Aarrr!

What did you do to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day?

We dressed up and got free doughnuts

Our parrot was nowhere to be found, but the pelican seemed to work just as well

And just a bonus flashback to earlier this year when Sean retired his red hat. He wore it weekly, if not daily, for over 11 years.  We had a little ceremony to both officially retire his hat and to pay tribute to his grandpa who got it for him.  And the 'S' is for 'Sean', not 'Stanford'. ;)

Up, up and away

Yes. It finally happened. I finally got to float thousands of feet in the air in a wicker basket suspended from a cloth balloon with fire blazing into it.  This is how Sean described it when he was trying to explain why he would NOT be going up in the hot air balloon.  But I was not swayed.

For my 40th birthday, Brandon bought me groupon passes to go up in a balloon. Then he called to set it up and found out that they didn't begin flying until May.

May came, we got up at 4 in the morning to get ready and were about to head out the door when I got the phone call.  High Winds. Cancellation.  The first available time to reschedule was August.  I also set up a back up date on Labor Day.

August came. The day before our flight a huge thunderstorm came rolling in and we knew we were doomed. They called the night before. Cancelled.

Labor Day came.  We hoped for the best and had the most beautiful morning ever. Warm enough to be comfortable without a heavy coat. Cool enough to be comfortable by the aforementioned fire.

A few pictures from set up:

The coolest thing was 'take off' and then the first 10 min.  It was just silence. Silence like you never hear any more. I think everyone was so awed they didn't say a word (there were 12 of us). Made me realize how much background noise is usually in my life that I tune out.

Our balloon was the first off of the ground. The pilot did have radio contact with the other balloons periodically to say how fast the winds were going and what direction they were taking us at different altitudes

The boys both opted out, so it was four of us.

For those geography buffs...just past the reservoir (Valmont R, I believe) there between Brandon and Milla's heads is the city of Boulder.

And this one is downtown Denver there in the distance. We never could firmly identify the Denver Airport 'Tents'...

We landed in an aviation neighborhood (Parkland Estates in Erie, CO) where there were individual plane hangers on each home's property connected to a community air strip.  We were so close to the homes as we came in we actually chatted briefly with a couple drinking coffee out on their deck.  A van was tracking us on the ground so that they could pick us up.  We ended up landing right next to one of those airplane 'driveways' instead on by a public road. Which was a problem as the van picking us and the balloon up couldn't get to us. They got permission to go through someone's hanger, only to discover that the garage door was too short for the van's trailer.  Eventually they were permitted to drive across open field on the same residents property to reach us. The video is of us hanging out in the basket while the employees packed up the balloon.

Thank you for my treat, Brandon!

Garden update 2!

I see that y'all are back for more garden news! Lucky for you I have more to share.

Backyard Reno, cont'd

So last year it was the brick walk on the side of the house. That took FOREVER. I must have moved a million rocks.

Here is a picture reminder to get you back up to speed:

Plants in Rt picture in backyard: On left side are potentilla and some yellow flowers that just come up all over . But I like them so they get to stay...at least in that bed (only things I didn't plant) as well as creeping jenny,  and on the right, lantium, sweet sweet woodruff, columbines (it is Colorado after all) and roses.


And just because you can't keep me down, I began on my plans for the upper level of the back yard this year. I made these plans a couple years ago and by this July I thought, "there is no way I'm getting this done this year. Not going to happen"....Then one morning in August I had a shovel in my hand after mixing the compost and I just walked up there and dug up a square of grass. And then I dug up another.  Then I said, "Well bless my cotton pickin' heart, now I've done it. Now I've got to finish what I've started."

It went something like that, anyhow.

So, of course, I forgot to take a before picture, but my yard is 2 tiered and both are covered with grass and edged by rock.  The upper tier is where Shannon and I built garden boxes and where I placed my grape arbor.  Consequently, between the broken up space and the steepness of the grade, it was annoying as ever to mow up there.  And why have grass when I can make more places to plant stuff?

So this is what I came up with:

This is my official stopping point for this year.  Retaining wall terracing will eventually extend across the entire yard.  And yes, all of those strip stones are level. I have three steps and a path. Bottom will be covered with elfin thyme, path and middle step with crushed granite, and top with cedar bark.

On the left is dead grass...because I didn't water it this year. The entire level excepting the stream was grass only when we moved in. Lower level dirt is actually on top of grass. Yeah. I had a lot of dirt to get rid of and trucked most of it around to the front of my house and then to the far side and dumped it there. But then I got lazy and Brandon suggested we make a ramp so Henry could get down off the patio more easily. I readily agreed. It will be covered with sod at some point.

 This is a close up of the rock garden that I installed out from the existing stream and where the terracing starts.  I planted an assortment of sedums, 2 varieties of coreopsis (yellow flowers that should stay short), mountain sandwort, mt atlas daisy (both low mats with flowers), Indian Feather (that I am most in love with), and some lavender and hyssop in the back.  I still need to add some more rock here and there, but it's close.

So that's that for now.  I just need to put my bird feeder back up and prune my grapes here in a couple months and I'm done for the year. :)

Garden Update!

It's what you've all been waiting for! Nothing gets me smiling more than thinking about my garden. Not that it's the best garden in the world, or the most beautiful, or the most productive. But it's mine and it always holds my heart. and my sweat. :)

No pics of my broccoli, but I upped to 8 plants this year and they didn't disappoint. The bugs didn't appear until the heat really surged in mid July so I got a good harvest. And learned I could eat the leaves, too. Bonus treat!!

Some of my strawberries didn't wake up after winter, so we had a slow start, but the ones that did didn't disappoint.  Sweet as da honey.  And by now they have spread so my humble 4x4 foot bed is giving me a taste or 2 every day.

