Vacation Day 3

On day 3 we headed out to the Grand Canyon. I am thankful that I had the chance to view this beautiful place but have no desire to ever return. I learned that I am indeed still afraid of heights and my children running around only magnifies that fear by 100%.

This is where I prefer to take in the view.
The passengers of the party van!

Next we headed to Zion National Park
We all hiked to the waterfalls, with a few going a little further. We couldn't have asked for better weather, slightly cloudy and 70 degrees.

After Zion we headed to Vegas. We arrived late (11:30 p.m.) and had to check into our hotel (Hard Rock), drag 7 sleepy kids through a busy casino, get showers taken, sleeping arrangements settled, and Bryan still wanted to take a trip down to see the strip.
The next morning we woke up and decided to head out to a breakfast buffet, only to find out it closed 15 minutes before we got there. Bryan, John, and I each put $1 in the slot machines. John and I walked out -$1 but Bryan left $100 richer.

Vacation Day 2

We spent the night in Green River Utah and headed out the next morning for Bryce Canyon. As I was just getting onto the interstate I noticed my wedding ring was missing. I knew I had put it in my camera bag and when we looked down at the bag the zipper was wide open. To say I freaked out is putting it mildly. I whipped a U-ey on the interstate and headed back to the hotel. Bry and I spent about 30 minutes searching the hotel and parking lot, but we didn't find it. I felt horrible and thought the day was ruined, but after about 30 more minutes driving Bryan notices the ring on my keychain!! I'm not sure how it got there, as neither Bryan or I remembers putting it there. I asked Bryan if he was testing me to see if I really loved him by how I reacted if I thought I lost it. He said he wasn't but that I passed.

As we drove on I noticed a strange noise coming from the back whenever I turned a sharp corner. We decided it must be the brakes and worried about traveling up into the mountains. But just as sudden as the noise started it stopped.

We decided to take scenic Hwy 12 to Bryce Canyon, which resulted in Teresa and my anxiety levels to reach dangerous levels. No one warned us that we would be driving across the peak of a mountain with no gaurd rails and only enough room for two cars.

Bertus and Carin left for San Diego after Bryce Canyon, and the rest of us traveled on to Kanab for night.

Vacation Day 1

We took off on May 21, headed through Colorado and into Utah. We had a few days to hang out in Utah before Jeff's boat came in so we decided to visit some of the national parks.

Heading through Colorado we ran into a little snow, but Bryan and I were the only ones to brave the 30 degree weather to play in it.

The first stop was Arches National Park, which the kids loved. Gorgeous location and wonderful weather.

Seven of the nine kids posing in front of one of the arches we hiked to.

My 33rd year

accepted Christ as my Savior

sent my baby off to kindergarten

moved my studio twice (and closed the doors to the business)

remodeled the kitchen

remodeled the stairway and foyer (almost)

welcomed another wonderful child into our home

taught my 15 year old to drive

opened a booth at the antique mall and started working there part time

traveled across country to California with Bryan's family

Sweet Sixteen

Happy Birthday Miss Brainy!!

Ever since she picked up her first book, I think it was in 3rd grade, she has been obsessed with Harry Potter. Her box set is worn and tattered from repeatedly reading them. Last fall I allowed her to skip school to sit in the freezing cold waiting for the release of the 7th movie. It was only fitting that her birthday cake be Harry Potter themed. It took me a couple days to make, since it was my first attempt with fondant and gum paste and I could only work on it while she was at work or school. She seemed to like it and I guess that is all that matters.

Sleep

This kid can sleep anywhere, so long as he has his ipod!

End of school+beautiful weather= neglected blog

The end of the school year is always a super busy time for us. With a birthday, music programs, acedemic and music banquets, field trips and track meets, we rarely have a free evening. On top of that the weather has been wonderful for working in the garden.

You said what?

"Hey Mom I'm getting high!"

Little Buddy yells to me from the other room as he is climbing the ladder I left out from painting.

