27 and counting

I had a great birthday week. My loved ones made me feel special, I got to spend quality time with friends and family, and I got a new camera! Yay! I have wanted one for some time, but there were just always other priorities.  I have a lot to learn, but it's just so fun to have pretty, non-iPhone images.

David is so great about letting me do whatever I want on my birthday. This year, I really just wanted to spend the morning outside with the boys (yes, that includes David), the afternoon shopping for a while by myself, and the evening with some close friends playing games. I know. Simple and boring. It was perfect.

We celebrated with my in-laws a few days before and I picked a little restaurant I hadn't tried yet in Charleston. Tricky fish. It was good. Kind of a beachy grill thing in the middle of the city. Weird, but good.

Before we played outside the day of my birthday, we went to the gym. I know, it sounds a bit sad for a birthday activity, but I really like the class, and I wanted to enjoy birthday cake without guilt. Don't laugh.

When we got home, I "played" in the garden with the boys and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.

 

Why do boys always have to go where they don't fit?

 I would like to report that our organic beans are still pest free and taste wonderful!

 The peppers are still a little slow growing, but I put up a divider between them and the all-consuming squash/zucchini brigade so hopefully they can now flourish without being covered by ginormous leaves.

 

 Later in the afternoon, Phil and Suzette stopped by to bring me ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Yummy!

 

Angie, Brai, and Annyssa came over for some dutch blitz and lots of laughs!

 I guess 27 is not so bad.

better late than never

My baby Graham is now 21 months old. For a few reasons, like my super awesome best friend photographer has a really busy life and I forgot for months, I never posted Graham's 18 month pictures. Remember when Heidi was up here visiting me in the early spring? Well, we sneaked in a mini session with him while she was here. Did he cooperate like an angel? Hardly. We still got a few good ones and I can't believe how much he's changed in the past three months. He's like a different kid physically and mentally. Crazy how fast they grow!

 

 Drama much?

 Lincoln thought it was funny!

 That's better.

 I love this one of all of us. Can't believe we pulled it off.

 David met us after work to help us get the picture above. I thought maybe I could get a snapshot of him with both boys. One, check.

 Two...not so much.

 This is what I got. It makes me smile.

I can't believe that my boys will be 2 and 4 in the next few months. Speaking of birthdays, I am experiencing one of them this weekend. I feel better than I've felt in a few years health-wise, so I'm trying to celebrate the whole approaching thirty thing. It's not really working. Oh well.

Cute 'lil Garden

When I left for our 6 day Florida trip, this is what my little garden looked like.

 If you're wondering what the brown stuff around my green beans is, I am using grass clippings to hold the moisture in the soil, and there wasn't enough to cover the whole garden. Now, after another good yard mowing, everything is nice and grass covered. I'm essentially really cheap and didn't want to buy mulch since I highly doubt this whole garden thing is going to be very profitable.  I noticed that the leaves of my garden were kind of turning yellow, so I went out and bought some organic fertilizer. I didn't really expect it to work. I. Was. Wrong. Six days later I came home to this.

 What? I know! Amazing. I'm actually starting to think I might get some produce out of this garden. What a concept. I already have like 30 green beans and my first flower appeared on a Zucchini plant.

I am now a firm believer in organic fertilizer. I know I might sound like such a nerd, but I really enjoy gardening. I can't wait until the day I can have one bigger than 4x4. I guess you have to start somewhere. For those of you who are already harvesting veggies, kudos to you. I probably won't get a zucchini until Christmas. That's what I get for being adamant about starting from seeds in WV. The whole project started like this. I think we've come a long way. Either way, the kids and I (but mostly I) have had fun making and taking care of this modest garden. How's everyone else doing with growing this year?

May Vacay

Oh wow. What a trip we had! Yesterday we returned home from a 5 day rendezvous in Florida. If I had to sum up each day (excluding travel) with one phrase, it would go something like this:

Day 1: Laughing and baking

Day 2: Celebrating life

Day 3: Church and family time

Day 4: Boating and sunshine

I mean, how much better could it get? I got to spend really good quality time with my best friend and parents. It was a little hard to come home this time. They say home is where the heart is. It's really true. I know that David and my boys are really where I want to be, no matter the location. On the other hand, the rest of my family is separated by 800 miles. My heart starts to feel divided. I always feel like I'm leaving someone behind. I've always known how important family is, but the older I get, the more I realize how important it is to ME. To all you out there who have most everyone you love close by, cherish it. It really is a gift. For now, I'll do the best with what I have. This trip, I really soaked up the time I had with my family.

Heidi, Lincoln, and Mike are now a part of my family. I've learned that family members aren't just those who share the same blood or genetic make-up. Family are the people who invest in your life and who are present and available no matter what. Heidi and I have been through a lot together. I couldn't imagine missing Lincoln's first birthday, so I talked David into making the trip with me ;) The party was adorable. Heidi did and great job, and the main man was flippin adorable.

 From the second we made it to Florida, Parker was bent on going fishing again. We went the morning after our arrival and he had a blast again. There is just something so peaceful about a lake in the morning.

 

We got a group shot after church on Sunday...yes, I'm wearing the same dress. I don't know what went wrong in my mind when I was packing this trip. I only brought one dress, two shirts, and two pairs of shorts. If anyone knows me, this is totally not my style. I usually pack my whole closet. I think the whole minimalistic mindset is taking over...or maybe I was just tired. Who knows?

 This next picture is a perfect representation of a saying I saw on Pinterest.

 Graham looks as though he had been eating the dirt.

 

 We took the boat out on Lake Weir on Memorial Day. It was perfect weather. Lake Weir has so many places to swim and of course, Gator Joe's. We actually looked for somewhere else to eat lunch, but as far as we could see, there was no other restaurant. Fine with me. The boys love being out the boat and played in the water until we made them quit. They were worn out!

My boys are insanely good travelers. I'm serious. Half the time, you don't even know they are back there. Well, the way home proved to be a little more difficult. I'm sure it was still easy compared to trips with some other rascals out there, but Graham made me turn around 15 dozen times. Chula, however was an angel ;)

 Come back tomorrow for a garden update. You will not believe how well my plants are doing! My black thumbs are turning green. Woo to the hoo!