Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

I don’t know how our ancestors did it….  I decided one day last week that I wanted to can homemade spaghetti sauce and chili sauce.  I was able to find a good deal on tomatoes and I convinced my Mom to help.  When I was younger, growing up in Springville, my Mom canned everything.  Dad always had a large, plentiful garden and my Mom took those home grown veggies and made food for our family that would usually last most of the Winter.  Maybe I was trying to capture some nostalgia from my childhood or maybe I was trying to be domestic and prove that I can provide for my family and not rely on eating out all the time.  I think I captured both of those things but mostly I think I was a little off my rocker when I planned this little adventure.     

We had planned to make our preserves on Saturday but the tomatoes weren’t ripe enough, so instead we got to do it on a Tuesday night…a “school” night, a “work” night, a “you need to get to bed early” night.  Whatever, I’m woman - hear me roar!

Let me give you the run down:

• 75 lbs of Tomatoes
• 10 large Green Peppers
• 15 large onions
• An entire bag of Costco sized garlic cloves
• Spices and more spices
• 24 Quart Kerr Jars
• 32 Pint Kerr Jars
• 7 hours of preparing and cooking (remember, a Tuesday NIGHT) 
• A huge mess in the kitchen, every pan in the house is dirty
• Tomato remains everywhere
• 2 extra trips to the store for items we forgot or ran out of
• 1 phone call to a neighbor to borrow Worcestershire Sauce
• Countless Diet Cokes
• An episode of Glee, Dancing with the Stars, No Ordinary Family, Brothers & Sisters and Oprah
• Exhaustion
• Success!

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, I have a much greater appreciation for all the time my Mom and my Grandmothers spent in the kitchen every fall.  Sure, it was a lot of work but I really enjoyed spending the night with my Mom, making yummy things we will enjoy for months to come.  Here is some of our finished product and a picture of the time I left Mom’s house, as in AM…

An Anniversary

Kelly and  I were married 14 years ago today.  When you say it like that, “14 years”, its sounds like a long time.  It doesn’t feel that long ago, besides in my head, I’m still 17 or maybe early 20’s.

A lot has changed in 14 years, and in all honesty it hasn’t always been easy.  We’ve had our share of tough times but in the end we love each other and are committed to our marriage. 

I Love You, Kelly Robert!

Thank you for the last 14 years, I look forward to many, many more with you.

Nine

Chaser Man turns 9 today!! Chase Dallas Dolar was born at 9:56pm on 9/10/01. He arrived with red hair, we knew from that moment that we would be in for a wild ride!

Happy Birthday Chase!!

Chase is a ham in front of the camera….(I’m still trying to find a picture where he isn’t pulling a face) and we love his red hair and freckles.

He is funny, smart and has an obsessive personality (in a good way). He loves school, baseball and his friends. He never stops learning or thinking about new things, and he is a whiz with numbers (goes along with the obsessive thing, I think).

Chaser, Happy 9th Birthday! We love you so much and hope you have great day.

~Mom & Dad

The Big 1 - 2

Our baby turns 12 today!!  Mastin Robert Dolar was born on 9/8/98 at 10:32 pm weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 12oz.

Happy Birthday Mastin!

Mastin is now in the sixth grade, and almost taller than his mother – when did that happen?!

He is smart, funny, witty has a big heart and is a great friend.  Mastin is a star baseball player, loves to ride his bike, hang out with friends and listen to music.  He can be a great big brother when his brother and sister aren’t annoying him (but…I think that is their job).  He is a huge help to his parents and grandparents.  He loves to be with his family and we are so excited to celebrate his birthday with him today.

Mastin, we love you so, so much and wish you a very Happy Birthday today!!

~Mom & Dad

Soldier Hollow Classic

Grandpa Willie had been telling us about this event, the Soldier Hollow Classic, he heard about it from a friend and wanted to check it out.  We had never heard of it but figured it would be a nice day out with the family during Labor Day Weekend.

 

 

 

 

(Emma & Grandpa Willie)

We had a such a great day!!  There were so many things to see and do at this event.  A beautiful location and weather could not have been more perfect (except the wind, it did get a little annoying at times).  It was really fun to watch the dogs in the sheep herding competition and the splash dog competition.  We learned about how the dogs are trained to herd the sheep and we also learned about the K-9 group of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office.

(The kids waiting for the Bow Wow Luau to start)

(Me & Emma with Grandpa Willie)

Emma was able to ride a pony and the boys learned how to shoot the German Air Rifles that were used during the Paralympic Games in 2002.

    (Emma on the horse)

(Chase) (Mastin)

The boys did awesome shooting their targets!  Chase may be our sharp shooter.  Once he got the hang of it, he was 5 for 5 for hitting his targets.

I think the funniest thing about the day was that we ran into my 3 Uncles (all of them brothers) at different times during the day.  Each of them no knowing the others were there.  The Robertson’s were there in force without even knowing it!

We really had a great day and will look forward to going back again next year. 

Weekend Fun

Last weekend, on  August 29th we did a marathon of activities with our family.  We were lucky enough to have family passes for all of these activities from Grandpa Jack.

First Stop – This is the Place Heritage Park we were a little disappointed that the village wasn’t running at 100% because it was Sunday but we were able to take the train ride around the park.

 

 

Second Stop – Tracy Aviary, it was a beautiful day to be outside at Liberty Park and seeing all of the exhibits at Tracy Aviary.  We also caught the bird show and both Mastin and Chase were called up to be a part of the show at different times.

  

Third (and final) Stop – Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, always a favorite with the kids.  A lot of activities for all different age groups.  We spent most of our time with the different magnetic blocks (even Kelly and I did).

We had a great day of fun and learning.  We were exhausted when we finally made it home though!

Happy Anniversary McDonalds!

It was one year ago today that my sister, Megan, married Ian McDonald.  I didn’t have this blog at the time so I thought I would commemorate the occasion on the 1 year anniversary.

The wedding was beautiful! As is the relationship between Meg and Ian, they are perfect for each other.  The night was unforgettable surrounded by family and friends celebrating such a great occasion. 

  Oh, and we danced…

…and danced, and danced.  A lot has changed in the last year (including the addition of their daughter Gracie).

Dax and Chase doing a little air guitar.

Happy Anniversary Ian & Megan!  We love you!