Badger Boy to D-"You used to play basketball?"

"Did you play for the NFL?"

Guess we need to brush up on our sports knowledge.

Me: "Wash your ears"

LB: "I can't!!" sounding a little worried

Me: "Why not?"

LB: "I don't know if I should use soap or shampoo!"

We gave the washing machine box to the kids to play in.

While they were playing spaceship in it I hear one of them fart very loudly.

Then I hear laughter and LB says: "You know astronauts fart too"

Me: "It's almost 8 get ready for bed."

LB: "Is that am or pm"

No Child left on their behind

Our public schools got the most wonderful idea this year,

"Hey lets see if we can give parents more work to do...maybe give kindergartners pedometers and have their parents keep track of their daily steps...that's not enough, hmmm lets charge them $7 if their 5 year old loses the pedometer."

"It's April and those suckers have been keeping track of those dreadful step counters, let's give them another fun activity"

"Hmmm let's offer the kids "A Grand Prize" if they walk to school"

"Yeah, then those slob parents will have to get off their butts and walk their 5 year old to school"

Just for the record Little Buddy and I walked and Badger Boy rode his bike. It isn't a bad walk, all of about 15 blocks. I've walked it many times in the 6 years we have lived here and the kids have been in that school. The kids walk or ride their bikes to and from school once they are old enough.

The problem I see is that the children (and parents) I saw walking are the same parents I see every other day doing the same thing. Did I see any of the heavier kids walking? No, I did not. What are we teaching the kids if walking to school 1 day out of the school year earns you a prize? I guess it wasn't worth it to most of them whose parents were dropping them off. The school did set up a walking route for those who rode the bus to earn the prize. It consisted of walking around the school, 4 blocks!

The school has all but taken away recess. My 5th grader gets 1 recess a day and PE a couple times a week. In jr. high they have PE for 1 semester, the other is spent vegging out? So you know what I say "Practice what you preach" if the school wants children to be more active then they should offer more times during the 8 hour day to do so. Healthy lifestyles should be a journey not a destination.

Its amazing what can be accomplished in a day

The weather was beautiful yesterday so we tackled the huge project of removing the vine and brush that had swallowed up our fence and flower bed. I forgot to take a "before" shot but here's a "during" shot. About 25 feet of the fence, the tree and the flower bed was totally overgrown. The vine/bush was like one messy carpet, which made it tough to remove. It took us over 4 hours to pull out all of the vines and we even had the kids helping.

After the viney mess was removed we tilled up the area. We still need to fill the boxes, lay landscape fabric and rocks between the boxes, and install landscape timber. We will also have plenty of work ahead when we start planting. I also did a little work in the shade gardens. I added a few columbine, day lily, and bleeding hearts.

Garden plans

I have been very busy working in the shade garden, digging up and transplanting all the hostas from the front yard. I was able to take what was 7 very large hostas and divide then into over 45 smaller plants. My husband and I also spent one day hauling away all the yard debris and edging the sidewalks.

This weekend Bryan will be putting in 4 raised vegetable gardens. The kids are very excited to help and harvest. My strange children love garden fresh veggies, I'm not sure where they got that from.

We plan to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, sunflowers, corn, and the kids will have their own strawberry patch. I am extremely allergic to strawberry plants, so they will be responsible for taking care of that garden. I will also have some marigolds, cosmos, and lavender added in for color.

I had fun playing with Better Homes and Gardens' garden planning software. Although it only allows you to add a few garden structures and a handful of flowers are listed it is fun to play with.

Garden Path- extended

My daughter, The Boss, and I finished up the garden path before I left for the conference, which was wonderful. I still need to get more rocks to edge the path with but for now it is finished.

Seriously who breaks their arm sanding a door?

Yep you read that right, sanding this door ended with a trip to the Urgent Care Center and a pretty red splint.

