Putzing About the Yard

 Putzing about the yard is one of my favorite things to do. Walk around, listen to the birds, look things over, pull a weed here, water some flowers there, get startled by a chipmunk, notice how things are improving, consider plans for the future, feel the breeze, enjoy the shade, enjoy the sun, stop to watch a rabbit, pull more weeds, tidy up.

Let's putz, shall we? I'll show you what I've been working on. In April I showed you the work I had done and still needed to do in the yard. It was pretty brown and scrappy looking. But look what May brought:

My great-grandparents' kettle, which Grandpa turned into a planter.

This was sooooo bad but I ripped out some old landscaping fabric + a great deal of grass that had grown on it, dug out a trench, lined it with the cleaned off landscaping fabric, and placed the rocks. I divided my mums and black eyed susans and added some day lillies that were given to me from a family friend. 

The corner off the porch, filling in nicely with transplanted lillies and all sorts of things I didn't plant. 

Shade garden in the side yard. Lots of hostas, peonies, and a bleeding heart too. Next year I'm hoping to add an edge and lots of brown mulch to this area.  My aunt and neighbor gave me several hostas for this area and the same family friend mentioned above gave me a very small Rose of Sharon that I stuck here, too.

Travis planted grass through here and it's so lovely. The stepping stones lead from the front to the back of the house, under our large oak and next to the shade garden.

Remember who I wanted to bury the broken bird bath and then plant it like a berm? I think it looks good. 

This is the flower bed under the pine tree off our patio. The kids' playhouse is here, too, and I have been slowly filling it with hostas, divided from other people's yards. I found the pump for this fountain so I won't be using it as a planter any more and I'll finally have a water feature! The only problem is the basin has a few cracks in it. 

This was one of my two thistle patches, which I've cleared and made a strawberry patch. At least I hope that's what it will become. Strawberries are finicky and I've never succeeded in growing them... yet! I realize the pile of blocks and wood and fencing don't make this look so nice but I promise it's an improvement. 

Irises, raspberries, and weeds, growing together along the fence. I want to move the irises to another part of the yard but didn't get it done in time. 

These grow along the fence too but I don't know what they are. Do you?

Our vegetable garden. Cucumber, peas, beans, hops, peppers, broccoli, squash, tomatoes, and onions. I cannot wait to eat it's bounty. Bring it!

Herb garden + a gooseberry bush and an elderberry bush. 

My little resting spot. The benches have since been painted but in May they still looked this sad. Resa planted morning glories to hopefully climb up the crooked trellis behind the bench, which would be so lovely.

The look on JF's face cracks me up. What a goober!

So that's it for today. There's not much else to see but I'll post again soon. Thanks for putzing with me and let me know if you know what those purple flowers are! 

An illustrated post about yardwork

We have had exactly one warm, sunny, Spring day here in Central Illinois, which was yesterday. Turns out one day is just enough time for me to clear out a flower bed, transplant some day lilies, clean out a planter, trim a couple of evergreen bushes, and get a sunburn on the back of my neck.

It's windy and chilly today with a chance for rain so I'm daydreaming of all the things I wish I could do next in my yard. (Is my middle age-ness showing?)

Some of what I want to do can be accomplished this summer but some will take three to five years to get done. (Insider scoop: Travis got a new teaching job which is super exciting and such good news for our family but we will go one month this summer without any income. We've been Dave Ramsey-ing it for ten months and are trying to save money to cover all the bills and expenses that August brings so that means things like "making the yard prettier" and "swimming lessons" will probably not be happening this year.)

So here's what we've got along with some of what I want to do, if you're into that sorta thing. None of my in real life friends are so I have to talk about all this to someone. Lucky you!

First up, let's talk about bad first impressions.

