Wow Am I Behind!

Ok this will take a while.  Go get some coffee and get comfy in your chair.  Go ahead, I will wait.....
Ok settled in nicely? because this will take a while and probably involve a few rabbit trails, but then again the best journeys/stories always do.
Where did I leave off?  Oh yes the pie.....

 

 “We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”
― David Mamet, Boston Marriage

 

I started out sitting on the back porch pitting the cherries.  It was a really nice day and I didn't mind sitting out there.  I was even visited by a friendly hummingbird.

 

 After pitting them I mixed the cherries for a filling and started making the crust.  One of my goals this summer is to learn to make a good pie crust.  My husband is from a long line of pie lovers.  And after almost 27 years I am bidding adieu to Betty Crocker's crusts and perfecting my own. 

 

My good friend the preacher's wife told me her mother-in-law(or was it her mother?) swore by Fleischman's margarine and mixing with a two-tined fork.  Well, I used Crisco, but I decided to give the fork a try.

 

Well, it was a rousing success.  The pie was delish!  And everytime I make a crust I think it gets a little better.
So far I have made 3 or 4 Strawberry Rhubarb, Coconut Cream, 2 Blueberry and 2 Cherry.

Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France
My Serenity wants to be a Veterinarian when she grows up. That girl loves animals.  Matt and I want to do a lot of different things with her this summer before her sister comes home.  Since she is so into 4 legged friends we decided a trip to Living Treasures (http://www.ltanimalpark.com/new-castle-local-activities/)  would be a good idea.

Hello Mr Peacock

Show Off

Cousin Ernie would be impressed (http://turtlemanliveaction.com/)

Serenity and Matt

She's touching the Llama!

Can I keep him?

 

 

Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Michael J. Fox

Today was my family reunion.  The McFadden Reunion, The big one. 
My grandmother, Isabelle, is one of 13.  It is that family reunion.  There are so many branches of that family tree the reunion can get pretty big.  There is always an auction to help defray the costs. 

These are two of my cousins running the auction, Richard and Matthew.  Matthew is holding up a loaf of zucchini bread made by his wife, Bonnie.  Bonnie made 5 loaves for the auction. And I bought one.  Zucchini Bread? you may ask.  Let me tell you about that bread.
It was made from his mother's recipe, my Great Aunt Carole. She was the youngest of my grandmother's siblings, the one they way was most like her mother.  When I first moved to Pennsylvania at the age of 16 I lived with Aunt Carole, Uncle Jim and their 3 boys, Mark, Matthew and Nathan.  I was going into my senior year of high school.  That fall Aunt Carole made lots of zucchini bread made from the garden Uncle Jim had behind the house.  And I took peanut butter sandwiches made with that zucchini bread in my lunch.  And the best part?  Aunt Carole let me help make zucchini bread with her.  Aunt Carole passed away from breast cancer several years ago and Uncle Jim sold the house they shared this summer.  But the best part is he sold it to my sister. Aunt Carole's house once again knows the slamming door of active kids going in and out. I like to think that makes her smile.
Ok moving on..... Another McFadden Reunion tradition are the pictures.

Once again, I give you The Cousins.  This time Daisy Mae is missing but Lexie Woo-Hoo is being held by Bee.

Here is my mom and her decendants

This picture is extra special.  This is all the girls that share the name Mareline (marleen)

From l-r

Aunt Mareline(the original) Judith Mareline(my aunt) Serenity Mareline,

 Jamie Mareline and Vivian Mareline(Aunt Mareline's great granddaughter)

How cool is that?  We have Aunt, niece, great niece, great-great niece and great granddaughter!

 

It is good news, worthy of all acceptation; and yet not too good to be true.
Matthew Henry
Ok, I saved the best for last.  The rest was all good, but this is GREAT!!!

Friday Whole Foods had a terrific sale on organic grapes.
 #1 I love Whole Foods
#2 We love grapes.
#3 ROAD TRIP!!!!
So we woke up Serenity, and hit the road around 11.  It's about 45 min to Whole Foods and we were going to get lunch first.
I had found a fun little lunch place called Noodles and Company(http://www.noodles.com/)  and they probably have the coolest soda machine ever.(I didn't take a picture and a Google search didn't find one so you will just have to go there and see it yourself)  Serenity loves noodles so Bonus!
We ordered and sat down.  I looked at my phone because I'm addicted like that.  WHAA?!?!?! I missed a call from our agency.  I immediately called back and was transferred to the travel dept.  Travel Approval BABY!!!!!  China issued their official invitation to come get our baby. SCORE!!!!!
Ever get really good news right before you are going to eat?  There was no way I could eat.  I had a million things going thru my head. Here was part of the conversation with the agency.
Agency Rep, "I know you want to travel quickly, you need to apply for your visas."
Me, "We already have them. Is there any way to get us in group 2011?"
Agency Rep, "You sound ready to travel."
Me, "I am about half packed.  But I can get on the plane with a credit card and a toothbrush and be ok.  And really?  I could buy a toothbrush at the airport!"
Agency Rep, "I like your attitude."

So we are requesting to join group 2011, they have consulate appointments July 31, and gotcha day July 22.  That is pretty much the soonest we can travel because the American consulate is moving from July 13-24.  Don't even get me started on that! 
We will know tomorrow if we are able to get a CA on July 31.
Tune in tomorrow for further developments