Gracie makes juice...

Before we went to New York last weekend Gracie was asking me if we could make grape juice.  So, before we left my parents farm dad picked us a 4 quart basket of grapes.  The next day after getting back to Virginia Gracie and I made grape juice.  This was the way that my mom always made it when I was a child.  Now she makes it into a concentrate before canning it.

1. Get some Concord Grapes

2. Wash and place 1 cup of grapes into a quart jar.

3. add 1/4 cup of sugar.... amount depends on the sweetness of the grapes.



3. Fill with water up to the neck of the jar.

4. place in a canner, and boil the water for 20- 25 minutes.   (or in my case a stockpot, since I don't have a canner)


We enjoyed our first quart of Gracie's juice this morning for breakfast, along with our Saturday morning pancakes.  Yumm. 

2011 Annual Family Harvest Party

This past weekend was fantastic!  We went up to New York for the Annual Family Harvest Party that my parents pull together every year.  This get-together always includes apple cider, homemade donuts, and chicken corn soup made over a fire.  This year there was also a hayride (as in the past) and delicious hot peppers stuffed with cheese (those dark green ones, were sure to catch your mouth on fire!).

This is my dad... driving the tractor up into the woods on our hayride.

The hay riders.

Cows.

This one is was our cow.  One weekend grazing in the pasture... the next in the freezer.

Some of the grapes that are eagerly awaiting the picker.... I did bring some home to make juice.

And let the festivities begin!  The official pressing of the apples into cider.

Mom's homemade donuts!  Mmmmm...

The main course (if you still have room after eating donuts!).  Chicken Corn Soup, made over the fire.

Mom's family:  Left to Right:  Aunt Karen, Uncle Ed, Uncle Dwight, Aunt Michelle, Mom, Aunt Sue, and Grandma below.

And after all the options for Eli to eat... he settled on Grandpa Treacle's donuts!  He was so happy situated between Grandpa Treacle and Papa.

Catch up... Corn maze.

Last weekend we drove out to Montpelier Farms in Maryland and visited a 10 acre corn maze.  The kids really enjoyed themselves.  And we got a few tips before entering the maze so that we wouldn't be lost inside for hours.  It only took us about 35 minutes.  We were told to go on the blue trail, then white, then orange... and back to blue.  Somehow, along the way we wound up in the yellow section but, still found our way out without difficulty.

Besides the maze the kids enjoyed painting pumpkins...

...and racing down this slide.

Eli looks so scared in the photo, but he was giggling at the bottom.

A Night Out...

On Friday, Bryant and I joined some friends from the neighborhood for an evening out.  Tim is in the Coast Guard and we went to a nice dinner and presentation for his promotion to Chief (E7).  The coast Guard really knows how to do it right.... they make a big deal when their men (and women) get promoted to Chief.  It really made me wish that the Army did the same.  It was such a great experience.  (And we got to dress up too.  Bryant didn't wear his Class-A's because he didn't want to look like a tree among all the blue uniforms.)

And, I almost forgot. . . one of the most important things about the evening.  We got a babysitter, our first one EVER!  And she is fantastic.  Definitely a keeper.

Soccer Season...

What goes  best with soccer?

How about vanilla wafers...

Your dad as assistant coach...

and a team of 6 and 7 year olds.



The Band Perry and Bye Bye Girls

We ended our time with Merissa and Cassandra with a trip to the Virginia State Fair and a concert by The Band Perry.  It was FANTASTIC!!!

Bye Bye Girls!  See you  next time!!

October = pumpkins.

Merissa and Cassandra brought pumpkins down with them so that they could carve them with the kids.  As you can tell in the pictures we were and still are having rather warm weather.  And as most people know, carved pumpkins don't do too well in warm weather.  Fruit flies and fuzzy beards.  But, thankfully there are no pictures of those.  We have been happy to display these precious pumpkins on our front steps... for as long as we could.  Thanks girls!

DC at night.

Well, it has been decided that seeing DC at night is definitely not a bad idea.  No traffic, very few people.... except for the (abnormal in my opinion) large amount of senior citizen tours taking place.  It was really a great way to show DC to Bryant's sisters, Merissa and Cassandra when they came into town for a visit last week.  We enjoyed dinner at Pi Pizzeria and then continued our 3 mile journey around the monuments.  Here are just a few of the pictures from that evening.  (I know there are a lot of pictures, but trust me there are even more stored on this computer!)