This is the flower bed in front of our home. It's so welcoming, isn't it?! This Spring I will clean up the edge and lay down more mulch. The bare bush closest to the camera is a pretty hydrangea that I need to move to a shadier part of the yard so it can thrive. I'd like to add another butterfly bush in its place to balance the one we already have on the far end of the bed. We have some old stumps covered up with the mulch that Travis will start to work on clearing out. They go down deep but I'm hoping to get enough out so we can plant more flowers. Right now we have mums, black eyed susans, and some purple flower that I want to divide and spread throughout. I also want to add lavender and yellow yarrrow so there are repeating blocks of colors and textures throughout. I'm hoping we will find the money to buy two lavenders, one yarrow, and mulch. I'm also hoping Menard's will contact me to do sponsored posts for them. Probably neither will happen.

Eventually we'd like to add a sidewalk that runs along the first half of it, curves, and leads to the front door in the center. The other half we'd like to edge with proper stone edging but none of that will happen this summer.


Next up, the spot I worked on yesterday:

 I spent hours making this corner look this good, which seems so incredibly sad looking at the picture, doesn't it? Here I trimmed back the rosebush, shaped the evergreen, cleaned out all kinds of dead, dug up crab grass and weeds, and transplanted some day lilies from another part of the yard. There is a butterfly bush in this corner and clematis grows up the chain link against the porch. I will also plant some zinnia and morning glory seeds in this area. The concrete circle is the bottom of a busted up birdbath that came with the house. I plan to dig it into the earth for a stepping stone since we always step off the porch there. A ground covering takes over this little corner so much mulch isn't needed and eventually the proper stone edging in the front of the house will wrap around to here, too.

Next: the side yard!

I realize that right now this looks pretty trashy. There's dirt, rocks, and bits of a broken bird bath. But I've got plans, folks. Plan #1 - wait for the hostas, bleeding heart, fern, and peonies to grow in because then it'll look really lovely, which you can see here. Plan #2 - bury half of the bath part of the bird bath in the dirt and then plant impatiens on top. Since the ground slopes away from the house this should create a bit of a berm look. Plan #3 - readjust the pump so it is flat on the ground and redistribute the rocks to other areas of the yard.

Now that we've got a big 12 passenger van that won't fit in the garage I'd love to pour an extra big slab here with a sidewalk going off the end, connecting it to the patio around the back. We could store the kids' bikes and toys in the garage (right now they sit out 3/4 of the year, even in the rain which I hate) and we'd park the mondo van here, though all the lovely shade plants and landscaping would stay. I think there's just enough room for it to fit! But, of course, that much concrete costs a lot of money, even if Travis is doing the work, so that also gets moved to the three to five year plan.

Speaking of the patio:

Really our patio is pretty nice but there is a flower bed where the play house and bird bath sit which needs more flowers. We'll see what survived the winter and I think I'll put some cosmos in. Travis has a nice grill tucked back here and we bought a nice, on sale fire pit with gift money that sits by the two chairs. There's plenty of room for the kids to play but we really need to replace the chair cushions. The table and chair set was a hand-me-down - which I am not poo-pooing at all, I am so grateful to have them! - but the cushions are in rough shape.

We need to sand some rusty spots and repaint the chairs (which I plan to do this summer) and then I would looooooove to purchase these replacement cushions (affiliate link) because oh my goodness they are SO STINKIN CUTE! But the almost $300 price tag for the six we need means we will have to find something cheaper and do that in another year.

Last up, my sitting spot:

Again, I know this looks pretty bad right now but if things survived the winter after being transplanted last year it will be a very nice spot. There's a couple of bushes that have always been there, the Rose of Sharon we moved, some hostas I put in the area, and I hope to put the hydrangea from the front here. I've been meaning to re-stain that bench for three years but since I actually have the stain already it will get done this year! The kids' climbing tree is nearby this spot and our garden is just around the corner. This little nook is shady and lovely when everything is green, the perfect spot to watch the kids play or take a rest after weeding the vegetable patch.

