Thursday, September 22

Apple Butter

This past weekend I made apple butter. It was so yummy and easy!


All the apple skins and cores


5 1/2 lbs of apple cut up


cooking away


after cooking for 8 to 9 hours


almost 6 lbs of apples only made 2 pints!


It was a very simple recipe.

The only thing I did different was omit the cloves (I didn't have any) & I used 3 cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of honey. I also sliced up the apples in the evening and let it cook all night so it would be ready when I got up in the morning.

I then gave it away to 2 of the sisters I visit teach in my ward. (I had just enough left in the crockpot to sample on a slice of toast).

I'm making more this weekend to give to the last sister I visit & also one for me! 


Saturday, September 17

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend has come and gone already! I can't believe it's the middle of September already!

I had a great Labor Day Weekend. I took the Friday before Labor day and the Tuesday afterwards off and flew out to NC to go visit David! I forgot my camera, so no pics this time!

I took a red eye flight Thursday night and slept about 2 hours waking up feeling not so well. I made it through the flight though and got some water during my layover at Washington Dulles Airport. I made it to Raleigh, NC and hopped into my rental car and off I went.

I got to Jacksonville around 1ish in the afternoon and headed straight to David's hotel, got a key and went to sleep!

When David got back to the hotel room, we were both starving so we went to one of our favorite places to eat at, Mike's Farm! YUMMY!!!! We loved going to Mikes Farm, not just for food, but for the pumpkin patch, strawberry picking and the christmas light show! You can't forget the small goat and peacock area either! But when we eat at Mikes Farm, you just can't get enough of the homemade mac 'n cheese.

After dinner, we had to go get David some allergy medicine (I think he's secretly allergic to me because every time he comes near me after a school, he has really bad allergies!) Needless to say, David fell asleep immediately at 8:30 pm his time, meaning it was 5:30 back in San Diego! I watched tv, and read, and watched some more tv. I think I finally fell asleep around midnight his time!

On Saturday we saw a good friend who I use to work with. She is now married to a Marine and has a toddler girl. I can't believe in the time I left NC, she 1. met a guy 2. got married 3. had a baby! It was so nice catching up with her and finally meeting the rest of her family.

That night, we went to another one of our favorite restaurants while living in Jacksonville...Shoguns! They are a cook your meal in front of you place (it's getting later so my brain isn't working on the right name right now). We ended up sharing a meal and the steak is to die for!

On Sunday, we were planning on going to church but I forgot to set an alarm and we slept in until noon! I don't even know the last time I slept in until 9 at home, let alone noon! David's hotel room is so dark with the blinds closed. Needless to say, we missed church. We actually missed half the day! That afternoon we had dinner with some friends who were stationed in NC after NM. It was good to see and we stayed until almost 1 am just talking and catching up. Us girls in NM use to have girls nights and our husbands were always calling us around 1 or 2 in the morning to make sure the rest of us were ok! It's so nice when you find friends who even if you don't stay in day to day contact, when you do see each other it's like nothing has changed!

On Labor Day, I was starting to feel really sick (I picked up a nasty bug on the flight out) so we took it easy and met my friend from the previous night and went to a movie. Later in the early evening we met my friend my Saturday and grabbed ice cream.

Tuesday was a sad day, I was really feeling sick, taking medicine but still feeling awful and flew home. It's always hard when David leaves but I didn't think it would be as hard leaving when I left knowing we only had a couple weeks left, but it was still so hard.

I was pretty sick all of the week after I flew home. My ears were clogged until just Monday and I  was coughing really badly and I had a fever!

David comes home on Thursday evening. I can't wait to have my husband home! I have a list of things I need help with in the house!

Friday, September 16

Japanese Friendship Garden

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine and I went to the Japanese Friendship Gardens. It's a small area in Balboa Park but absolutely beautiful.


We had a pond with fish.

They are pretty big fish and very colorful.


A small tree area but were amazing as they look like the large trees. 


My dad has taken a lot of pictures of doors from the Countries he has visited and I was thinking of him as I took this photo. I love the engraving on the door and the handles.


I really loved the trees.

It was a great little area with lots of thinking time and very peaceful. It was a hot Saturday afternoon and walking through all the shade was very nice.