Strawberry Festival

Last Saturday Jaemor Farms held their inaugural Strawberry Festival. When I saw that they were having a strawberry cook-off I decided (with Jeff's encouragement) to try my hand at an entry. After lots of pondering, I chose to modify my Summer Cake recipe and turn it into one that features strawberries. After testing it on several family members, I tweaked the recipe again and entered my Strawberry Summer Cake into the contest.

We wandered around the vendors and market before enjoying a picnic lunch - peanut butter and honey sandwiches. 

"I'm Georgia Grown!"

These next four pictures are from Jaemor's Facebook page:

Strawberry Summer Cake!

The judges loved the presentation!

Three of the cakes tied for first, and after further deliberation a winner was chosen. Sadly, it was not me, but happily I came in second!

The judges were (l-r) Moby Carney from WNGC, Senator Butch Miller, and Joel Williams of WDUN

Me and My Little Girls

A few weeks ago the big kids got invited to spend the weekend at Nannie's house. Their cousins were visiting over there so Nannie decided the more the merrier! That left me and the little girls with some time to ourselves. We spent one afternoon outside playing, working, and reading.

Camera Faces!

Climbing the tall, tall tree in our yard.

While I was working on cleaning and painting the doorway of the house, Selah got hold of the camera:

Lovely self portrait.

I kind of like this artsy shot.

Photo Bomb!

"Here, Merida, you sit here and I will take your picture!"

I won't show you the many, many pictures she took of the van, the rest of her toys, and my rear end.

Lauryn didn't mind being confined to her playpen because Selah made it fun!

Selah also made it fun for me to try to stretch out on the blanket to read: I took this picture over my shoulder!

Jaemor Farms Strawberry Field Trip

Last Thursday, May 8th, we and a couple of our friends went to Jaemor Farms for a field trip. It was a beautiful day for it! We rode on a trailer throughout the farm, learning about all kinds of Georgia produce: blackberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, and especially strawberries! We tasted honey and strawberry cider, had a picnic lunch, and the kids loved playing on the the farm's slide.

Caroline did an awesome job showing us all around the farm!

Honeybees!

Caroline taught the kids about how compost is produced and why it's important.

"What choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"

We each got to pick a pint of strawberries to take home.

Farmer Kait!

We also got to help plant some green beans:

Our whole crew! Amelia, Jennifer, Austin, Melissa, Jackson, Ashlynne, me, Kaity, Lauryn and Seth. Selah's hiding behind Kaity and Seth!

Lauryn ~ Ten Months!

Happy Tenth Month Birthday to Lauryn! (Yesterday!)

Here she is doing her best Olaf impression. She's a happy snowman!

Time to put on her stoic Camera Face:

Easter Sunday

(I told you everything would be out of order!)

After celebrating at church Sunday morning we drove over to Jeff's parents' house to spend the rest of Easter with them. We dyed eggs with the kids, then hid them in Nannie and Papa's yard - perfect for an Easter Egg Hunt!

Selah was playing dress-up when it was time to look for eggs, so she just kept on her princess dress.

I hid the eggs twice - once for Joe and Selah, and once for Kaity.

Kaity's turn!

Daddy with his little girls.

May the Fourth Be With You

Side Note: Last year on the first weekend in May Jeff and I were supposed to go for a drive in the mountains - the Tail of the Dragon, specifically, with a group of other Volkswagen enthusiasts - new Beetles, specifically. But then my beloved friend Leah had her baby and my pregnancy sympathy hormones kicked in. At the last minute, Leah's sister Ruth and I decided that we should make the 6-hour drive to North Carolina to meet the newest addition, despite the fact that she and I were both REALLY pregnant. It was a wonderful, adventurous trip, and I'm glad we braved it!

This year Jeff and I discussed driving the Tail of the Dragon again and we decided it would be a guys only trip. I'll post about their trip next time - when Jeff is home to help with the details.

This post is actually about the trip the girls and I made to visit Mom and Berk while Jeff and Joe were gone. We stopped along the way to visit with our dear friends Paul and Sandy, whom we hadn't seen since Selah was a baby. Kaity and Selah loved finding the dress-up clothes Gaga keeps for her grandchildren, and we all enjoyed our time together very much!

The weather was absolute perfection, so we stayed outside as much as possible. It was a lovely visit.

Mother's Day

Side Note: Is it just me, or does everyone have times when they are so completely overwhelmed with stuff to do that you end up on the couch staring blankly into space like a sheep? The end of the school year is like that for me. So. Much. Stuff. To. Do. Anyway, I feel that way about the blog sometimes, too - I mean, this is a nice creative outlet for me, an enjoyable digital scrapbook hobby, but on occasion I have several events that I want to post about before I forget them and it just feels like I'll never catch up on them all!

So, I'll ask that you forgive my end-of-the-school-year brain, overlook my rambling sentences, disregard the complete lack of attention to a logical timeline, and just enjoy the pretty pictures. Now: On to Mother's Day!

Cheryl's present: It's hard to tell in the picture, but these are peacocks made from the kids' handprints and Lauryn's footprints.

Mom's present: I was unable to suppress the urge to make a craft for my mom on Mother's Day. :) Mom loves her coffee!

*gasp* Flowers from the father of my children. He's a keeper! Also, he got me a sweet card, but you don't get to see that. ;)

We also celebrated with Lauryn's baby dedication! My mom and Jeff's parents were able to join us for the event. This is just a time when the parents of the new baby affirm their intention to raise their child in a way that honors God.

For our children I often pray Paul's words from Colossians 1, "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

This was the best we could manage of a family picture. Please don't judge.

 After church we took our moms out to lunch!

Ken and Cheryl

Grammie and Lauryn

 My beautiful mother and me!

Two peas in a pod. There's a reason Jeff calls me "Jennifer Lynnette".