Thanks Aida!

Thanks to Aida for making a new banner for my blog and giving it a fresh look for summer!

Blueberries

This one is for you Grandma Penney. For the last little while, my mother has been telling me about the fame of NJ blueberries. As is my nature I went on a quest to taste these famed berries, touted by Martha Stewart herself as being the best blueberries ever. Okay maybe not in those words, but similar I am sure.
We found a pick your own place free of speed ripening agents and pesticides. It was only about 8.5 acres but at 95 cents a pound we decided we had nothing to lose. We showed up in true Berg style-unprepared.
We knew we were going blueberry picking and yet, we did not bring any buckets or bags or anything to hold the blueberries. Where are the Matthews when you need them? They were always the ones that brought the stuff we didn't- food, first-aid, spare jackets, berry picking baskets...Oh how we miss you NZ ice-cream containers!
Lucky for us, the lady had a variety of buckets on her porch. She showed us the buckets that were the strongest and with thoughts of blueberries dancing in our heads we chose those ones. The girls went for the colorful ones but Mark and I were there for food storage and we were going to need something with some strength. It all started out well and good and we were excited as the girls went running ahead and excitedly picked the berries, seeing who could pick the most. I guess you really could say it was a picture of domestic summer bliss. The berries were huge and velvety soft and there were only about 4 other pickers present. The thing that we weren't planning on was the addictive nature of the blueberry picking.
I admit, I had never seen a full grown blueberry plant and I was thinking I was going to have to bend down with my sun hat on and fight scary bugs for my blueberries but no, the blueberries were up high and bug-free. Mark and I became what we considered to be ADD blueberry pickers. We would start on one bountiful tree and then see some flashes of blue on the next tree and move on even though there were still plenty to be had on the one tree. I have often watched animals grazing, surrounded by grassy yumminess(in their minds, not mine) and wondered why they would walk somewhere else when there was food right in front of them. Blueberry picking really put it all into perspective for me. Something beckons you to leave behind perfectly good berries to move on to the next tree.
It only took about 7 minutes for the kids to lose their enthusiasm and start complaining of thirst. I know we should have brought water but we thought that surely for 95 cents a pound, beverages would be provided-right? Mark and I were well into our picking and yelled at the girls to have fun as a family and pick berries with us or go sit in the shade- but we weren't stopping until we had had enough(Mark later confessed he was prepared to put in another 2 hours and I probably could have as well).
I am glad we took pictures early on because this way you blog readers are spared the sight of us dripping with sweat from the humidity, my huge afro, and burnt faces. Poor little Eddie had his bowl cut drenched and just sat down with his bucket of green berries (I think he may be color blind) in the middle of the path. We wound up with 15 pounds of blueberries, but three belonged to Lucy's BFF Sydney that came along for the fun. Blueberry smoothies here we come. Thanks for the advice mom.

The loot.

My hair was in a ponytail and you can see the frizz working its evil way out. Jersey Huge.

On the hunt.

Maya had some good effort.

Ed just collected by the handful, regardless of color.

Happy Father's Day

I love him for always putting family first-even when wearing a paper tie to church is involved. Thanks for always making us smile, all your hard work, and your good example. We love you Mark/Dad!

Hold the Skins Please

Ed doesn't like apple skins and this is his way of avoiding them. I think he finds them as repulsive as an orange skin. I remember watching him do it when we went to the pumpkin patch and I thought, "Why DOES he do that? None of us do it." I then glanced up and sitting there on the bench nibbling on an apple was Grandpa Ed doing the exact same skinless thing. The truly odd thing about it is that little Ed did it even before meeting his grandpa-like when he was 18 months old or something. I tried to catch them together eating their apples skinless but I wasn't quick enough. Is this a genetic trait? It must have skipped a generation because I have never seen Mark do it.

Happy Birthday Twin!

For a rare treat for all of you three faithful blog readers-a picture of me and the twin. I think she looks cuter than ever and I hope she doesn't kill me for putting a picture of her on without her knowledge-it was bound to happen... I literally kicked Rachel back so I could be born first. I think she forgave me and has been there for me ever since. I really don't know how many of you commoners survive without having a twin. Love you twin!


The girls treated me to a 6:30 wake-up to ask me who I was inviting to my birthday. It was worth it to get a nice glass of WARMED chocolate milk in bed followed by some screaming. :) Maya made me a clay worm complete with house, accessories and an original song. Aida gave me a delightful coupon book that I am sure I will use up quickly, a pop up card and a clay clown face. Lucy made me an adorable horse inscribed with Sara Iva Berg on the Saddle and Ed gave me...lots of hugs and kisses. I am sure he will come up with something. Actual birthday cake festivities are postponed until Mark gets back into town but the girls have been doing their best to make the day special anyway. Thanks girls! Now off to do sharing time.

Don't Look Mark

Okay so Mark is still away and I KNOW there is a lot on Etsy but for some reason out of all that I didn't need to buy but wanted to- I really liked this little letter sized picture. For some reason I was just drawn to it. I think it just reminded me of my laundry hanging days when Ed would run in and out of the long sheets and the little girl is soooo Maya the way she is hanging on to me. I don't know who that little baby is but I do remember holding one when I was hanging out the wash. The green house reminds me of the green and design on the NZ quilt Mark and I did together when we first moved there. I don't know- it just really wanted me to get it. I figured it is a good laundry room picture. :)

It's Official

Mark and I are now the sort that takes vay-cays apart. Mark went to CA then I went to CA and now Mark is going to NH. Three Sundays apart...hmmm... the ward is going to start wondering what is up with us. Should I be wondering now? I am sure Mark will start to miss my winning personality and my Colgate smile and come running home... Report on CA coming soon?
Let's just say I think I am going to have to do a better job of fulfilling my "flosser" persona. Apparently being a barely sometimes flosser and flossing only "in the front" does not do anything for the molars. Thanks so very much to Dan the Man for saving my pearly whites. I especially liked how you taught me a real lesson by numbing me for 6 hours and then surrounding me with people enjoying the seasons bing cherries and freshly opened package of red vines. 3 filled cavities later I think I am ready to get serious about my dental hygiene-all the lies and pounds of gummies were bound to catch up with me. I deserved it really. No, really I did.

**Note: Not my teeth here. Mine are much cuter.