Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Three little Irish girls just wanted to say...

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Gwen's Maple Syrup Field Trip

Just a quick note first: I know that the link on the right side that goes to my craft blog says that I've had it updated for a few days, but I really just updated it today. So if anyone wants to look at all the stuff I've been up to lately (mainly baby stuff for my sister Traci) then feel free to take a look...

K, so last Tuesday Gwen went on a field trip to a local maple syrup "farm" and learned all about the process of how maple sap becomes maple syrup. I went with, and took some pics. I'll let the pics tell the story.

The kids all lined up and ready to go...so excited!!

So "Mom" wasn't cool enough to sit with on the bus this time. Just kidding...Gwen was so excited to just go that she wanted to sit with her friends so I sat by myself and tried to take a good, smiling picture of Gwen.

Before we started our tour, we met our guide and talked a little about what they do there and what we were going to do that day.

At the very beginning of the tour, our guide took a bucket off of one of the trees and let the kids see the sap dripping out. He even let the kids (and parents) get a drip of sap on their fingers so they could taste it and see if it tasted like maple syrup. The kids loved that.

Our guide told us that each tree has to be a certain circumfrance (spelling?) in order to drill into it...too thin, and it might not support the weight of the bucket and collecting sap. So he used a tape measure to see if the tree was big enough for us to put a tap into.

Each one of the kids got a chance to help drill the hole into the tree where we would put the tree tap. Each kid got to turn the drill 3 times and Gwen had to have a little help. He told us that when you drill the tree you have to find a spot well away from any scars that the tree might have because if you got too close to a scar, or drilled into a scar, the tree could crack and get sick and basically it could kill the tree. He also showed the kids that as they drilled further into the tree, the sawdust got lighter and lighter and you could actually tell when to stop by how light the sawdust was.

Our guide showing us the tree tap where the sap drips out of into the collecting pail. As he was putting the tap into the hole in the tree, he told us that while he was hammering, we should all listen for a different sound as he was hammering because then we would know that the tap was in. He said that if the tap went in too deep, it wouldn't work and we'd have to do it again.

Our guide showed us how the pail hung on the tree tap and how to put the top on. He also explained that they had to place the pail in certain places so that the tractors and ATV's that drove by didn't knock the pail over. He also told us that the lid wasn't really there to protect the sap from birds, bugs and animals but to protect it from rain/snow. Maple syrup is mostly sugar and some water, while the sap is mostly water and a little sugar. Add any more water to the sap, and you won't have much to make maple syrup from any more.

They had us split up into groups, pick a tree, and actually take the pail off the tree and collect the sap. I didn't really get any pictures of this because I had to take the pail off of the tree and have the kids help so they wouldn't spill...so no pictures. Can you tell that Gwen's starting to get tired, hungry, bored AND cold? Ha ha ha...poor thing, huh?

Our guide told us that part of collecting maple sap was going off trail. He showed the kids that there wasn't an ATV trail going to every single trail, and that they had to go off trail to check a lot of buckets, so he took us off trail too.

Our guide then led us to a campfire ring where he could tell us a little bit more about the history of maple syrup. He told us a cool story about the first maple syrup, and then asked the kids how they thought the Native Americans boiled maple syrup back when it was first discovered (he did say that they were more concerned with Maple Sugar instead of the maple syrup) without any big pots or stoves.

I knew how they did it (thanks to all the camping I've done) but waited to see if any of the kids knew. They hollowed out thick logs, heated up rocks in the fire, then put the hot rocks into the sap to boil the water in the sap away, slowly leaving maple syrup (or maple sugar if you boil all the water out of the sap). Gwen liked watching the sap boil in the hollowed out log and smelling the steam that came off...a lot of the kids said it smelled a little like cotton candy.

Our guide used deer antlers to move the hot rocks from the fire into the hollowed out log filled with sap. Thought it was pretty neat.

After that we went to a small building where they had a small boiler to demonstrate how maple syrup is boiled. Here's Gwen sitting with some of her preschool classmates, listening to how the small boiler works.

Looking at the color of the syrup can tell you if it's done or not...we had just poured ours into the small boiler, so it wasn't ready yet.

Then we tested the syrup at the small boiler to see if it's thick enough...if the thermometer bobs between the two red lines, the syrup is done. Ours was not, but it was just a demonstration.

