Blaser Family Photos

 

Eclairs

Alan's favorite treat is eclairs.  Bret and I took a cooking class and learned to make them last spring.  While Alan was here this summer I wanted to make some for him.  It is quite a process.  First make the dough and cook it on the stove, pipe it out, cook in oven, make pastry cream, cool it, pipe it into eclair, make ganash, dip eclair in it, cool, eat.  This took all afternoon.  And because I always try to do too much I also made dinner and tended my three small children.  As it was dinner was good.  Eclairs were good.  Kitchen was a total mess and I took very few pictures. 

Alan and Bret (in the background) helped.  Steven also stopped by but no pictures 

One of the boys, probably Steven, gave Sierra an eclair to eat.  She liked it.  Special Bear is always close.

Swimming lessons

Bret and I decided to put the girls is swimming lessons this summer.  By the first part of August we were organised enough to make it work.  Both girls were afraid to get their faces wet and Brooklyn didn't like her ears to get water in them.

Brooklyn is waiting for her turn to blow bubbles.

Sierra is watching closely so she knows what to do.

Sierra's teacher is talking her into putting her face in the water.

Brooklyn is getting braver.  At least it is a start.

Sierra turns around to say hi to Bret and I.

Brooklyn's class is practicing her kicks.

This was their first lesson and they were still quite timid.  I didn't get pictures of their last but by the end they were both jumping in off the side and getting their whole heads underwater.  The benefit of the lessons was very noticeable to Grandma on the sail boat.  Both girls were to afraid to get all the way in the water.  Brooklyn stayed close to the ladder and float.  Sierra would not even get in.  Now Brooklyn swims to the end of her rope and is upset it is not longer and Sierra will get in the water.  I am glad they enjoyed their lessons.

Jam

After the girls were all done swimming I stuck them in the bath and dried them off.  Then I had to make some jam so the raspberries did not go to waste.  I had three little helpers.  I only did two batches so Brooklyn and Addie got the first turns to stir. 

Sierra waited very nicely for her turn to stir. 

Brooklyn let Sierra have a turn so she could measure for me.

When making jam the pectin has to sit for 30 minutes.  The three girls spent the first 15 minutes passing the bowels back and forth so everyone could have a turn stiring.  After that Brooklyn and Addie got tired of stirring and left to watch TV.  Sierra didn't want to leave me.  She said Don't worry Mom I will stir both.  She did for a bit then, really just long enough for the picture.  Then I told her she could go too.

Swimming

Brooklyn is a little like her Grandma Blaser she loves to have a party and is always looking for an excuse to have one.  This time she wanted to have a water party.  So we (by we I mean Bret) set up the slip and slide the swimming pools and put water on the tramp.  I was plesently surprised how much fun they had on the slip and slide.