much- never stops giving.