Our vegetable garden will have asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, onions, squash, and a couple herbs. Our boys want to grow corn and pumpkins and the girls want to have a strawberry patch. And that's it. Flowers will be all around the house. I'll dig in the dirt, grow food and flowers, make hourly trips outside to pick Japenese beetles off my precious plants and mutter, "Die you bastards," as I toss them into a bowl of soapy water so they can suffer and die without harming all the hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies I'm trying to attract. It's all so picturesque! I cannot wait. Can. Not. Wait.

Now off I go to snuggle on the sofa while it rains outside, daydreaming that we have the money for the mortgage so I can go ahead and buy those cushions...

A May Garden Tour: what I got from a lot of work and a little money

Last week I put the baby down for a nap, slathered sunblock on the other four kiddos, filled up the water sink, pulled the garden rake and spade from the shed, and went to work. For six hours I weeded, transplanted, watered, carried stones, dug, pruned, spread, and arranged. By the end of the day my body was exhausted but I felt fabulous. 

Last Fall the landscaping on the side of the house looked a little like this: 

Now it looks like this:

Obviously the bush is growing in nicely, and we were delighted with the peonies that came up. My neighbor, my mom's friend Patti, and my friend Molly all made some nice donations in hostas and flowers from their own yards. 

This St. Francis statue sits to the right of the stepping stones pictured above. It's supposed to be a fountain but I like it for a planter. He's got a little bird poop on him, poor guy.

The water pump came from our old house, and my husband kindly moved it for me. The rocks came from another friend's landscaping. Last summer they were getting rid of it and offered it to anyone who wanted to move it, for free. Travis spent the better part of an afternoon taking them up and moving them across town. We have enough that I think we can cover all the downspouts, but that job will have to wait for for mulch. 

The hostas in the corner, the peonies, and the ivy on the chimney were all planted by the original owner. I added some more hostas and the stones. Again, we need mulch through this area but I just can't afford that right now. 

Here's the same area but from the backyard:

And here it is now:

Those lilies also "came with the house" and I did cover this downspout with rocks. I love how it looks. Eventually we'd like to put a sidewalk from the driveway to the patio, one with a nice curve, but like the mulch that will have to wait. 

I rearranged the patio a bit, too, did some weeding, and laid down new mulch along the back of the house. I've been doing the mulching in sections - $20's worth here, $20's worth there. I still need to paint the bench, and I'm still not sure what color to use. A dark grey? A fun blue? Right now it gets lost against the red brick - you wouldn't even notice it under the picture window if it weren't for that green pillow.

 The grass is long in the left side because I had staged my pondless waterfall there. I still want to put one in but I'm thinking it's less and less likely. We have the stones for it - the stepping stones from the side yard plus the aforementioned rocks - but the pump and liner and electrical running stuff is pricey. My dream is to then put a fire pit to the right of the waterfall, surrounded by flagstones, but again, price.

This little patch of flowerbed is to the right of the patio. The plant on the left was transplanted from elsewhere in our yard. It may not make it. The hosta came from Molly, and the bush was wild when we bought the house but is lovely this spring. This downspout will also be covered in rocks but in a way that ends more like this. 

 Other side of the bush is basically just utility stuff and then a scary drop off to a door that goes into our basement. New peony from Molly, new mulch, and more rocks, and I think it looks nice.  

The other side of the house now has tomato plants, beans, and peas, plus a fence I picked up on from the curb one garbage day. Also, there was a freaking snake in that window-well and when I saw it I screamed so loud my neighbors came running. I was so grateful to the man next door who removed the snake for me and made sure there wasn't a nest.

The yard isn't done yet, but I've made good work on my summer goal extravaganza and I'm really pleased with what we've done for about $40 (that includes the tomato plants!)

And now I'm linking up with Cari because she's one of my blogging role models and I love looking at people's gardens and the work they've invested in them.

7QT: I'm talking movies, music, and gardening

Many thanks to Kelly for hosting! And if any of you are still in need of a good planner, Kelly's is on sale this week for 15% off! Click on over and grab a copy of The Best Laid Plans.


1 - This isn't the first time Walk the Moon has provided my 7QT song. This one is so catchy and poppy and happy. The campy video reminds of the ones MTV showed in my childhood, like Aha and Peter Gabriel and I don't know who else. Who else? Who am I missing?


