closed for cleaning...

 ...my water aerobics class is cancelled until Friday, but we're going camping on Thursday, so I won't be there until next Monday.  I will have to seek out other opportunities to get in the water and move, or at least try to stretch and move "on land".  

Today is a lovely day, sunny and warm, but we need rain.  It rained north of us and south of us, but we barely got a sip.  

Yesterday, since rain was forecasted, I decided not to grill burgers again, as I did on Saturday, but to make meatballs.  Then I got a great idea, make some sauce with all the grape tomatoes from the garden!  Google said it was possible, to slice and roast them.  I picked some green peppers from the garden too, and added fresh garlic and onions. 

After roasting in the oven, draining, and going through the food processor, and adding fresh basil from the garden,it was pretty tasty.  It wasn't enough, so I did mix it with some other sauces, a jar and some crushed tomatoes.  I have never gotten into making homemade sauce because crushed tomatoes and jarred sauce have always been cheap, and so much easier.  But this was rather fun, and if I don't get tons of larger tomatoes from the garden, I might just buy a flat from the Mennonites and make some sauce.

Stealing a picture from Emily...this is Charlotte Claire, my second from youngest (child #15), Miss Camille Anaya, the baby, and Emily Anne, our oldest.  

Another stolen picture from Kathryn, they are just too cute, cousins Jamie and Blythe...

They play so well together.  

Yesterday was a stay-at-home day, made the meatballs and sauce, Kathryn brought garlic bread and some pasta, and we relaxed.  Rhys likes playing matching game, Achilles likes playing Pokemon with a toy pistol, and talking to Uncle Sam.  (Sam was here too, Grace and the kids are visiting her parents).  Jamie is a sweet and funny boy, just a sunshine.  I got my baby holding time in too, Ellis took a nap in my arms, and did lots of smiling when he woke up. 

This fine day, the girls don't have to work, so we're going to do something fun.  What that "something" is, not sure yet.  Sonja is due with sweet baby girl in less than two weeks, and she doesn't work today, so maybe she'll want to do something fun...but I'm guessing after working 6 twelve hour shifts in seven days, something fun might be sleeping in and taking a big nap.

We're going camping again this coming weekend, for three nights.  I wish we had booked for longer, but oh well.  It's so easy to pack when you have a camper, there are still plates and cups and necessities in there.  I just need to bring out clean towels and the food, my bag of clothes, the dog's food, ect., and we're set.  I need to go in there and vacuum out the sand, so we can get fresh new sand all over this weekend.  :)

We do not have sixteen children camping with us anymore, but we have one slobby Labrador.  She likes to go in the water, and she likes to roll on the beach, and she likes to sneak up onto the couch, which I cover with a towel, and try to prevent, but Mr. you-know-who will actually pat the couch and let her up, because he feels sorry for her.  She is not a people.  

Ah well....off I go to get ready for where ever we decide to go today...the girls are waking up...have a good day!