Then we got to go have a maple syrup tasting. Gwen loved licking her spoon during the maple syrup tasting. We got to try all three Grade A syrups, and the Grade B syrup. Gwen really liked this part. : )

We were lucky because the guy who ran the big boiler was actually there that day, making maple syrup. He showed us how he stokes the fire and even a little bit of the maple syrup he had boiled.

I kept trying to get Gwen to smile as we left to portray all the fun she had, but all she wanted to do was make funny faces...so here's one of Gwen's funny faces.

Gwen took this picture of the maple sugaring house as we left. She sure had a lot of fun, but was pretty tired and hungry by the end.

Also, for anyone whose been following my weight loss, it's been another month, and I've lost another 8 pounds. Not the 10 that I really wanted to loose, but my total is up to 18 pounds lost in two months, so that's something to be proud of. I've realized though that each month as my weight goes down it'll be harder and harder to loose a lot of weight (like my 10 pound goal for each month) each month and that there will be times where I'll really struggle. It's also not likely that I'll ever loose the last 10 pounds. I'd like to, but I always here that the last ten pounds is the hardest. So I am going to make a smaller goal for now, and then go from there. By the first Sunday in May, I hope to have lost somewhere between 30-35 pounds. Hopefully a smaller goal will be easier to reach for now, and nearer that I'll work even harder to acheive it. And I'm still hopeful to loose those last 10 pounds!!

Ice Skating

Monday morning we took the girls to Leddy Park in Burlington so they could go ice skating. They have indoor skating rinks there-a normal sized rink and a smaller rink. The smaller rink is used for Itty Bitty Skating, which is what we went to with some friends. Both Gwen, Grace and Rob got ice skates...oh how excited they were. To help them learn how to skate, they each got a large milk crate (it's actually two milk crates stacked and glued on top of each other to make the crates tall enough for the kids to hang onto) and they pushed the crates around on the ice. The instructor also threw tons of little toys out on the ice, and gave the kids buckets to collect them in. They had to let go of the crate, lean down and balance to pick up the toys (teaching them balance). Oh, and please excuse the quality of the photos...I forgot my camera in the car, so I had to take all the pictures with my cell phone camera.

I was surprised how well the girls did. Gwen got out onto the ice, pushed off with her crate, and that was that. See ya later mom and dad...I'm going off to do my own thing and have fun. I'll check back every now and then...love ya!! Yeah right...like she'd really say anything like that to us. Nope, she just took off by herself, wouldn't let anyone help her, and she did fantastic!! She did fall a bunch, but she didn't cry about it and got right back up and kept on skating. She even let go of the crate every now and then to try and skate to a toy!!

Gracie had to have some help at first. She was having a hard time even walking on the mats outside of the rink in her ice skates without any help (Gwen, obviously, had absolutely no problem with this). So Rob helped her for a while, and after a bit she got the hang of it too and went off on her own as well. Rob would skate back and forth between the two of them, checking up on them and helping them if they needed any help.

And what did Georgia and I do? Well, I let her have her sippy snack before we went out on the ice too. I however did not have skates-as my husband says, I am a big chicken, and I agree. I have not skated since my first year of college, and that was the first and last time I ever ice skated-didn't do too good of a job. I have problems balancing on my bare feet sometimes, and I am known to be pretty clumsy. But the lady who runs the program said that she lets the rules slide in the Itty Bitty Skate and lets people come out on the ice in their normal shoes and even push little ones around in a stroller. So that's what we did...and Georgia hated it. She wanted to get out so bad. I had to keep moving in order to keep her happy. I saw a dad there with a little boy that couldn't have been much older than Georgia, and he was helping his little boy push a crate around and the little boy just had his boots on. So I think next time we might do this with Georgia instead.

We promised the girls we would go back because they had so much fun (they cried when we left) so if we have any skating moments without pushing crates, we'll post them. Glad to find something for them to do for a fee of only $10 for all of us!! Again, I apologize for the quality of the video...it was taken with my cell phone too!!

Afghanistan

If you have me as a friend on facebook, you've probably already seen this.

Last night, my 21 year old brother Jake boarded a plane and took off for Afghanistan. He has been in Indiana for the last two months, receiving some training before being deployed overseas. He has told us that he is going into the thick of things, but won't give us any more details because he says it's dangerous and doesn't want us to worry anymore than we'll already be worrying. But seriously, that makes me worry more anyways.