2 - If you are a godparent, mom, dad, grandparent, hospital employee, NICU and PICU graduate, uncle, aunt, music lover, all around nice person: LISTEN UP!

JJ Heller is a really, really wonderful musician and she's doing something awesome. This month she is giving away digital copies of her lullaby album, I Dream of You. Her hope is that NICU and PICU parents and employees with download the album and then distribute it to all the moms and dads who are watching their babies fight the good fight in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units.

This is especially powerful to me since it was JJ's song My Savior's Love Endures that I sang over JF during his NICU stay. I've written about it before, but that song helped me love on my son, keep hope in my heart, and  pray when words failed me. One of my awesome readers even arranged for JJ and Dave to perform it when they were in my area for a concert.

The music is really beautiful and even if you're not a NICU family your kids will love it. Hey! You could even tuck the cd in their Easter baskets. When you buy it please give what you can to support JJ and her generosity, but if you are doing this for a NICU please know that this is for free for you!


3 - Speaking of Easter baskets... I've got a little giveaway going on. I was able to review the new Veggie Tales Noah's Ark movie with the bonus of getting a dvd and some toys to give to a lucky A Knotted Life reader. The movie was super cute and my kids loved it. If your family loves Veggie Tales then you should definitely give it a go and enter for a chance to win.

After a couple of viewings I asked my kids, "What's your favorite part of the movie?" to which they said, "When it rains." I thought that was really cute, but I think that's their way of saying it's their favorite song.


4 - Last year of St. Joseph's feast day Travis grilled out and we all drank beer - you know, things St. Joseph would probably enjoy doing if he were alive today. This year was cold and Travis had to work so instead I made chocolate chip cookies for the feast day. Our JP enjoyed a few, Travis - whose confirmation name is Joseph - enjoyed a few, and Ben took a bunch in to his class to celebrate. The kids and I also dropped some off for my dad.

Okay, I ate one, too.


5 - Any readers who live in Missouri? I'll be sharing JF's story this weekend at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Pilot Grove, MO following the 4pm Vigil Mass. There will be a light supper and the whole event is donation only, but it's a fundraiser for the parish school so you can be generous.

Will any readers be there? I'd love to meet you if you come! Please come up and introduce yourself and let me know in the combox if you're planning on it!


6 - If you're looking for a movie to watch this weekend do yourself two favors:
#1 don't watch Exodus: Gods and Kings.
#2 do watch Chef.

Chef stars Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, Robert Downey Jr. and a few other recognizable faces and it's streaming on Netflix. There's some language and a couple of innuendos but overall I thought it did a great job of being a really sweet movie while still being fun and about real stuff.

(And that recommendation is why Netflix did not seek me out to write endorsements and reviews for them in exchange for a free subscription. ahem.)


7 - Spring is in the air so let's talk gardens.

The older I get the more I grow from just liking the idea of having a garden and pretty flowerbeds to actually enjoying the work of having a garden and pretty flowerbeds. I am itching to get outside, clear out the dead, lay down fresh mulch, and plant some annuals!

This year I'm hoping to till up some earth and plant some veggies and turn one of the flowerbeds into a sort of garden, maybe with some oregano and basil. It's on the side of the house where the garden will be and it's not really visible to anyone so it doesn't have to look gorgeous, just nice enough.

I didn't get any bulbs planted last fall and so I'm not going to have any pretty daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, crocuses, or the the like which is bumming me out, but I'm hoping my butterfly bush and hydrangea will come back this year and make up for the lack of spring flowers.

What about you? Do you have a green (or green-ish) thumb? What are your plans?

7 Quick Takes

1 - Enjoy!

2 - I know this is a little past due, but here's pictures from L's first day of school.

When she grows up she wants to be the Queen of the Butterflies. No one better get in her way!

Shortly after I took this picture she looked up at me, waved, and said, "Bye-bye." I was dismissed.

