Apple Cider Pressing!

Last weekend we went to Grammy and Pa Bryant's house to go Apple Cider Pressing. Every year, since Lee was Mac's age (so back in the old days) The Bryant family would press Apple Cider. When we used to live in Ferndale (1994-1998) Lee and Mac would press Apple Cider, I was working every Saturday. I remember doing this once, a very, very long time ago. Anyways, Mac had a BYE (no game weekend) so Patty and I made plans to press Apple Cider with the boys. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day...no rain!

Mac with a wagon full of apples.

Apples on the trees at Grammy's house. Mac, Calvin and I think Mason helped pick the trees.

They got a trailer load of them. Patty has grown apple trees on thier property since they moved out there (almost 30 years I think). And this is the first year they have had a big enough crop to press cider with. They have had apples for some pies, applesauce, etc. But you need alot of apples for cider.

Mac is officially taller than Grammy by a few inches. But you can't tell from this picture.

Grammy taking Mac's glasses off. He is such a teenager.

Patty and I weren't sure how involved Mason would be. As it turned out...he helped with everything. He was loading the apples in tub to get washed, then he was holding the bowl full of cut apples for feeding them into the chute, then he was turning the cranking thing that chops the apples, then he was helping Calvin do something. He was all over the place, but sticking my us helping.

Mason doing his job.

Calvin was there the whole time filling the gallon jugs. I didn't get a picture of them, because it got dark pretty quickly. Lee had to work..putting siding back on his bosses house. We had a great time, but wished Lee was there. We pressed about 30 gallons that day.

My New Love

Well...not literally. Lee will ALWAYS be my True Love (and I'm kind of stuck with him for time and all eternity)...Lee does many, many things, but he doesn't do laundry. I LOVE to do laundry, don't ask why. Since my Mom taught me to do laundry when I was in the 5th grade, I have loved to do my laundry. This machine has changed my life F O R E V E R!

My washing machine broke down a few weeks ago. It threw me into a tailspin. Our family goes into Defcon 5 when laundry isn't done for more than 4-5 days. I had been looking, asking friends, and doing my research on what my next machine would be. Right when I thought I had made my decsion, the machine wasn't big enough. So, I was back to square ONE. I looked, did my research on the internet, and had it nailed down between 2 washers and then I go to Sears of all places, and the sales guy tells me about this little beauty. He changed my mind and I went with this one. A Samsung. It's the right size, it has a timer (which has changed my life), it has it's own little water heater in it, a sanitation cycle, and it had everything I had dreamed and hoped for in a washer. Now...I need the matching dryer. It's 2-3 inches taller than our dryer, and it's driving Lee nuts.

Never Say Never

The ONE child that I thought I would NEVER have to take into Childrens Hospital for a Clinic visit was this one....Mac. Something not so great showed up in a routine Physical for Boy Scout Camp in July, so we had to have it checked out. I'm not going to get into it on the Blog (I do have boundries). If anyone is really concerned, you can e-mail me or phone me. It is something that I found out is carried on through the Dawson side. My Dad and Brother have the same thing, and they are healthy and fine.

Mac, reading a Harry Potter book in the car. It was just the two of us. Mason stayed with Papa and Nana Dawson. It's nice to have Grandparents so close! So, we were in the car, and Mac wouldn't look up....FINE! It's going in the blog.

Of course....I had to take pictures of him. Go through the same routine as Mason. This is Mac in front of the Orca Sculpture. He was getting kinda annoyed. Teenager.

And get his picture taken with Mickey Mouse. The pic of Mason is cuter...but by this time-he was more than annoyed with me and becoming uncooperative. It goes in the blog anyways.

In the examination rooms, there are dry erase boards. Mac took full advantage of it. The Doctor that saw him (not any of Mason's docs) was very impressed with his art work. The doctor talked more about his art work than him. If Mac was really sick, I would have been really upset-but I wasn't. The other Doctor spoke to me and told me Mac was fine, that whatever the problem is, it's heriditary, he's healthy, his weight is good, his blood pressure is great (she was really excited about that). They usually see sickly, pale, skinny kids-so they were happy to see a kid like Mac.

Mac even wrote words on the T-shirts of the people in his art work. I'm grateful that my son is so concerned about the enviroment. It says "Home Work Kills trees".

He signed it and left it there without erasing it. I'm grateful that Mac will be fine, and that also he as able to preoccupy himself. I did run into Mason's Pulmonary doctor while we were there. She saw me and then said "we don't have an appointment today", and then she had a really concerned look on her face. I told her we were there for Mac and then she felt better. But she had a puzzled look on her face wondering what was wrong with a big, healthy kid like Mac. I'm glad we have Childrens in our "back yard" for things like double checking on things. I'm also grateful that my big healthy kid is alright.