So to all my good friends, if you can, please keep my brother in your prayers. Please pray, like we will, that he will return home safely next year. Please pray that he comes home whole-no serious injuries or loss of limbs. Please pray that fighting and killing in a war that we've been in for 7 years doesn't have any serious psychological effects on him.

Jake and Matt, we love you so much!! Gwen has asked quite a lot lately why you two are not around any more. It's easy to explain where Matt is, and his reasons for being there, but hard to tell her that you two don't live here anymore, and harder still to explain to her the reason why you're gone Jake...how do you tell a 4 year old that their Uncle Jake is off fighting in a war, and then try to explain war to them? Gwen just knows that you've gone somewhere far and she constantly tells us that she wishes Uncle Jake and Uncle Matt where here, and we agree. We all sure miss you and love you two. I think about you two a lot (I know I know...doesn't seem it, the way I've kept in touch lately, huh?) and I sure love you both. I am so proud of both of you.

Jake and Matt-you have grown into amazing men. I can remember playing Power Rangers with you, or playing in the Bat Man Car shaped tent, or just hanging out. Jake, do you remember the summer right after Pageant, where we went to the dollar store and bought little kids cowboy hats and pop guns and went around the house, having a shoot out? Matt, I remember all the time we spent talking and growing closer as we drove down to Rutland when I was dating/engaged to Robbie...do you? I love both of you so much...you are great friends and amazing brothers.

Matt...continue being the amazing missionary you are. I've read your weekly letters, and you are such a strong person. You sound so happy, and we are so happy for you. You are doing the Lord's work, doing selfless service. The girls are going to learn about China this week...and we'll even touch on where you are a little. : ) Stay positive, keep praying...we'll keep praying for you. Sure love you Matchoo Magoo.

Jake...keep your head down; stay safe. I've always wondered if I would have the courage to do what you're doing, and I don't think I could. The girls are doing to be learning about Afghanistan this week as well...but I don't think we'll touch on the war. : ) You are so brave and courageous to go off to war, but also for the reasons that you've shared with our family. Don't forget though to think about yourself as well as others over there, and come home safe. Sure love you Strawberry Shake.

Miss you guys so much!!

Rob's Blog

Yes, you read that right. Robbie started his own blog, but it's to showcase the things he's been making out of old barn wood. So check it out, and he's taking orders (lol...seriously though, if you ask, he'll probably do it). He has some awesome talent!!

http://hazotsarobidy.blogspot.com

Oh, and the name? It's two Malagasy words (he served his mission in Madagascar) that means precious wood. Check it out!!

Weight Loss

One of my goals since the beginning of the year (guess you could call it a new year's resolution) was to loose weight. I have struggled with this since having Gwen and I did really good after having Georgia. I lost 18 pounds, and was on my way to loosing more...and then we had to move cross country. Yeah, I gained all 18 pounds back. So I started dieting and exercising again...that is, until around Thanksgiving. Since we had decided to make most of our Christmas gifts to help save on money, I had to spend all my free time doing one gift or another to get it done on time. Yeah...during the holidays, I gained another 10 pounds. So at that point I was 50 pounds over the weight I was when Rob and I got married, and I was not happy.

So the week after Gwen and Georgia's birthdays, I started dieting and exercising again. I try really hard to eat healthy, watch my portions, and stay away from sweets. I exercise for at least an hour, sometimes more, each day.

And thanks to my efforts, in the last month I have lost 10 pounds...HOORAY!! It ticks me off that those 10 pounds were from the holidays, and that it could have been prevented but it is 10 pounds lighter, and I'm happy about that. If I can loose 10 pounds every month, I will be back to the weight I was at when I married Robbie by the end of June. We'll see how it goes, but I'm hopeful and celebrating 10 POUNDS LOST!!!

A Wonderful Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day (and Happy Birthday Pop Pop Popples!!). Today started out a bit rough, but church was great and we dressed all the girls in something pink.

Gwen

Grace

Georgia

After coming home, we did gifts:

I made the girls tutu's to dress up in...too cute (want to know more about them? visit my craft blog at http://sarahcongdonscrafts.blogspot.com/)

Rob's gift to me...and I did something for him, but it's no where near as cool!!

And then just relaxed all day long (well, I made something, but I can't say what...it's a surprise for someone and I'll write about it after I give it to them)!! What a wonderful way to spend the Day of Love!!