3 - JF also had his first day of school. He's in the Early Childhood Education classroom... which is sort of like special ed preschool... it's because of his apraxia.

As you can see, he likes suckers, coloring, and ice.

Sometimes he cries when I drop him off and sometimes he doesn't but the tears don't last. He has a blast every day, which is easy to see when I pick him up and he's obviously enjoying himself and oblivious to my presence. 

4 - When we're in the car I usually just want to listen to the radio. The kids often want to talk to me. Today I missed out on awesome songs like Royals and Roar and Monkey Man. I tried to explain that its not every day that The Specials are on the radio so I really wanted them to be quiet for Monkey Man but no dice. I guess they just can't appreciate ska music.

5 - Two special prayer requests. First: We're having an open house on Sunday from 2-4. We've lowered the price of our home again and we're really, really, really hoping someone will buy our house very soon. Please pray that people will come and we'll end up with a good offer. 

Second: My cousin's son is very sick with c-diff. He's been really sick for a long time and is currently in the hospital for his second stay this month. Please pray that little Noah will get well soon - or how about right now?! - and please pray for his parents as they navigate all this.

6 - Speaking of my house selling... we made an offer on a house in the town we want to live in and it was accepted. The offer is contingent on the sale of our house of course (which is why we need to sell this one so badly). I've been daydreaming about what I'll do in the dining room, which looks like this

On the other side of those curtains are French doors that lead to a sunroom that has a view of our huge, green, tree-lined backyard. As far as I'm concerned there's no need for those drapes and I intend to take them down asap. A new light fixture for sure. I think I'd like to paint those built-ins white but paint the backs of them a rich, pretty blue. The paneling, well I don't know what I'll do with the paneling. I'd love to get rid of it but that might be too big of a project for right now. 

And in the unfinished basement we have big plans. There's a small, ugly half-bath that we'd like to fix up and add a shower stall to. Then, in a large, long room we want to keep one far end of it white and blank so we can shine a projector on it and watch movies. There'll be a comfy sofa, maybe some counter space, and most importantly on the opposite wall I want a simpler and less grey version of this

Ben has requested a slide to get off the top bunks and I think it's a great idea. 

This way we can have family movie nights and the kids can just fall asleep in the bunks. If there's a tornado warning at night we can all just go to sleep in the basement. If people come to visit there will be open beds. When the kids get older and have slumber parties we'll be all set up.  I love it.

7 - We harvested a bunch of tomatoes recently.

Look at all those beauties.

The Little Tykes wagon came in very handy for the harvest. Thanks, kiddos!

I washed them off, blended them up, boiled them down, and added some yummy seasoning. They made a delicious marinara sauce. We used it on homemade pizza last night and Italian nachos tonight. Delicious. 

Many thanks to Jen for hosting!

Five Favorites

Thanks to Hallie for hosting!

#1 - The EpiPen. Because JF would maybe be dead without it. Really. Here's the story:

JF's mother is illiterate and stupid and buys her milk based on the color of the carton and not the actual words written on it. Because of that two weeks ago today, after baths and while we were getting the last child ready for bed I gave JF a bottle of whole milk instead of soy milk - because they both have red tops. After drinking less than 2oz he started to break out into hives, itch, get really snotty, and then throw up. Obviously he was having a reaction but I didn't know to what since I was still thinking he was drinking soy milk. Travis was at a track meet so THANK GOD my mom had decided to come over that night to help with dinner and bedtime. I gave JF some Benedryl, which he threw up. Then I went to change his diaper and laying on the changing table his eyes started to swell up, he got a spacey look, and his breathing began to sound wheezy.

I swung the EpiPen into his thigh and took him to the ER.


#2 - Living in a small Catholic world.
Last week I saw my irl friend Elizabeth tag Ashley Collins on Facebook. Since I follow Ashley on Twitter and think he's super awesome I became super excited, in a "oh-my-gosh!-you-know-Ashley-Collins!?!" kind of way. Which of course he saw. Only slightly embarrassing.

