7QT - What we've been doing.

Oh my!  It's been over a week since I've posted anything to this poor neglected blog.  So I'm going to catch everyone up in 7 Quick(ish) Takes.

1.  Sarah arrived home safe and sound and tired last Friday night after a week in Florida with her Girl Scout Troop.  We got her home around 9:45 and she spent the next hour and half telling us all about the trip.  Here's a quick pic of Sarah, Cheyanne, and Arden.  I think I'm going to do another post next week with more Florida pics.

2. On Saturday we headed to South Carolina to buy fireworks for the 4th of July.  Sarah stayed home to sleep, unpack, relax, etc. You can't buy fireworks in North Carolina.  It's not illegal to set them off, but you can't buy them.  Strange.....  So, we drove to Ft. Mill and picked some up. This was all Peter's idea but I think Dan was excited about it too or he would not have agreed to it. 

We got into the store (which was packed, obviously) and asked a worker for help. I told him I had no idea what to get.  He said something along the lines of , "Well, what do you want?  Do you want colorful, loud, high, bright,or  big (and I think he added a few other fireworks descriptors as well.)"  My response was, "Um...yes."

I mean, he described fireworks.  I wanted a firework that delivered all those in one.  But what he pointed us to was a big box of different times of fireworks that did all those different things individually.  But the we also got a box of 6 "things" you set off that were bigger. 

3.  When we got home, Sarah made a blueberry pie for Sunday lunch.

It was yummy. 

4.  Dan had to work on Monday,the kids had swim practice and I had a PTO meeting (my last one ever!).  So it was just a normal day.  But on Tuesday, we had a big cookout at my parent's house.  Jennifer's family came as well as some of my parent's friends.  We had hamburgers, hot dogs and wings.  Along with all baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, etc.  It was delicious and we had a great evening.

After dinner we set off the fireworks.  For the casual observer, they were kind of boring.  The box the guy had steered us towards was apparently a lot of fun for the boys because there were a lot of different things to set off and ignite but for those of us watching there wasn't much of a show.  The best were the 6 big "things".  Next year, Dan said we need to get mortars.  That sounds dangerous but I guess that's what we'll get.

The only picture I got was of the girls with sparklers.  I was enjoying the evening and wasn't thinking about pictures.

After everyone left, we headed inside and eventually made it up to bed around 10:45.  I turned on the tv in my bedroom to the NYC fireworks show and caught the last 10 minutes of that.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Now THAT was a fireworks show.  I got goosebumps just from watching it on tv.  I could only imagine seeing it in person.  I LOVE fireworks and that show looked awesome!  It was like 6 shows in one side by side:

Maybe they are like this every year.  And who knows, maybe the last 10 minutes were the best but it was really spectacular!

5. 

Our cucumbers are really coming in now and this is my favorite way to fix them.  Slice a bunch up, toss them in a jar,  slice a 1/2 an onion really thin and throw that on top.  Throw in a couple of garlic closes (peeled and pressed in a little) and then mix the following ingredients together:  1 cup white vinegar, 2/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground, 2 tsp salt, 4 tbsp Splenda.  Pour the mixture of the top of the cucumbers.  Cover and put in fridge for at least 6 hours. 

These are really yummy.  They are a little sweet and a little tangy. Delicious. 

6.  We've had 3 swim meets so far this season.  The 4th and final regular season meet is this coming Tuesday and it will be the first one where both kids have been home at the same time.  I'm hoping to get some good pictures of them swimming on Tuesday.

7.  Our tomato bushes are huge!

That's three rows of bushes with 4 plants each.  12 plants and it's like a jungle in there.

The bushes have tons of tomatoes on them but they are not turning red.  None of them are evening starting to turn. (Well, I take that back. One tomato turned red and 2 cherry tomatoes turned red but the other 100 are all green.) 

I think its because June was very wet and cool (for here).  I think (I'm not gardener but it's my opinion) that the fruit needs the sun to turn red.  It is finally starting to get hot and sunny here.  Our normal hot June temps have just arrived in July.  I'm hoping that it will stay sunny and hot so these tomatoes will turn red.  I'm also wondering if the fact that the plants are so bushy (maybe due to the cool weather and lots of rain) they are further shading the fruit from the sun.

Anyway, like I said, I'm no gardener but our tomatoes have always started turning before now - typically by the end of June.  I'm just ready for a tomato sandwich and some mozzarella and tomato salad and some bruschetta! 

And that's pretty much it for us. Peter's mowing right now and later today I'm taking Sarah and Chey to the movies.  Have a great weekend!