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Happy Birthday Darling Becky!

The Best First Day of School Ever

It always starts with a front door picture....

The first time getting to ride the bus to school (yes, I even took pictures in the rain!)

It was still raining too much for the "Mill Road" Sign photo, but I got one of her off the bus...this may be the last year she humors me...

Maggie missed Katie.  A lot.  It will be easier on her in a few weeks when she starts preschool.

Two sisters walking ahead of mommy and Becky...

More from the night before 2nd grade....

Katie, Maggie and Becky all cuddling Daddy...well when Maggie wasn't telling us that she "can't like a picture!" and when Becky could sit still...

Happy Birthday Katie...

Nastics

That is what Maggie calls gymnastics...


We did a little summer program for both girls through GEARS and they loved it! 
 
Maggie on the balance beam on her first day....She did the big one later...
On her way up to a handstand on the first day.  Quite the little monkey.

Katie also took a class that met right after Maggie's.  Becky wasn't cooperating so I didn't get pictures from her class.

We made friends with another family with 4 girls!  One girl Katie's age, one slightly older than Mags, one a little younger, and the last was Becky's age.  We had a good couple of weeks having friends to talk to during class...

I think the girls want to continue, so we'll see how it goes...

Hook Family Applesauce

Yep...starting our applesauce sessions for the year.  Last year we did our first batch on John's birthday and ate all of it within a month or so.  So we made more....and more....

We only did 3/4 bushel tonight, but it ended up being about 3 gallons of sauce.  We have the same amount to do tomorrow, but my quality control called it a night after the second batch.

Katie and Maggie were using the food scale to determine the largest and smallest apples, which Katie would write in her 'notebook.'

They would load up tiny buckets to bring me a few apples at a time, which I washed, cored, then quartered.  Threw the apples into a pot with about 2 inches of water on the bottom and cooked for 10-15 minutes on med, or until the apples were cooked.  (sometimes I put a little vanilla into the water while the apples are cooking)

We then (oh wait, I) go nuts cranking the Foley mill until I have a large pot of sauce, which we add a little sugar and cinnamon to, then Quality Control tries some, then gives the OK to put the rest into freezer for us to use later. 
In case you are wondering...I used Lodi apples.  That is what everyone around here seems to recommend, and they taste great!  Later I will just get sauce mix seconds from Masonic Village.

July Update

Once upon a yard sale....
I got some pottery barn benches.

that make perfect beds for Katie and Maggie playing house

As you can see here, she's sleeping!  ;)

Since it has been quite a while without an update, here is Katie--mid-bang grow-out...

And a blurry picture of Becky that one of the girls took with the camera...sorry but this was the only one that had her cute little head in it!

I can't believe that it is offically August...so much to do and school will be here soon!