Then I finally put a bunch of things together about Jenny Uebbing. Like that she was a FOCUS missionary and her husband's name is Dave, and their last name is Uebbing and then I realized that when I participated in FOCUS training in 2004 I met Dave. I sent her a creepy email asking if Dave was smart and funny and an Eagle Scout and I looked a pictures of them on Facebook. I've never met Jenny (unfortunately) and Dave doesn't remember me but I'm still counting it!


#3 - Spiced chai at Leaves and Beans. 

Hot, iced, blended - this is the best chai I've ever had. Travis and I just discovered this coffee shop and we love it. It's delicious. If you're in Morton, IL - pumpkin capitol of the world - do yourself a favor and get one.


#4 - The first batch of fresh asparagus from our garden. Holy schmoly - fresh, tender, yummy asparagus picked by my husband and daughter - the best. Everyone loved them and the 12 spears were not enough.


#5 - That Resa and I have the same gait.

She waddles. I waddle. We both waddle. Except my hands are usually on my lower back/hips/whatever is near that I can lean on for extra support.


#6 - Okay, I'm cheating a little bit and adding this one to the mix. OSF St. Francis Hospital / Children's Hospital of Illinois.  I hope you've all seen the awesome news about the 2 year old girl who was born without a windpipe but just had successful surgery at OSF (as us locals call it) for a transplant that included her own adult stem cells.  I loved this part of the Huffington Post article: 

Hannah's parents had read about Dr. Paolo Macchiarini's success using stem-cell based tracheas but couldn't afford to pay for the operation at his center, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. So Dr. Mark Holterman helped the family arrange to have the procedure at his Peoria hospital, bringing in Macchiarini to lead the operation. Children's Hospital waived the cost, likely hundreds of thousands of dollars, Holterman said.

Part of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, the Roman Catholic hospital considers the operation part of their mission to provide charity care, but also views it as a way to champion a type of stem-cell therapy that doesn't involve human embryos, the surgeons said. The Catholic church opposes using stem cells derived from human embryos in research or treatment. [emphasis mine]

OSF really is a great hospital. It's where JF's alleged miracle happened and where he spent 7 weeks in the NICU. There's a crucifix in every. single. room. There's daily Mass in the chapel. There's a beautiful adoration chapel, separate from the main chapel, that is open 24/7 and is located in a high-traffic area of the hospital. The nuns who run it are serious about their mission and completely orthodox. The doctors, nurses, therapists, techs and so on are encouraged to pray over their patients. It is a St. Jude affiliate and its Children's Hospital is the best in the world for several treatments. And from personal experience I can tell you that the people in billing are very kind, easy to work with, and helpful when it comes to applying for charity and payment plans. At this house we love OSF.

7 quick takes

1 - The first line is the best first line of any song ever.  You do know this song, right?  I was one year old when this song came out and I know it - surely you do, too!  It's one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs.  I love the story it tells and the characters that are developed in it.  It's amazing.  Favorite line in the song:  Well our luck may have died and our love may be cold but with you forever I'll stay. 

2 - Here's some updates on JF:

* He can say "Hi" "up" and "yeah" although he usually only says "hi" or grunts.  He can sign "more" "please" "where" "all done" "cracker" "book" and he waves hello and good-bye and will shake your hand if you say "Pleased to meet you."  Since he's 18 months he's definitely delayed in his communication but only by a few months, and he's quickly catching up!

* He was evaluated at Easter Seals as a follow-up, info gathering sorta thing for cooling babies. The physical therapist put his gross motor skills at 15 months (dumb bowed legs are partially to blame) and his fine motor at 16.5 (although his grasping skills were those of a 20 mo). His cognitive/learning skills placed him at 16 months. So, like I've said before, he's normal. :)

* He throws up almost every single day and while sometimes we know why (he gagged or lots of mucus-snot in his belly) a lot of the time we don't know why. He went to an allergist who thinks that JF may have eosinophilic esophogitis which means he throat is becoming inflamed due to allergies.  It's looking like the little guy will be seeing a specialist, having an endoscopy and biopsy, and hopefully we will figure all this out.

