Mmmmmm

Yesterday the first tomato was ripe and ready to eat. Don't tell the boys, but it was delicious!

napping pictures (Will edition)

Since Amy posted pictures of Kate asleep in strange positions, it would be wrong not to include some of Will's memorable naptimes captured on camera...

(The first two are two years old)

(This one is from last month's vacation)

Creative Napping

A couple of weeks ago, Kate NaNa and I got the stomach ick. Bless her heart, she also had a double ear infection with massive fever at the same time. The next day, she and I were completely exhausted (thankfully the boys were with Daddy John and Jee). She woke up hungry about 7am, so I took her downstairs and got her a bowl of cereal and some milk. I was so tired and disoriented that when I came back upstairs and "laid down", I dozed off for two hours! When Tim woke up about 9 (he was exhausted from taking care of us yucky people), he said, where is Kate? I told him she had gotten up earlier and was probably happily playing downstairs.

He went downstairs and found this. Based on the amount of cereal still in the bowl, I am guessing she fell asleep about 7:05. (Please do not call social services. I cannot be responsible for my actions when I am tired and/or sick. That day I was both.)
A couple of Sundays ago, we had a jam packed day. We were at church at 8:30am to send Tim off to Chicago, rushed home to get ready for church, and went back to church at 10am. We then scarfed down a quick lunch and went to a birthday party. We then drove to the next town over for Will W's baby dedication, and then back home for a church picnic, where we ate hot dogs and played at the park. At some point in the day, Kate said, "enough", and she crashed. Bless her, she didn't even have the energy to take the birthday party candy out of her mouth.

Our Garden

Peppers & Pumpkins...

Zucchini & Tomatoes...


(Scraggly) Corn & Watermelons...

& Yellow Squash - Yum!

June 20, 2009-First Fruits

(BTW, that last shot is staged. Kate and Will are NOT that happy about squash and zucchini.)

I have to say it, I am enjoying gardening way more than I thought I would. Granted, I didn't till the soil, I didn't set up the fence, and I didn't even plant most of the plants. But I do get out there most days to pull weeds, pinch suckers off of tomatoes, and generally keep the pumpkin from taking over the whole thing. I like to either get out there before 10am or after dinnertime, and it is like I am in my own little world, where the only thing that matters are things like whether the zucchini is producing as much as it should, and what I am going to do with 10 million yellow squash. I have enjoyed seeing how God's creation works first hand.
I compiled the pictures we have taken since April, and I cannot believe how much the garden has changed. The abundance is unbelievable. Every time I say, "I can't believe how big the tomatoes are!", they get even bigger. (Of course, whether they will ever ripen or not is another thing altogether.) So, I thought I would show you how my garden is growing.

April 13, 2009-Soil tilled

May 15, 2009-Veggies planted, fence built

June 15, 2009-Return home from vacation, pumpkins had taken over

July 7, 2009-We have eaten lots of lettuce, squash, and zucchini... Alright tomatoes, it's time to ripen already!

The Zoo

The day of Ben's birthday, we went to the zoo with Mimi. We all had a great time, but let's face it, it was durn hot. And nobody told me that they would be doing construction. Or that they closed the Dippin' Dots stand at 4:00. (What is up with that?)

Seriously though, the kids love the zoo, and the lions were actually out. I was so excited because they roared. I tried to get a recording of it, but alas, I wasn't quick enough. Anyway, here are the pics...

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Today we had a party to celebrate Ben's 7th birthday! I cannot believe that this sweet child is 7. All week long we have told stories of his birth, his first year, and my pregnancy. He loves to hear these stories, and he has been much more cuddly this week. There are so many things I love about Ben, including his generous spirit, his love for his brother and sister, and his inquisitiveness. (His questions stump me sometimes.) In a word, he is a joy.

We did the traditional burgers-and-dogs-in-the-backyard party this year. A good time was had by all...

The cake was homemade (thank you very much).

Mmmm, yummy.

More beach pictures...

And you can go here for more.