It's garden time

I just can't even express what a thrill I get from planting things.  What is it?  Work, work, work then lots of waiting.  But when something grows from seemingly almost nothing and THRIVES when you least expect it (I've learned to NOT expect it and then I'm all the more excited when something happens), the feeling is just, well, giddiness. I feel like a little kid.

So this year I had too many starts going for my two 4x8 ft beds so I decided to throw some squash under my grape arbor (not yet covered by vines) and some pumpkins right in the heavy clay unamended soil under the rocks that surround my house.

PUMPKINS

June 26th

July 26th

August 9th (Hard to tell, but it is probably 75% larger that in the previous pic. You are giddy now too, right?)

I know, I know.  Things grow. That's what they are supposed to do.  But it still feels like such a miracle every time!

So last year, I think it was Thomas, wanted me to keep some seeds from the store bought cantaloupe.  So I dried them out and started them inside in March.  I had thought that sometimes seeds from store bought fruit are too hybridized and had sterile seeds.  Apparently this wasn't the case.  I've now got a good 5 or more cantaloupes growing...this one being the largest.  I've guided the vines out over the edge of my bed as the yellows squash are taking over IN the bed.

CANTALOUPE

I know, I know. I need to mow the lawn. My plans are too take all of the grass out of this second tier of my yard as it is a bloody pain to mow.  I am going to put in 3 shallow terraces edged with limestone .  A strip of DG for a path, a strip of steppable thyme, and a strip of bark with some plantings..still to be decided...next to the 'river'. And some other stuff.  Going to be so lovely.  Can't wait.  But the 'housing budget' is shot this year so it will have to wait until spring. :(

ANYHOW.  You are not supposed to be looking at the grass anyhow. You are supposed to be looking for the rear of the butternut squash at the lower left ('butt'of the the butternut. HaHa).  There are actually 2 in the pic and many more not pictured.  Yeah! Last year I only got 2 total so I'm pretty stoked.

BUTTERNUT

One of the greatest things this year is the abundance of bees.  Every squash flower I look in has a bee in it.  And they are nice bees too.  Don't bother me a bit. 

DA BEE

Chaos

After reading Alyssa's last post on Ahsha starting school, my experience at Elitch Gardens (downdown denver water and amusement park) last week with my family came to mind.  Reflecting on myself, i realize how nervous and tense I get when facing chaos and the unknown.  We got to the park, showed our tickets, had our bags searched (no food allowed) and entered the park.  I was confident and thus comfortable up to this point because I had read this process online previously.  Then we went to find a locker and get changed into swimsuits as we had decided to do the water park first.  The kids and Brandon were scattering in all directions, there were people everywhere, there was a sea of deck chairs that were quickly being claimed for holding peoples towels and we didn't have a plan.  Immediate panic attack.  I couldn't see the kids, Brandon was going back and forth to the locker.
I need the sunscreen. I need to know when we are meeting back up. I need everyone to just stay still. I just froze and when Brandon came up to me all I could say was, 'STOP! Stop moving! Stay with me!'.  I see this over and over.  Mom, do you remember when you were about to take me to my first job interview ever at Checkers?  I was in tears before we even left home because I thought we were going to be late and I just had no idea what to expect.  I think the managers thought someone had died, my face was so puffy when I went in.  I volunteered for 4 months at the Aurora School district before applying for a job because it helped me get accustomed to the environment and then it was no big deal.  That quote 'Observe then serve' applies to how I best approach everything in life.  Let me be a fly on the wall and don't talk to me for the first day or two or maybe three.  Then I'm all in.

Anyone else like this?

