Garden 2011

It's that time again. Time for freshly tilled dirt and newly planted seeds and plants.

Gardening can save a lot of money through out the year but starting up isn't free. I am determined to keep track of costs and yield this year to see how much it benefits us. 

So far we have spent $32 on soil and compost, $11.48 in seeds and $30 in plants for a total of $73.48.

We also have two fruit trees, an apple and a prune. I hope to find a food scale to use for weighing the produce we harvest this year.

We are all about the fancy around here. Yes, those are milk jugs covering my peppers. They like to be warm and here in the Pacific NW we have to help them out a little.

Those are our cucumber mounds up there. The pickling cucs like to vine out so hilling works really well. My guys worked really hard this weekend getting everything tilled, raked and staked out. I love it!

The strawberries are blooming, too. Ahh, the promise of summer.

Part of my mother's day gift was seeds for the salad garden. Love, love! We already have radishes and lettuce sprouting. I can't wait for fresh salad!

MIA

Admittedly I have been MIA the last while. Life has been so busy with the weather giving us a few breaks, our library fines being paid (ahem) and trying to wrap up school. Here is our life in list form.

Plans for the garden are in full swing with our tomato and green pepper plants already purchased. Thank you boy scouts!

The garden has been turned over once and compost is coming later today or tomorrow. Thanks, hon!

Three kids are in swimming lessons again and loving it.

Six of us are done at the dentist for the year. Four are done at the eye doctor.

Two kids and one daddy are getting new glasses.

Kids are busy working on earning jobs around here. There are plenty of earning opportunities this time of year.

Steve helped me get our raised salad garden planted yesterday. Love, love, love!

Someone is having a birthday soon and it's a big one. Plans are under way.

I am working on a re-org of my desk area. I am easily distracted by pretty things so hoping some pretty organizational items on my desk will help.

We purchased a new to us hybrid travel trailer. We are currently in the planning stages for two trips. One close to home and one out of country. Can. Not. Wait.

That's it in a nutshell. I am hoping I find my blogging mojo somewhere in the desk clutter. Wish me luck!

On the road again

My parents recently purchased a travel trailer. They plan to take a few days here and there and travel short distances inluding to the  homes of their grown children.

They came this last Sunday and we had such a great time.

The only live about two hours away. But getting to share every day activities and meals was priceless. 

They came in during school time and sat with the kids and talked about what they are working on.

Giving help when needed. Love it.

The two days went by so fast. We can't wait for them to come back again!

Clear as mud

Youngest had some money burning a whole in his pocket. I went out to run errands and he asked if I would stop at the Dollar Store and pick up a certain toy for him. I told him I would but when I got there I was having trouble locating said toy. I called home to ask for some help. He is six and this is what he told me.

"Look for the pirate stuff. When you see the pirate stuff look to the right and to the left of the pirate stuff. If you can't find it then look more to the right and the left. Then just look everywhere in the toys."

Thanks, that was very helpful.

I couldn't find the toy.

We are going back today so he can look for himself. It would seem that my eyesight is going. I better get my eye appointment on the books.

Book Review: Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

I recently finishing reading the book above by Max Lucado. I have always enjoyed his writing style, especially his children's books. This one took me awhile to read. I think it did because it was a familiar theme, making a difference. I would feel inspired but would then get a bit bored after a chapter or two. I felt like the ideas were very good and the second chapter moved and inspired me to do more where I am emotionally as well as physical location. Each chapter ends with a scripture and prayer that gives a basic foundation for putting each chapter into practice. I did really appreciate in the last chapter where Lucado describes how we miss Jesus in the everyday, something I do all too often. Even though this book is not my favorite writing of Max Lucado it is inspiring and a good read.

This book was provided to me by Book Sneeze to read. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated in any other way.

The baby is a baby no more

The moment he has been waiting for finally arrived. He lost his first tooth and he couldn't be happier. Even his friends at Awana got to share in his excitement.

This guy is always looking for things he can do like the "big kids". It's now time for his first dentist and eye appointments. It's something we usually right before our kids start school but somehow we missed doing that with Lij. He knows it's on the calendar and he can't wait, silly boy. If he knew what his mother went through on Tuesday he might not be so eager but I'm not telling. I think I will let him enjoy his enthusiasm. This spring holds 7 dentist appointments and 7 eye appointments. We have 3 dentist appointments down this week and so far so good. No cavities.

Just recently he sunk his first basket and now a lost tooth! Where does the time go?

Best Vacation Ever!!! Part One

We had been planning and scheming for months. The plan was to surprise the kids with a week long vacation to Southern California including three days at Disneyland. Surprise them we did.



On the Friday night before the trip we took the kids to Nana's while we had date night. We picked up take out, came home and packed for everyone like two crazy people. We picked the kids up and brought them home to go to bed, all the while everything sat in the den waiting for the next morning.

In order to keep costs in check so we could splurge along the way we packed a cooler of sandwhich makings, fruit and chips. This was also a time to get to have the rare treat of their own sodas. It was nice to stop at rest stops or empty parking lots for a traveling break. It was also nice not to eat out every single meal.

We woke the kids at 5am to tell them of our plans as well as to tell them they had 15 minutes to get a few things together to do for traveling, get dressed and get in the vehicle. They didn't believe us! They were sure it was prank but the excitement grew the further South we drove.

Our kids travel really well and it went really well. We had two days in the vehicle each way but always made day 1 our long day. We had about 10 hours with stops the first day and 7-8 the second.

Grassy rest areas help get some energy and at this one we were about two hours from Los Angeles and we were all getting pretty excited.

We found a great place to stay two exits from Disneyland and it was a great home base. It got really busy at the hotel towards the weekend but during the week we almost had the place to ourselves.

This place was perfect for us. We had a full kitchen for some of our meals, a loft for Steve and I with our own bathroom where I took the above picture from.

It had a bedroom with two queens as well as a second bathroom, this comes in very handy with seven people in our crew.

Having so many months to plan meant we also had lots of time to come up with ideas for little surprises along the way. We bought the kids new shirts with the Disney theme to give them the night before our first day in the park.

They loved them!!!

The excitement kept building but thankfully everyone was so tired from traveling falling asleep was easy.

Look at that handsome smile!

To be continued...