"I don't think you're ready for this Jelly"....

So, Phil would make a great blogger! On the way home he suggested that I quote the talented Beyonce Knowles for my blog title. I just wish there was a way you could listen to the song while you read this post! :) Anyway, we headed home and started right in on making some jam! This was a first for me, but after a half a dozen phone calls to my sister-in-law (she's an expert!), a trip to Walmart, and a sore forearm.... I think it all turned out alright! Thankfully the girls love it b/c we have PLENTY to last us the rest of the year!

Strawberries....Lot's of Strawberries!

Last week we took the girls strawberry picking for the first time as a family. We found a little place out in Paw Paw called Mandigo Farms. The weather was perfect, and we had so much fun watching the girls get excited about finding/picking the "perfect" berries.

Here Phil is giving strict instructions about what to look for while they "work the field!" :)
Maddie was the self proclaimed "dumper" (I know it sounds dirty...but that's the name she came up with) Basically Phil filled the basket and Maddie dumped it into the larger box. And she is laughing here...not screaming! :)
Emma was great at spotting the ripe ones!
We picked for about 45 minutes, and walked out with about 23 pounds of Strawberries. And the girls haven't stopped talking about it, so we think it was our first ANNUAL trip!

Workin' in the Garden

While Phil was away on his trip, my mom and i worked on this little project in the backyard. Thanks again for all your help mom! I enjoyed sharing this hobby with you.

I'll have to take another picture and post it. Here we still had some mulch to put down, and a few more little accent flowers to add.

Some how this is what happened when we asked Emma to wash her hands! :)

The Fishing Trip

Here are some pictures that Phil took on his recent fishing trip to Wisconsin.

I don't know why, but the thought of Phil taking pictures of wildlife just makes me laugh. Can't you just see him all crouched down trying not to disturb the Loon so that he can get the perfect shot! I'm thinking animal planet here.... :)

5 Random Things

I was "tagged" by my good friend Liz to list 5 random things about myself. So here ya go:

1. I, like many other people enjoy a good "morning show." My a.m. show of choice is Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN2. I LOVE IT!!! Those guys make me laugh out loud, and put me in a good mood! :) Who needs the Today show or Good Morning America when you can wake up to two middle aged men, arguing over last night's game!

2. My mom has an absolutely beautiful backyard. She loves to garden, and knows so much about plants and flowers. Over the last month I have enjoyed having her help me landscape our yard. While Phil was gone on a fishing trip, we planted a fun little Hosta garden. I'll post some pics later. I even put up a humming bird feeder, and yes, I have a humming bird that comes regularly to feast on our yummy sugar water! :) I have really enjoyed this new found hobby....Thanks Mom!!!

3. I Love our cat, but I wish he didn't have any hair!!! I think we might invest in 3M stock. I go through those pet hair rollers like crazy! Is it wrong to shave a cat???? Just kidding Max! :)

4. I enjoy doing dishes...I know that's just plain crazy isn't it! :)

5. I have NEVER ordered steak at a restaurant before. Ever! This just occurred to me tonight while we were out celebrating Fathers Day with my family. In fact, I think I've only tried it once or twice in my whole life. And I have no idea how to cook it! Poor Phil!!! :)

That was fun! Megan White, it's your turn! :)

Bunny Update

This has been a few weeks, but I know a few of you are curious! Our bunnies grew, and seemed really healthy. A few days after this picture was taken, they started hopping out of the little "home" we had built for them. Phil tried many times to put them back, but they were ready to explore! We were sad and nervous to see them hop away, but I guess it was time. We had fun watching them grow up so quickly! We have seen them around, and our neighbors (on the good side) tell us that they've been spotted in their backyard too! This morning the girls and I saw the mom come back with one of the bunnies, which was really cool!
Emma had a chance to name them all before they left. Flower, Crown, Isaac, Hobie, Lulu, those are the only ones I remember. :)
So I had to share this photo. The weather was suppose to get bad one night, so I caught Phil outside giving the bunnies a little bit of shelter from the storm! He loved them just as much as we did, but I'm not sure he'll admit it!

Why a fence??

I know this isn't a good picture, but I thought it was fun. Last summer Phil was getting ready for work and saw that this little guy had wandered over from the neighbors backyard. He is just one of many Guinea Pigs. He grazed on our "luscious" grass for most of the morning, before returning back. Just one reason we needed a fence! :)