"Antiquities" Kids Photo Fundraiser!

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Fundraiser!

~Antiquities Photos of your Child~

Package includes 1-10x13 for only $10!

Photo Shoot will be held Friday October 19, and Saturday, October 20th at First Lutheran Church Bemidji.

Ticket must be purchased before photo shoot

(I have some for sale, just call if you want some!)

MOPS will recieve 100% of the money raised to be used for outreach activities in the community! What a blessing! It's a very exciting fundraiser!

Ok, aren't these pictures just sweet? I love the sepia-tones and "classic" look! Who wouldn't want their child dressed up to have an "old time" picture done? Imagine what great Christmas card or gifts they would make!

FAQ's about the photo shoot:
~You CAN Purchase additional portrait packages at the photo shoot (Not sure abt the prices)
~Child(ren) can be up to the age of 16
~Parents must be PRESENT at photo shoot
~Clothing/hats/costumes for photos will be provided, just have the child wear easy-to-change clothing.
~Coupon use is limited to one per child per family.
~Parents or other adults can be used in photos with child but not in the $10 deal, only in other additonal purchased poses.

Any other questions I'd be glad to answer let me know! I plan on getting Leah's picture done, maybe using it for Christmas cards too! What a sweet gift idea! :) Let me know if you want tickets, because they will be selling fast I'm sure! :)

We're Expecting!!!!!!!

The Secret is out!!!!!

We are due with Helweg Baby #2!

Due: May 3rd, 2008

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Josh, Leah and I are so very excited to announce our newest "addition!"

Being only 6 1/2 weeks along, I was going to keep it quiet for a while, but with family and friends "hearing" our news every day (somehow! :), we just decided to share with you all! I have been feeling very good, just a little tired! Leah has been constantly saying "Baby" over and over. I tried to explain it to her, but it's a very foreign idea that babies can be in a tummy! It's hard to grasp at her 17 month age! :) But I know she will be a great big sister! Please pray the baby will continue to develop and grow healthy, especially at this early age!

I love the verses my friend Mindy shared with her pregnancy.... may I leave you with this great news and rich blessing for all families!

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"Read how the Message describes Psalm 127:3-4:
Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb His generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children!"

Plum Jelly (and Syrup) Making 101

Today was my Plum-Jelly Making Day! I have had so many of my friends ask about how to do it themselves (It's really not hard!) I decided to photo-journal my day of jelly-making!
Note: I'm sure there are many ways of making Plum Jelly... this is just the way I do it! :)

Step 1: Pick your Plums! I recieved mine from my parent's orchard!
Wash and check over for any bumps, brusises, etc. :)

Washing Plums is easiest using the water-bath method (Immerse in water and pick out)

Try and keep your helper from eating all the plums, pit and all!

Step 2: Mush Plums with your hands in LARGE stockpot or pan

until all plums are broken and juices are squirted out.

Cook on slow boil for 10 minutes.

(If you had a Strainer/Juicer you can skip this step and just run the whole plums through your machine .. I'm not lucky enough to have one... yet!)

Step 3: Run the cooked Plum mix through a colander to seperate pits/skins from syrup.

Use meas. cup to move mix along the colander. (Goes faster) Syrup will fall into large bowl underneath colander

Step 4: For Jelly: take syrup from large bowl, and strain through a towel into saucepan.

Let it drip out, do NOT squeeze bag- it will make the Jelly bitter!

(This part may take a while.. about an hour at most I'd say!)

Step 5: When Jelly is done draining, remove pulp from towel. This makes wonderful applesauce like plum-sauce! good for dinner or dessert! :)

Step 6: Add Sugar into jelly juice, and boil until ready. Add pectin and place into jars.

(I use pints)

Finished Plum Jelly! So Beautiful!

Also, I made extra syrup-only and added sugar and canned that! It will be such a nice treat for panakes this winter! :)

It was a busy day, but great to use up my plums, and the jelly/syrup will be a great treat for us!

My Busy Week/Month!!!

Come celebrate Chris & Tracy Parthun’s
30th Wedding Anniversary
at an open house in their honor.

When: Saturday, September 29th 2007
Where: Evangelical Free Church, Bemidji
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Please come when you can and leave when you must!
No gifts necessary!

September 15, 1977

This has been my week/month so far! My sister and I have been organizing my mom and dad's open house for their 30th Wedding Anniversary!!! I started doing a small scrapbook for their day, and I have yet to do a 70+ Picture Slide Show! It's fun to organize all the little details and decorating, food, etc.. I'm very excited for the special day they will get to share with friends and family! Little more than a month to go... :)

Leah has been changing more and more every day. She now has all of her back molars in, and is yet awaiting the front molars on top and bottom. The result is kind of funny-looking... she has a big gap in her mouth from the missing teeth! :) I'm sure she'll be getting them in soon, and then will be done with her teeth for a while! :) I "built" a little sandbox for her the other day, and she LOVES it! (It's a Underbed Rubbermaid Cont, filled with sand) We love going outside and playing.. well, Leah plays and I read a book! :) Her hair is so long now, also! I have to keep it pinned to the side, or else she can't even see! Such pretty curls... I get comments from anyone wherever I go! So sweet! :) Leah loves to watch "Curious George" and "Clifford" on PBS every morning. It's a nice treat, and gives me a chance to blog! lol

It's getting harder to keep up with her and her vocabulary though! She's just learning "Uh-Oh!" and this past week learned what a tiger says "Rooooarrr!" (so cute!)