Asparagus is growing slow and steady.  Got plenty of regular tastes this spring, but only one big bunch for a dinner side for 6.  I expect next year will be even better.

Peas. Well, what can you say.  Grow, grow, grow. Eat, eat, eat. More than I can eat. Get tough. Get whacked.

The last (and the first) cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is usually giving me something by now.  This year though I just let seeds grow from the compost...didn't plant them...as they came up all over under the broccoli.  Thought they would take off after mom cut my broccoli down (thanks, mom!), but they are just hanging out.  Stinkers.  Aw well. The swell seen above is the first sign of fruit I've seen. And summer is almost over.

Yellow Squash totally a dud this year. I moved it this year to a spot where it wouldn't get so much water on the leaves, but I think now it's too shaded by my huge tomato. Or maybe it's the new variety I used.  Only gotten 5 medium squash thus far.

Tomatoes. Finally! Success! Only planted a dark cherry variety, one plant, as I'm the only one in my family that likes them. Yum.

Grapes!!!!! First year to harvest!!! And I counted at least 40 bunches from 2 plants, harvested a few weeks ago.  The purple St. Theresa were a little tart to eat plain but a nice addition to smoothies. The green Himrod's were unbelievably sweet.  LOVE.  Unfortunately the birds loved them too and I delayed getting a net cover until too late. But I still conquered by beating the birds to 2/3 of them. (and I don't mind having the birds around anyhow) AND my arbor hasn't fallen over yet. So that's good.

And finally, the pumpkins. I always plant 2 plants and ask the good Lord for 4 pumpkins so my kids each have one to carve for Halloween.  This year we're especially blessed. Planted 2 identical plants in 2 different spots in the spring.

Plant 1: trial spot, pumpkins- 0

Plant 2: traditional spot, pumpkins- 8 and counting

You can see 2 pumpkins: the one on the right is about the size of a basketball. Plant 1 could fit inside of it.

I think I'll stick with the traditional spot.

Good things

No pics for this one.  I've decided I'm just who I am and that person is content with only taking out the camera for birthdays and gardens.

Anyhow.  Several good moments this week.

1. Stressing because had to get Thomas to scouts @ 6 and then go to a meet with Brandon at the high school @ 6:30 yesterday.  Which was fine cause we placed our home walking distance to the church and schools so Thomas could walk home by himself @ 7. But the older kids had YM/YW @ 7. Typically at the church, but I got a last minute text saying Beehives would be at a park over a mile away and it would be darkish when they got done.  What could we do? I voiced this to Milla and she replied, 'Mom (insert 'duh' look), I can drive her.'

*3rd driver in the house is so cool!!!*

2. We get home from the high school meeting last night after 8 and Thomas approached me and said, 'Mom, I'm almost done with my homework but I need you to check it over with me'.

Yes, I said THOMAS who for the first time ever (probably an exaggeration, but in recent memory) took initiative to complete hw on his own (writing hw even) and get it checked and put away in his backpack without one word from me.

I still feel like I'm in dreamland.

3. On Weds after school Sean says, 'Oh mom, I need to be at the bishops home (Sean home teaches him) at 6:30, because I set up for the Teachers Quorum to come help me get those boxes moved back in tonight. (Bishop had a plumbing flood last month and had to have carpet/drywall replaced so had to move alot out. Sean has been independently working on this for a few weeks). He is great at serving. I'm just not used to not being the driving force behind initiating.

*awesome*

Love my kids.

La Gata poo is 12!

That really is a terrible nickname....but it is said with the utmost love. :)

Catherine and Milla get one year of overlap in young women's and this year is it! In two weeks, she, Milla and Sean will all get to go to the temple to do baptisms together.  A sweet time before my kids start leaving home.

The birthday theme this year was:

"Pandicorn"

What? My kids have to show me pictures of everything that they tell me about anymore. Catherine didn't want a 'friend party', opting instead to hang with the family and follow the Eyre traditional birthday format: morning presents, pin the (horn) on the (panda) and other games and finally the pinata.  We finished off the festivities by going to MovieTavern to have lunch and watch the new 'Pete's Dragon'.  Which was awesome.

A few pics so you can feel like you were really there (sorry didn't get pics of my mushroom/eggplant/pepper sandwich at the movies...mmmm)

I bundled 12 curled candles together to make the horn so we had a bit of a blaze...

first time trying a rainbow cake but got 4 thumbs up from the kids ;)

Ahhhh....pandicorn! Cute as a button.  A really cute button.

Rin's elephant shares her birthday so she brought him down for the festivities. Our gift to her was mama's old cell phone complete with the panda cover she picked out for me last year. She seemed okay with the hand-me-down. The rest are from grandparents and siblings.  On opening her 100 gel pens she cried, 'Finally! More than 2 shades of brown!!!'
(you know you are an artist when that comes out of your mouth ;)

The Game of Things

So, this summer we've been playing family games a bit more. Thankfully we've found a few that the majority of the family enjoy (can't expect to get everyone, right?).

 That game of Things is perfect: doesn't take hours, doesn't take immense strategy, but is still engaging and you learn a few things.

How it works: a prompt is read and everyone writes down an honest answer without being too obvious.  One person reads all of the responses and the person next to them tries to guess who wrote what.  They get a point for each correct answer, but if they don't get them all the next person in succession gets a shot at it.  It's suprisingly difficult to guess with only 6 people in our family!

Most interesting question for me from our last round: "What I learned from my mother" (even Brandon's response was aimed at me...)

1. How to bake a cake
2. Do not drink the bath water
3. How to eavesdrop
4. Toilet plungers are a man's best friend
5. 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice
6. "Worrying about you is my full time job"

Well, apparently I've taught all of the essentials, eh? ;)

Hanging with Honest Abe from last summers visit to Rapid City, SD.