Canning pears was super hard work, but so fun! I ended up doing my own pears, and my mom’s pears (I was nice enough to peel hers before canning them….made me wish I’d been slightly less lazy and done my own, too!!). I did decide to spruce up a few by making vanilla pear jam. I added the scrapings of a vanilla bean into the pot, following a recipe for regular pear jam. The vanilla makes it!
Tailynn went with her Aunt Jody, LaDell & Maddie, and another friend and her granddaughter Madison to Disneyland! They met Alan and Vince at Disney. It was Gay Days weekend at Disney (as supported by the red shirts!) What a great way for the girls to see families of all kinds enjoying a day at the park. 
This was her first big trip away, and she did great! She and Maddie became great friends, and the pictures that Jody brought back are adorable!! It was Maddie’s 4th birthday while they were there, so she got some extra special happenings while she was there! FUN!
Still pink and tender. The surgeon had to cut through some nerves to get everything, so my ear and side of my face has some nerve damage. I can’t stand to have anything touch from my cheekbone over toward my ear, or from about mid-jawline back. It’s supposed to get better slowly. I’d like to sleep on my left side again some day!
Cancer.
Yup. I’ve got it. And it really, really sucks. Pay a visit to your nice dermatologist, and *poof* a month later you’re in surgery to have parts of your skin cut off your face.
So yeah. These are the gruesome pictures (in gallery format so you can skip ‘em if you are squeamish, because they are kinda gross).
I, somehow, have no picture from her party at Organ Stop Pizza (for the second year), but here are a few of her opening gifts received from family! Happy Birthday, T-ster! You have the kindest heart!
I volunteered for another week at Camp Mingus this year. I took the girls with me, as there was a small cluster of us all with little munchkins, so Pastor Lynn did some toddler stuff with the little during the day. She had her two kids, Will & Kate, Katy had Adam there, another little boy named Noah, and then T and H. We had a GREAT camp, but it was EXHAUSTING (like, more than usual) having my kids in addition to being cabin staff! *whew* Maybe a break is in order…. Be sure to check the link at the bottom to see the video from the talent show! Tailynn did great!
Before we headed up to camp, we had dinner with our friends Audrey and Landon. Landon and Tailynn are about a week apart in age, and his mom and I met online (with a few other moms who lived locally). We try to see them every so often, and they live in Prescott. Camp is up near there, so what a perfect opportunity!
T does My God Is So Big for Camp Discovery’s Got Talent Show!
I stitched this up for some gay friends of ours who are settling into their home in Maricopa. :) This was a fun one, and they loved it!
