Garden Update!

IT's GROWING!!!!! Our garden and the other things around our house are actually growing! I still don't see anything I can use in a salad yet, but I think I might! We have a miniature lime tree on our front porch that has its moments of being beautiful... I think it's kind of temperamental.
I am trying to grow: limes, strawberries, spaghetti squash, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, beets, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, swiss chard, bell peppers, and sweet peppers... yeah!
Lettuce and cucumbers: I cannot wait for the cucumbers to start coming, but I have to admit that I have pulled a few leaves off of the lettuce just to see if they are really edible!
The boxes are holding strong... I never had any doubt as I watched Trent's meticulous work!
We have yummy strawberries, if we can get to them before the birds!

The video speaks for itself!

Publish Post

GROWING LIKE A WEED!

Just a few pictures from the last couple days:



She loves to look at books. It might be the only time I've ever seen her stay in one place for a second or two.

She is getting good at her animal sounds: fish, elephant, tiger, and snake.












She is SO close to walking. She has great balance and can stand by herself forever... she just thinks she needs a hand still to get around.












Seriously, this is the only time she is SEMI-still. She is even active in her sleep... flipping and flopping to get comfy... Trent couldn't resist getting a shot of how she ended up the other night.
Bath time is so much fun! She gets so excited when we walk into the bathroom to start the tub... she is a fish... going under doesn't scare her at all... she throws a bit of a FIT when we have to finally get out!
Here she is giving hugs to daddy. There was a time when I thought she wasn't really a 'cuddly' baby - she never wanted to be hugged, she just wanted to be 'going'! She is really developing into a cuddlebug - and I LOVE it!


She is into EVERYTHING! Some people don't believe me when I say she is WILD (and wonderful), until they see her in action. I learned very quickly not to look away for even 1 second! Trent has to watch her while I give my lesson on Sundays and it is SO funny to see him walk back in the classroom after he's had her for an hour... tie crooked, shirt wrinkled, dazed look in his eye, saying, "I feel like I've been through a tornado!" She exhausts me too, most days, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

YIKES... my new adventure!

I have been bugging (literally bugging) Trent for about a year to build me a garden, and well, HE DID! When he finished these beautiful boxes, he asked me, "what next"? Then he laughed because I honestly didn't know!
I think this year will be our trial run and we'll learn a bunch!


This may be as good as it ever looks, so we better get a few pictures now!

Goodbye SWEETHEART!

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
-Elizabeth Stone

Haillie is gone. She is staying in Missouri for 6 weeks. She loves her mom so much, and loves being there... it's easy to be excited with her, but then comes the moment you go into her room to put something away and your heart seems to sink through your feet. I already miss her so much.
Instead of spending my time crying (which I have already done enough of) I am determined to focus on the positive. I now have a chance to reflect on what a sweet, wonderful, funny, clever, enthusiastic little wonder I have the privilege of seeing, teaching and being with so often.


I love this thought:
Have a constant prayer in your heart for your children and God will show you their heart, and how to love them.
I now have some (only some) moments to reflect on how to be better to her and for her.

I LOVE my girl!

Haillie's Going Away Party!

We decide to have a going away/welcome summer party with some of Haillie's friends on the last day of school. She honestly asked me starting at 12:30 p.m. every 15 minutes if it was 6:30 yet. It couldn't get here fast enough for any of the girls. Well, it did come - the party began... and kept going, and going, and going... and the girls kept running, and screaming, and running and screaming ( I thought the cops would be called on us a couple times - you know... small town drama)! They are all really cute girls and I loved getting to know some of Haillie's friends a bit more.

We only had:
1 bee sting
2 crying girls (the drama)
3 boys trying to climb the fence to get in
and 13 screaming second grade girls!

I also watched Haillie and thought a few things:
- she is a natural leader
- she is very caring toward her friends, she really feels badly when they are hurt
- when she sets her mind to something, it will happen!
- she is enthusiastic, she can have fun doing anything, what a great gift to have to be able to find fun and excitement in ANYTHING!
- she is grateful

I also was reminded that she is one of the 4 LOVES of my entire life, and greatest gifts I have on this earth and I love her more than words could ever say!





Searching the rocks for their next clue on the scavenger hunt.















The girls with their HOBO STICKS!












The girls around the campfire, telling ghost stories and eating s'mores. (Some of the stories were seriously scary... at least to me.)


At this point I thought (again)... what a great DADDY Trent is to his girls! It was fun to sit back and watch him interact with these 13 girls- watch him put marshmellow after marshmellow on their sticks, talk and joke with them, and make them all smile.




Madison, Janie, and Haillie finishing the last of the marshmellows.












The girls in the tent... watching a movie
















The AFTER PARTY (at 11:30p.m.)
Dad was the hit of the party, with a good mix of FUN and FUNNY.






Seriously, if I ever invite 14 2nd grade girls to my house again... just shoot me! No, it wasn't that bad, aside from the fact that I now believe ALL eight-year-old girls have ear piercing screams. I have to give a big THANK YOU to Jan (Trent's mom) who came down and willingly took care of Taryn and helped out so much with the party.

It was a fun way to see her friends and say goodbye to her. We will miss her desperately!