Where in the World are the Skousens?

Sorry to be MIA for so stinkin' long! I didn't realize how long it had been, but let me explain my absence. First of all, Robert has started digging potatoes, so once again we are without a husband/father which makes for really long days where we just try to make it to the end each time with everyone and their sanity in tact.
Then there was last week. My friend and I had planned to do our canning together and made a trip to Idaho Falls to get peaches, pears and corn on the cob. The plan was to buy the produce and then start two days later. But we would save a bundle if we bought peaches that were ready to be canned that day. So we ran home, quickly threw everything together and jumped in. We were able to finish the four boxes of peaches and one box of pears before the stomach flu hit both mommies and some of the kiddies. After giving ourselves one day to be sick, we went at it some more to finish the last three boxes of pears and dive in to fifteen dozen ears of corn to be shucked, blanched, cut off the cob and frozen. It was insane, let me tell you! But now we have our year's supply of each and probably about half of our canning/preserving done.
Then it was my birthday yesterday. It was pretty good as far as my birthday is concerned. Even though it was on Conference Sunday, I didn't have to prepare and teach a lesson or get the kids dressed up and wrestle with them at church. And Robert got to be home with me instead of digging potatoes. We had Papa Murphey's for dinner (since Robert can make that) and I decided I wanted cake for my birthday instead of pie, so I tried an orange cake with cream cheese icing (SO good!) and Super Fudge Brownie Ice Cream (yes, I realize these two don't really go together, but it is the only time Robert will allow me to buy ice cream now that we have an ice cream maker and I wanted to go all out). Sorry, no pictures, though because the batteries on the camera are dead (convienently).
Sam is as active as ever and is just loving preschool and we have started feeding Amy rice cereal!!
This week may or may not be more laid back, we shall see. I picked plums and peaches from the trees at our old place to make jelly and jam and probably should be taken care of this week, so that is probably going to be in the works along with all the housework that got neglected last week. But it will be worth all the work for a weekend of play with my sisters at Candace's bridal shower! Amy and I will be going down for the day while my brother-in-law watches Sam. Party on!!