kidless

kidless day #1:
    1. drop kids off at airport at 6am.  wait to leave until 7:45 when their flight was supposed to have taken off.  During which time I lost Quizup 50 states quiz to a Brit.
    2. return home. spend 3 hours stripping old sealer off of my back patio with stripper, a putty knife, and a wire brush attached to my drill.  Took a break during which I calculated that at my current rate it would take me 10 days to finish stripping the patio before I could stain it.
   3. decided 'what's another hour' and picked out a spanish movie to watch on netflix called blancanieve (snow white) to use for my practice time.  was 5 minutes in before it occurred to me that I had yet to hear anyone say a word of spanish.  looked back at the movie description. it's a silent movie.  haha.  Picked a different movie.  ate an entire tupperware of 1/2 sugar tapioca pudding (shannon's idea).  decided 1/2 sugar doesn't probably do any good if you eat twice as much.
  4.  30 minutes in, paused the movie to work on the patio for 2 more hours.  tried out some different techniques to try to quicken the pace.  decided I wasn't going any faster. began to rain. cleaned up and puttered for a while. suddenly a thought.  'cover the whole patio in stripper.  wait 2 hours.  powerwash it.'  it has to work. my prayers are answered.
  5.  look around the house at laundry on the couch, bed unmade. sheets in dryer. dishes undone. etc. etc. 5pm.  but knowing Brandon had a late meeting and wouldn't be home until 6:30 decided to run to Home Depot for more stripper and clean when I got home.
  6. found different stripper in concrete section.  looked at instructions: cover the whole patio in stripper.  wait 2 hours.  powerwash it.  Seriously.  I was so inspired.
  7. return purse found in abandoned shopping cart to customer service. good deed done. check
  8. return home to find Brandon home early.  oops.  guess i'll get to cleaning tomorrow. ;)

Ever have one of those days that you work your rear off and don't feel you actually got anything done?

TEXAS in July

Well we had a lovely trip to Texas.  God was generous and gave us unseasonably cool weather the first week.  With the overcast skies and cactus in bloom, it was beautiful.  We spent the first 5 days hanging out with Nana and Grandpa Dave on their mission.  Sean thought it was pretty cool that he got to pass the Sacrament to all of the airmen at Sunday's service and also get to hang out with a couple of them as well as the young sister missionaries at Family Home Evening later on in the week.  Also want to note that the swimming pool at the parents apartment is rocking.  

We packed in a lot in five days.  Along with the above mentioned activities, we also toured a local cave and, of course, tried out Sea World.  The cave tour was probably the best I've ever been on.  It wasn't discovered until the late 80's or 90's and was hidden away from even the bats; meaning that the hundreds of delicately thin soda straw formations remained intact.  Really beautiful.

Keeping with tradition, I only remembered to take out my camera on a few occasions .

Ringing out their clothes after a couple of runs on Rio Loco at Sea World.  Sean nicknamed the waterfall on this ride that soaked us "Waterfall de muerte"

 

Thomas sizing up the fish that he is about to feed to the Sea Lions.  He and Catherine were glad this wasn't their lunch.

There is always time to stop to feed the ducks!  Don't you love that aquariums can get the public to pay to feed their animals?

So apparently I didn't get any pictures of myself or mom and dad.  Hmmm.  Mom, do you have any to send along?

The fifth day we met Shannon and her kids in San Marcos and got to climb the mound of dirt that was soon to be buried under Nana's garage.  Gorgeous lot.  Can't wait to go back when there is a house to sleep in!  We did see the model home, though, that had their floor plan.  The kids may have gotten a *little* rambunctious there, but I suppose they were just feeling at home.  Which is a good sign.  From their we parted ways with mom and dad and went to Austin with Shannon.  The kids got along as if they had never been apart.  We got to experience the 'back to earth' ways that we love to visit Shannon for: getting eggs straight from the chicken, eating pizza from the outdoor clay oven, and wandering her beautiful garden and all the surprises that it holds.  We also had many outings which included the picture documented trip to the lake and visit to the parkour course 'Hot lava'.  And, my personal favorite, got to renovate a bathroom. Fun! A little bit of everything: wallpaper stripping, electrical, contortions fitting Shannon and I under the sink at the same time (really regret not getting a shot of that one), drilling, and dremel cutting pipes when brute strength wasn't enough.  Thanks to my wonderful family for putting up with us!  We had a fabulous time.

High fives for Marc's expert speed maneuvering of the boat. 

This pic was taken before Rin and Ana were dumped in the lake.  3 times.

The kids were bummed when we had to stop swimming at the lake.  They had a blast.

Can you see the speedy hula hoop?

Seriously, raise your hand if you could do this as a kid! (my arm is staying down) Go Gwen!

Ana, sweet like the banana

Thomas doing that jump back and forth thing (is there a name for that?)

Sean ready to fly over to the net.

Rin and Eva discovering their upper body strength

Shannon was too fast for my camera in this pic as she crossed the balance beam

Gpa Dave getting his checkup from Catherine.