3 - Thanks to everyone who partook in the "No sex for months" conversation!  I wrote a little follow-up post, "So we're all in this together".  I'll probably be coming back to this a lot in the next months - my apologies now. 

4 - Speaking of sex: for months I've wanted to write a post about being a virgin when I got married and how great that was.   I want to write it not to make anyone feel bad but in hopes that it may encourage someone.  I have the post in my head, I just need to get to a place where I can type it out.

Look at how handsome my husband is!

5 - Last night I had dreams about zombies taking over the earth.  My zombies are always like the zombie/vampire things in I Am Legend.  (Why did I ever agree to watch that movie?  I hate scary movies!)  Of course every dream about zombies trying to break into your home is far, far worse when the only thing between them and my kids are me, hiding the kids as we crouch in a corner, and Travis with a shotgun. 

Travis dreamed that the strawberries in our garden had started to grow.

6 - So on Twitter, Facebook, and this blog I pleaded with JJ Heller to please sing her song My Savior's Love Endures when she is in Eureka next Friday for a concert.  The song means a lot to me as I sang it over JF when he was in the NICU. 

So it went down like this: 

 That's right - she said YES!  I'm so excited!  And I'll probably cry - fair warning to any central Illinoisans who may also be attending the upcoming JJ Heller / Audrey Assad show.

7 - On that note I'm going to shower, eat old donuts for breakfast and get dinner in the crockpot.  You know we're having meat today - Easter Friday and all!



summa time

Travis is done with school.
The garden is planted.
Our strawberry plants are producing beautiful little berries.
We went swimming for the first time this season.

Summer is here and we are hot.

And busy.  We spent a long Memorial Day weekend with Trav's family and, come next week, the kids and I will be moving in with my parents.  Our home will become a full time construction zone until it is completely done.  And when the last patch of mud is dry, the last piece of trim is hung, and the new patio is completely done the kids and I will move back home. 

It's going to be a crazy June.

So sorry if the posting is sporadic for awhile.  I want to be here - I really do - but we've got a lot of stuff going on!  I'm sure you understand!

Lord, help us!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol 8)

-1-

Our garden continues to produce.  I'm thinking the snap peas (above) are almost done, probably because I should have staked them.  The green beans are loaded!

-2-

Ben may be too cute for his own good. 

This is him eagerly anticipating his bath. 

-3-

L has started to really "mother" her brother.  She likes to hold him, give him his bottle, and quiet him when he cries with "sssshh"s.  It's really sweet.  It makes her feel like she's helping (which she often is!) and because he adores his big sister he loves the attention.

-4-

Okay, this is just a cute picture of my kids playing together in the nursery. 

-5-

Earlier this week we went to the Niabi Zoo near the Quad Cities.  The kids and I went with Travis' mom, sister, aunt, cousin, and grandma.  Ben was the only male in the bunch and he did a good time holding his own.  The day was hot, and there were few benches and air conditioned buildings, but it was a lot of fun and everything was very reasonably priced. 

-6-

Old Settlers Days are here, folks, the quintessential small town fair.  There's rides, games, live entertainment and most importantly, fair food.  The best part for me was the St. Mary's food tent's homemade pies.  And they really are homemade.  Every day a bunch of Catholic women make pie crusts from scratch, fill them with rhubarb, apples, peaches, and other fruits, bake 'em, and then sell them for $2 a slice.  Delicious.

The best part for my daughter was riding on the race track ride, over and over again.

-7-

Update on the upstairs renovation: 

Trav has finished building the closets in the 3 bedrooms.  He has also run wire to them all.  The installation is next to go in, then the walls and ceilings.  (!!!!)

I am super excited about the size of my new walk-in closet.

I'm also excited about this back door being gone, along with the rickety stairs and deck.

Oh yeah, it'll be nice to be rid of the toilet and shower stall, too.