What a fun weekend with our family... First my dh's mom was over for dinner on Friday night and it was so sweet watching her play trains with the kids, and then on Sunday night we had my family over for dinner (my parents, my sister and her husband, and my grandma).
We had a great time and even stayed up past 10pm playing cards and being downright silly. We are happy to have a home where those memories can be made. We can see each other growing up together like Grandma Sonia and Grandpa Pete and having a house where people can find a home and enjoy family dinners and games and grandkids. I just love having our family over, it always leaves a big smile on my face when they leave.
When Elizabeth and I were telling my grandma about how we made butter, she treated us to a stories of when she was a little girl and helped her own mom make butter... How special for us to hear about that!! Here's what she told us:
When she was a little girl, they had lots of cows, and her mom used to make butter and sell it for some extra money. She could sell a pound of butter for $0.10 !! They would take the cream from the cows and either leave it in the spring or in a well to stay cool, then when it was time to make butter, they would go get it, let it warm up (40 degrees F is the best temperature), and even let it 'sour' a bit (she says you get more butter this way). Then they would churn it. Grandma Sonia said that she would shake it in a syrup pail, but if you filled it too high with cream sometimes the lid would explode off in the shaking process because it builds up with some sort of gas when the cream is turning into butter... What a mess that must have made :-) (must run in the family LOL). Her mom even had a real butter mold (not a sandbox toy like us).
I just love listening to all of her stories... What changes her life has seen since she was a little girl living on the cold prairies with her Ukrainian parents... No car, no electricity, no running water! And now, here she is in the big city with cable TV, a big car, dishwasher, washing machine etc.. I sure do love her. She's an amazing woman of strength, and she makes the best apple pie I've ever tasted.
3 comments:
I love you, Melanie.
I miss my family lots and lots and lots. I don't talk on the phone a lot because I feel it's so unsatisfying. I want to be there.
I'm glad you had fun and I'm glad my Mom's life is so full thanks to your family and thanks to my wonderful sister, your Mom! I love the picture. What fun it would be if I had a home close enough so you could experience my hospitality.
I love the way you write.
Love, Aunt Val
We had a great time too!!!!! We definately should do it more often!!
I love you all too :-) and would just love to see jenny and doug and you and rob all the time... what fun!
Melissa: I agree we should definately do it more often!! I never laugh as much as I do when I'm with you guys. You definately bring out the silly in me.
p.s. I won about $6 playing cards!! I should go buy something fun like... hmm.... what can you get for $6 anymore? 5 1/2 litres of gas!
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