(I had plans to paint this door to match the rest of the trim)

This weekend was beautiful so I decided to do some of the dirty work outside. I sanded this door that we picked up at the Antique Salvage and began sawing the trim for the front entryway.(the grain is so pretty that I am rethinking the paint and I may stain it to match the stairs)

I left the door propped up against the railing which turns out to be a really stupid decision. As I was cutting the trim a gust of wind blew the door over and it landed on my arm. It hurt like the dickens but after a little ice and ibuprofen I finished cutting and installing the trim.

(here is the trim work, this will continue up the stairs)

It really only hurt a little but it did bruise and swell up. I figured it wasn't to serious if I was able to use my hand. The next morning I couldn't move my wrist and my fingers were tingly so I made a trip to the Urgent Care. Sure enough I had cracked the bone in my forearm. I have a pretty splint that I get to wear for 10 days and hopefully I will be all better.

I am leaving for a weekend photography conference and luckily I can still hold my camera, so after a little relaxation and fun I should be back to working on the entryway next week.

I blinked

Everyone tells you to enjoy your children because in a blink of an eye they will be grown.

Well I blinked.

My oldest child, my baby, the tiny little girl who made me a mom is SEVENTEEN! How did it happen? Where did the years go? From the time she was born and we were told she would never walk, that she would endure many surgeries and struggles she has thrown life a curve ball. She is AMAZING...amazingly beautiful, amazingly smart, an amazing cook, and some times an amazing pain in the butt! We love her for everything she is.

Progress in the shade garden

I had already put in the path, but it was difficult to walk on the rocks so yesterday I decided to add the stepping stones and smaller pea gravel. It looks much better and for only $35 it makes a huge improvement to the shade garden. Now I am just waiting to see the rest of the plants come up so that I can begin filling in the bare spots.

I am also using a little child labor to get the fence painted.

Thursday Thoughts

The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalms 27:1

My husband and I have been wrestling with a few major decisions for ourselves, our family, and our business. We have had our discussions, I have prayed for the knowledge to understand, and somehow I had not been able to find the peace I was looking for. After Bible study this week I had lunch with one of the ladies and what she told me has somehow soothed my mind and allowed me to see what needs to be done.

I told her of my fears of others thinking I was giving up or thinking of me as a failure. About how much stress I was feeling because even though it was not my intention the business was coming before my family. How dealing with some difficult people had ruined my passion for photography.

She told me, before everything else bring this to God. Allow him to be in control. To not allow my pride and worries of what everyone may think rule my decisions, to only look at how God looks at me. I left her house feeling so many emotions, but above all there was a PEACE that everything would be fine.

Darn you Jerusalem Star

These may look like cute little flowers but they have been nothing but a thorn in my gardening side for the 5 years we have lived here. They are biennials that reseed themselves. To remove them you have to dig up the grass like foliage including all the bulbs. Some of these bulbs are the size of an onion, but most are pea size and smaller. I have spent the afternoon cleaning them out of my shade garden and will work on the other garden this weekend. Here is a large patch in my shade garden. Each one of these bunches has a large bulb and 10-20 smaller bulbs that need to be removed.

It is actually pretty easy to dig them up, most of the bulbs are clumped together and very close to the surface. Some do require a little digging, usually 8-10 inches deep to remove the bulbs.

I read that to keep the star of Jerusalem from becoming invasive in your garden, clip the seed heads from the plant before they ripen. This has not worked so far, but hopefully once I get them thinned out they will be easier to control.

I have to say that they are very beautiful when they all bloom, which I allow in one large area of the yard. After they are done blooming we just mow them off. Here is my niece Miss AllieCat a couple years ago in the large patch of Jerusalem Star.

Garden Shed

Here we have the most uninteresting corner of my yard. You can see all the neighbors houses, the alley, and our ugly fences. We will be installing privacy fence, hopefully this summer. I would also like to include a cute little garden shed in this corner. Big enough to house our push mower and gardening tools. My only requests are for it to have a covered front porch, windows on each side and a big old door, other than that I am open to what ever my husband can put together.

I was able to pull together some inspiration images for him to go off of...