I think yesterday might have been my most productive day since Leah made her debut over a year ago. We started nice and early heading out to the berry farm to stock up on some blueberries and raspberries. Grandma took her lunch break super early to allow my friend, Katherine and I to climb aboard the shuttle bus on our own to discover the most amazing, bountiful fields of blue.
For the year, I only go through about one ice cream bucket of blueberries to use in a few sauces, in muffins, on a cake or in a crisp. Much to my own surprise when I was preparing to freeze them, I had picked over two ice cream buckets full. Enough to share with the family in exchange for great childcare while picking.
Then off to the raspberry fields where the season is winding down quickly. Leah meandered down the row while I tried to hunt down the odd berry in an effort to pick enough for a batch of jam. I was almost successful using about an extra half a cup from the berries we purchased to make six cups of crushed berries. I gave up the hunt when Leah started attaching herself to me which made walking from berry to berry a little more difficult.
Leah fell asleep on the two minute ride over to my parent’s place which led to a fabulous nap giving me lots of time in the kitchen. At one point I had crushed raspberries in one container for jam, next to the fruit salad I was working on while noodles for pasta salad were boiling as I was defrosting three pounds of ground beef for a massive lasagne operation. Good thing my mom has a fair sized kitchen.
Auntie Anna came over and played with Leah for me which was a great treat as I could finish making the jam while not worrying about when Leah would need me. As they were busy playing hide and seek around the house, I asked Leah where Auntie Anna was and she replied saying nana. I was so proud of her and was able to get Leah to repeat it a few times while stirring boiling berries on the stove.
We ended the day with a great birthday celebration for my sister surrounded by great family enjoying wonderful conversation and a feast. Around nine o’clock we headed home, Leah falling asleep almost immediately in the car with Morgan and I following soon after we got home.