How Does Your Garden Grow?

So I know that most recently, I've been hyped about my garden, and for those who have talked to me, it's pretty much the topic I've been talking about most!  So I take you back to the beginning....

Doug did all of the measuring and construction....

it started coming together.

....

and it was finally ready for me to check out my green thumb.

This was in the beginning.....April 19th.

I took pics every Monday, as things started growing like crazy. (But I'll spare you from ALL of the updates)

This was 2 weeks later......

these plants REALLY started taking off....especially the zucchini!  

Not sure if it's the all-organic soil, or if it's the perfect spring weather we've been having, but whatever it is, I'll take it!

The first Early Girl tomato appears 3 wks after planting...the zucchini keeps getting bigger....

and the first squash blossom appears!  Exciting for no one but me, I know!

So 2 weeks after that, the zucchini leaves kept getting bigger and bigger....wider than the length of my forearm...

I went exploring under the leaves to see if I could see any actual zucchini growing...and I gasped, as one almost hit me in the head!  I had NO idea how these grew...if they would be lying on the ground, or hanging from a stem, or where.  Please excuse the pic of me....but this is the very first product from my garden!  Kind of exciting! (OK...this was at 6 a.m.  What can I say?)

Look how big it got!  Can't believe I didn't see it before this! 

Now we are 7 weeks from the original planting.  I have learned a lot.....

First, I won't plant zucchini in the main garden again.  It's GIANT, and covering a lot of the other plants that truly need full sun to thrive.  Secondly,  I'm going to have a LOT of tomatoes, and if the blooms on the cucumber plant are any indication of the crop, look out!  Yikes there are hundreds!

Thirdly, I LOVE gardening!  I know it's only a 4x8 plot, but I feel so good knowing I played a part in growing such healthy veggies.  

But mostly, I thank God for all of the goodness he provides us everyday!  Amen and amen!  

Logan's Spring Concert 2011

So I got to attend the Art walk at Logan's school last Friday night....but before we walked through the school halls to see the amazing art that the K-6th grade had done, we got to sit out on the lawn and enjoy the spring concert!  There was a band (8-10 kids) and some musical numbers, all patriotic-themed.  Logan's kindergarten class was the first up (and I think there might be some first-graders behind her) and they sung their little hearts out.... 

the girl's got rhythm!!!!  

So cute, right???  Meanwhile, Jake was hanging out with Gramps and Grammy and Miss Nessa, who, btw, has it together enough to bring snacks and lawnchairs, and a big blanket.   

And, while I didn't get any pics of the artwork, Jake put his touch on a kid's mural that they had set up

and then they topped it off with popsicles......who doesn't love a popsicle?? 

  A fun night with the kiddos!!!!
Stay tuned....I'm REALLY gonna post more.....they will be out of order, but at this point, who cares?

Christmas is coming......

Last week, the excitement of Christmas finally being near came to life. Doug and I took the kids to see Santa at Kierland. The line wasn't too long, and good thing, because the kids were TOOOOOOO excited. Logan's list was 9 items long, but I think she only told Santa few of them, a Barbie house was the main one. (She had previously emailed him her list!) Jake's list was 2 items long: a garbage truck and a school bus (?) So Santa listened intently to them, gave them a little story book, and he was done. Jakie sat right up on his lap, which was pretty cool. On the way to see him that day, Logan said, "I'm so excited for baby Nolan's first Christmas". I asked her why and she said, "because he's going to get SO MUCH stuff!" I asked her how she knew that, and she said, "because he's such a little baby and he's done nothing bad, so Santa will bring him LOTS of things!"

In the courtyard was a beautiful tree where we took a couple of pics.....

Then Logan got to pick where she wanted to go for dinner.......Five Guys, of all places. She cracks me up. After we ate dinner, there was a pretty poinsettia tree where they posed for these pics.....

(I can't believe how big they are getting!) A couple of days later was Christmas...so much going on, so many cameras clicking, but mine wasn't one of them! Darn. Until the end of the night when I went to the living room, and this is who I found....just cuddling so quietly. I think Baby Nolan did have a fun first Christmas, even though he won't remember it!

What a day! Lots of GREAT food, lots of gifts, and blessed to all be together!

Get Ready for It!

Ok.....shocker! I am actually posting. So many things have gone on in the past few months....things i really should have posted. I may or may not try to recap.... after the fact. But the most recent thing is a pic of this {little} cutie....growing up by leaps and bounds. Stop for a minute, would you, Logan?

She was all ready for soccer practice.... the kids all looked so cute! I can only imagine when they get their game day jerseys on how 'official' they will all look. And I'm absolutely sure her Mama will be posting a recap of their first soccer game....

Quick Change Artist...

So last week when i was babysitting the kids, it involved me in stepping back in time and getting the kids ready for preschool by 8:15 a.m. No problem, I thought. I did this a hundred times, tho a LONG time ago. I can do it! But little did I know I wouldn't wake up till 7:35! Logan had been awake for over an hour, but didn't bother to wake me up. So needless to say, the pancakes and syrup and braids and getting dressed and locking dogs up and turning on the alarm and car seats....whew! so much to do in record time! But because Logan had on my favorite skirt in the world (Lynne and Sarah's handiwork) I wanted to get a quick pic before school, while their clothes were clean.....(posing starts early for one of them) ;)

When I went back to preschool to pick Logan up in just 2 short hours, I almost gasped! Logan's shirt had paint all over it....and then I noticed something different.....she had reversed her skirt while in school! She said she wanted her friend to see the other side, so she flipped it (I only hoped it wasn't out on the playground). Dirty or not, LOVE how stylin' this girl is! Oh....and Jake, too :)

oh....and I'm glad I took the picture before school, after all!

Last Weekend....

While Julie and Ryan were off to Vegas, I got to babysit these little kiddos. We had some fun times, where the camera wasn't always available, like when we came back to my house to visit Papa, who was couch-bound with a backache. I went outside to water the plants, and Jake decided to join me. The pool proved to be too much of a lure, and eventually he took off his shorts, shirt, and diaper and was standing on the step.....laughing and splashing, of course. Soon Logan joined him, also with her birthday suit on. (Oh...by this time, I was also on the top step, too...brrrr). Their little pale bums were soooo cute. But....my camera was in the house....and i certainly couldn't leave them alone. So.....no picture.

We did then go back in, reluctantly on their parts, and out came the Barbie's and Lego's. Then, the next thing I knew, Logan grabbed my (fake) flowers and had one in her hair. She requested some pics be taken (surprised?)

And the still shots eventually became a performance. Sorry....you'll need to tilt your head. (Can't rotate movies...oops!)
(kinda dark....sorry)

Soon it was time to go back home. Both kids fell asleep before we were to the corner and so I took a leisurely drive home, and look what they ended up with because they had been such good little ones....

I'm such a pushover! :)

WHO KNEW?

It all started very innocently......last night we went for my birthday dinner at a mexican restaurant with Julie, Ryan, Logan and Jake. We had appetizers and then the main course was served.....fajitas for a few, which meant there were warm tortillas on the table. The next thing we knew, Logan was putting her face on it, saying it felt like a nice warm pillow....

Then we looked over and she had it around her wrist.....a new cuff!

That's about all of the prompting that was needed for little Miss Imagination to get the ball rolling....

a fan....

a warm compress for her forehead (by now a few bites had been taken)...

a telescope....

a hat...

a microphone (now there's a surprise!)

a fat straw...

a piccolo...

a dinner plate

a pen...

and last, but not least..... a drumstick!

Who knew all the possibilities for a warm tortilla? (at least it was warm when she started out!)

David Letterman and his top ten have NOTHIN' on this girl!