Blattman Chronicles

My mom LOVE surprises.  You could offer to show her all of her Christmas presents early and she would refuse, wanting tobe surprised in the moment.  So…I gave my mom the shock of her life when I showed up Saturday afternoon at my sister’s place in Idaho(We even caught it on video).

My sister was getting her baby blessed.  I told my family I couldn’t go because tickets were so expensive.  It turns out…I lied.  My sister and her husband were in on the whole thing.  I showed up and my sister dropped me off at the front of her house.  It was only my brothers at her house so I surprised them first and then got my parents a few minutes later when they walked in.  Of course there were screams, hugs, and a few tears…happy ones.

Isn’t it beautiful?  It used to be the tabernacle and currently, it is both a funeral home/crematorium/ morgue/church AND my sister’s residence – it’s really only a tad creepy(I’ll show pictures of the inside in a later post).  She lives in the basement.  The crematorium was going strong when I arrived.

Her house is fun and naturally huge.  I kept getting lost.  Most rooms had two doors and often times I walked in one and accidentally out the other.  More than once I attempted to exit her house through a closet.  I felt a bit like a cartoon.  At least I mananged to keep my self out of the basement to her basement.  I definitely don’t have those problems in my own house.

Here is her baby, Colson.  The little guy felt like he might be in the 8 pound range.  He’s 2 months old.

I was really excited when I realized I am his only blood-related Aunt.  I was so overwhelmed with love for this little guy.  I absolutely adore all of the nieces and nephews that I have right now.  Colson is the first from my family and he is my sister’s so it was just a completely different experience.  Colson even smiled at me.  Will assures me it was just gas, but I’m afraid I will beg to differ:)

I solomnly swear I’m up to no good…or maybe not. I’m just being sneaky. I will give details after everything has come to pass. I would love to say it has to do with Professor Plum in the Conservatory with the candlestick, but alas, I have something else up my sleeve. Two words…Hotel Monaco.

Lucky for me lately, I have wanted to laugh.  My kids are so much fun to be with.  I would love to be able to say I sweetly cherish every moment, but that would be lying.  We do have a slight peppering of crazy, haul me off and commit me days, but most everyday is so fun.  Here is a step or to into my life.

Walking out of the grocery store today, I hear, “Mom, Annie is eating something.” There is my sweet Annie chomping away on a King-size Snickers…wrapper and all.  Did I buy her a candybar…NO!!!  I was honest; turned the cart back around; payed for the candy and then left.  It was a little embarassing.  She ate part of the barcode.  A girl after my own heart.  I LOVE Snickers!!!…and yes, I laughed.

When Hudson was smaller it was funny to us (I know we can be immature some times) to blame him when other people in the family passed gas.  It was very light-hearted with a mention of barking spiders and such.  We didn’t do it much, but he remembered and learned.  It was great until one day in church, Hudson passes gas, VERY LOUDLY, then turns to me and says, “Mom, was that you?…I think it was.  That was a really big one.”  It is one thing to actually be caught by your kid and publically humiliated(For the record, our buns were sealed).  It is 10 times worse, when it wasn’t you and you can’t convince anyone around that it really wasn’t you.  You can’t argue with a 4 year old during sacrament meeting about that one.  Who would believe that a kid that young would actually try to frame someone else?  And yes, I did laugh, quietly of course.

I had inspiration from two friends to start this mini-project.  My good friend, Carmen loaded me up on jam when we first moved to California.  She sent me more jars than I could count of delicious jam(I’m sure the postage was out of this world).  I just opened the very last one and was in a panic, thinking I might soon be jamless.  Combine that situation with my good friend Amber, who was just talking to me about how easy it is to make jam and voila, you get my mini-project.  

I finally made freezer jam for the first time in my life.  It was actually quite quick and painless.  People have been telling me this for years, yet I find I have never taken the plunge.  I let the kiddos help me and I think it made everything even more fun, and a little more messy.

I didn’t notice until the last strawberry, that as Annie was passing strawberries to Hudson for washing, she was first taking a bite out of the bottom(Here is hoping Annie stands the test of strawberry dirt).  I guess I shouldn’t be expecting any managerial positions anytime soon.  She was standing right next to me.  As a result of Annie’s antics, any jam we were planning on sharing will remain in our posession…sorry.  I actually didn’t make very much anyway, just in case I bombed.

All in all, I think this FHE on food storage was a success!!  At least the jam I couldn’t fit in a container was really good on vanilla ice cream.

Annie has spunk and can definitely hold her own when it comes to the boys.  Every once in a while she has moments like these, when I know she is all girl.  Everything matches, from her stroller, fuzzy purse and stroller, down to her heals.  She’s all set.