Saturday

Josiah and Maura on the swingset.

Maura upside down!



Josiah, Kaley and Maura.

Tomatoes from our garden, just 13 plants, one picking. It made 6 quarts of canned diced tomatoes. They are heirloom varieties. My favorite is the German Queen and the little yellow roma's are cute but I don't remember their name.

Kaley's fungus picts, she loves mushrooms.

Today we spent the day cleaning, fun huh. I think I'm starting to nest. So it started with the front flower bed, the kids did most of that. Then I walked into the kitchen, ripped everything out of the pantry, took out all the stored bulk grains and started cleaning and organizing. Then Mark decided to defrost our little freezer. So that done we also went through the freezer in the kitchen and cleaned out and organized. Ben and Grace set the pantry back up. This is music to Ben's soul, he LOVES to organize things. Grace is our child who loves to serve others so it was a great project for them. And they did a fantastic job. All the tomato products together, all the beans together and stacked with like kinds. This is not me at all. I don't know where Ben gets it. I've heard it is some weird McElwain gene, but the majority of us certainly did not get it.

So, the kitchen got a good cleaning and decluttering and that was good. Then we had an old friend stop by for a quick visit and that was a real treat. We met at church when Curtiss was a baby 11 years ago and their daughter and Kaley have been friends forever. Although our lives have all changed and they have moved out of country and go back and forth between now, when we see each other the warmth and friendship is the same. We just pick up where we left off.

I have also been finally getting baby stuff together. 3 weeks till D Day!! So that means 4 probably :) The girls and I washed baby clothes and cloth diapers, the sling and blankets. Maura got it all put away in the new dresser in my room that also serves as a changing table. She is beside herself with excitement. I am actually starting to get that way, too! I had been putting off doing anything till all my ladies had their babies, I was waiting on 4 due the beginning of August. One was born in July, then one on a Friday morning and the other 2 the next day, 3 1/2 hours apart! I got to all of them and they were beautiful. So now it's my turn!

I do hope for Kaley to get some belly pictures of me soon. I'll post one if they turn out good. Speaking of, due to loss of funding in NC, Kaley's photography class was cut at the community college. She is really disappointed. I teased her she was lucky her camera came with some instructional DVD's. She didn't laugh. She is getting some great pictures, she loves photography. All the pictures on this post are from her. It is so neat to see your children become adults and develop gifts that are so unique and different from your own.

Blessings