That's all from us for now, I hope your week is going well!

Warroad Trip Pics

We all had such fun last weekend in Warroad! My family and Josh's family all were camping/staying at his parent's place for the weekend. It was very busy.. lots of people everywhere!!! But I had such a great time of visiting, scrapbooking with Susan, and sister time with Hannah and Michelle. :) Leah LOVED seeing her cousins... although this time it was harder, because she is trying to leanr to share.. which is hard for her, a firstborn! But she especially loved her "baby" (cousin) Amber, who is 7 mon.old now and such a sweetie! She patted her on the head lots of times! (a sign of love for Leah!) All in all it was a great trip! We especially enjoyed the trip to the new "Rainbow" Park in Warroad. I wish I had a playground like that when I was a kid!!! :) Enjoy the pics!

Isaac and Leah enjoy playing in a box!

My Mom with Amber and Leah


Leah and Anna enjoy swinging!

My cutie-pie niece, Amber!

My other sweetie-pie niece, Anna! Isn't she just cute???

Leah LOVED the slides... even went down by herself!!!

New Helweg Cousins Pic:

Luke 3 1/2 yrs, Anna 2 1/2 years,

Leah 1 1/2 years, Amber 7 months

Such a cute picture!!!!

Leah giving "love" to her "baby" Amber

Our Leah Rose, 16 months old!

Disney's "Enchanted"

Ok, this is my last movie posting.. but Josh and I both saw this trailer and we laughed so HARD! This looks so funny, yet such a great story! I am so excited for this one, too! guess December is just the best movie month!

National Treasure 2 Movie!

I have to post this... I am soooooo excited for this movei! The 1st one is one of my all-time favorite movies!!! (I'm a history buff you see!) Can't wait to see this one!

The Golden Compass ... I can't wait!!!

This looks like such a great movie! I will be awaiting Dec. 7th anxiously!!!

July is almost gone!!!

It seems our summer is going by so fast.. it's hard to keep up! I haven't blogged for a while, but our family is doing great! Enjoying summer and going swimming a lot this week, as it's been in the 90's most of the time! Arggghhhh! (Too hot for me)

We've been keeping up with our garden this year.. lots of tomatoes, corn and beans. They're all doing well, even though our corn is still rather small! (I'm sure this heat will help it!)

Josh has been busy with work and keeping busy doing odd jobs also! Jonathan is having fun working with the guys, and is getting lots of knowledge about carpentry!! And me, well, I've been busy lately with canning jams and jellies but now that is done, so I have a nice break before it's time to start canning garden produce! :)

Leah is doing so good, just growing like a weed! I really should measure/weigh her, she is just such a little girl now! Lost a lot of her baby-ness. (sad I know!)

We discovered a few weeks back that Leah is allergic to tomatoes! She had been having this awful rash on her face, and we didn't know what it was from. Thankfully it has gone away after taking away all tomatoes. Which is really sad for her, becuase her favorite food was spagetti, and alfredo sauce just isn't as tasty to her.

Hope you are all having a great summer also! Keeping busy and staying cool! :)

Here are some fun pics from weeks past.

Swimming at Long Lake

Leah ADORES her little floaty and also loves playing with the puppy!

Leah trying on Grandpa's headphones!

Fun in Summer!

We have been having such a great summer! Josh's family was here the weekend before the 4th of July camping at Oak Hills. We were down practically every day swimming and visiting! Leah LOVED the beach and the swingset there! It was great to see family again. :) Here are some pics from our busy summer so far!

Leah on the swings at Oak Hills

Josh and Leah at the 4th of July Parade

Grandpa and Leah listen to the LOUD fire engines.. Leah didn't like them much!

Josh and Leah before her first fireworks

Look Mom! Fireworks!!

Leah LOVED the fireworks and pointed at them the whole time!

Fireworks picture! So pretty!

Strawberries!

Leah, my mom and I went strawberry picking last week, and we had so much fun! It was Leah's first time in a strawberry patch! Mom and I had so much fun showing her the berries, and "helping" her eat some to keep busy. (Notice her shirt and mouth is all stained with strawberry juice!) She eventually got tired of eating and helped mom and I pick our berries and put them in our bucket. She would find a berry with a loud exclamation and pick it then come and plop it in our buckets. Then she discovered the rotten berries and loved grabbing them out of the aisles, she decided they were easier to pick. :) It was a very fun time, and we all loved it!

So this week I have been making jam, jellies and sauces. I tried canning them this year instead of freezing and it worked out so much nicer! (Lot less freezer space!) Plus I love canned jams so much better. :) So fun to have great strawberries here!