Petunias

I've seen weeds growing in between sidewalk pieces.  But petunias are a new one for me.  What about you?

On Time

I have a voice inside me that won't let me be late.  Even if I'm supposed to be.  In fact, if I'm not ten minutes early, the voice is telling me that I'm late.

I play on a roller hockey league that is never on time.  Still, I can't be late.  I must be early.  This past week, our game was scheduled for 9:50PM.  Which is right around my bedtime.  Seriously.  But I was there at 9:40PM, skates on.  And do you know what?  The game that was supposed to start at 9:00PM was just starting.  I witnessed the ball drop.  Not even kidding.

DH says that you're supposed to be late to a dinner party.  The hostess expects you to be late.  I struggle.  So we compromise.  We're not early.  But we're not late either.  We're on time.  And when I host a dinner party?  I'm ready on time - or early.

My point?  I will be on time.  Even when I know there is no way the game is going to start on time.

Goblin Valley

It was our first camping trip in 5 years of marriage (we've been with other people, just never by ourselves).

There was a sign posted by the bathrooms, asking people not to chase the lizards because their tails will fall off.  N was sure to read it each time she went to the bathroom.  And then when she saw a lizard, she would freeze, because she didn't want it to lose it's tail.

The weather was perfect!  Overcast on Friday - which was our big hiking day.  A few sprinkles, but nothing to chase us to the van.  It wasn't hot and we had a ton of fun climbing the goblins, looking for caves and driving down roads that are not maintained.

If only we drove a Subaru, instead of a Kia.  But we really did drive here.  To be more specific, I drove here (then I sweetly asked DH to drive back).  We were originally heading to hike Little Wild Horse Canyon, but when the two youngest fell asleep after driving for 5 minutes, we decided to continue on to Muddy River.  At the end of the road (literally), we found a dry river bed-ish looking place and assumed that we'd made it to "Muddy River".  

The entire trip was fun!  We're looking forward to more camping trips and new sites (though N is already planning a return trip to Goblin Valley).  And maybe next time we'll remember all of the things that we forgot.  And maybe we won't...

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I think these are grapes.  Yes?  No?  Anybody?

Our first tomatoes.  They're cherry, so hopefully soon we'll be popping these into our mouths.

 Our garden on June 14th.

We have:

• lettuce
• carrots
• beans
• peas
• beets
• zucchini
• cucumber
• pumpkins
• cantaloupe
• tomatoes

YUMMY!

Walking the Neighborhood

I take my camera on all walks.  It's a rule I have, because of this.  Some days I don't use it.  Others?  I use it.  Here are some pictures from recent walks around the 'hood.

Quails.  I'm eagerly awaiting the babies.  I love quail babies, all lined up following their mama!

Ducks cooling off.

Mama duck with her ducklings.  

They were adorable!  I didn't want to get any closer and make the mama mad.

Birds bathing.  I think we need to get a bird bath.  I always thought they were kind of a joke, but I've changed my mind!

I Did It!

I'm not a chef.  My SIL is.  I'm not.  I enjoy cooking.  By following a recipe.  I'm very good at following recipes.  And planning menus (as long as I have time and it's not the night before grocery shopping.  I'm not a good last minute planner).  Except since we've started doing Bountiful Baskets.  'Cause you never know what you're going to get, so it's really hard to plan around.  But it's a super deal and we are trying yummy new foods (artichoke, anyone?  On a quick tangent here, my kiddos, aged 4 and 2, pretty much ate an entire artichoke themselves tonight at dinner.  I had 4 leaves [is that what you call them?] and DH had 3.  The rest was devoured by the kiddos).  And not so yummy foods (jicama.  'Nuff said).  Anywho, this past Saturday I volunteered and was in charge of divying out the "extras".  I mentioned to the Volunteer Site Coordinator that I had almost ordered the tortillas (some crazy number of them, flour and corn, different sizes) but hadn't and asked her if she liked them.  She said they were very good and offered to let me try one.  So I said sure.  And she gave me an entire bag of burrito size flour tortillas.  What a nice lady!  However, they weren't in my menu, and I'd already done my shopping.  They needed to be used, so I looked online for burrito recipes.  I didn't have all the ingredients for any of the recipes that I found.  So, I MADE UP MY OWN RECIPE!!!  I've never done that before.  I'm calling them, Mama's Own Burritos.  They turned out yummy and DH was impressed when I told him I'd made it up myself.

These aren't my burritos.  They are some of our gorgeous tulips.  I just couldn't do two posts in a row without a picture!

Just a Funny

"N" and "A" and I were in the girls room while DH was giving "J" her bath.  We started playing peek-a-book with ourselves in the girls' mirror.  "A" really got into, peeking through his fingers at himself, then saying, "peek-a-boo!" and laughing a big belly laugh!  Have you played "Peek-a-boo" with yourself lately?

The Yard

I know these are really poor pictures.  But one of my camera lens' is broken - the one that would take this picture clearly.  And my other lens is a telephoto, so I'd have to be a block away to get a picture, and then houses would be in the way, so you still wouldn't be able to see it.

IT'S OUR FENCE!!!!  And a wall in our carport.  We love it!  The kiddos can go outside (and come in and go out and come in and go out and come in and go out...) anytime they want (when it's good weather).  They don't have to wait for my work to be done.  "A" can't play in the street.  "N" can't ride her bike on the sidewalk (in truth, she's very good and careful), but she has a patio to ride on anytime (except that she has wasp-phobia.  And they've begun to show themselves.  She's seen them around her bike a couple of times and now is afraid of her bike because there might be a wasp near it).

This is our orchard - 3 apple trees, 2 cherry trees, 1 plum tree, 1 apricot, and 1 pear tree.  We're going to get another pear tree.  Can't you just taste the fruit?  Visit us in 3-5 years.  Then you'll be able to taste it!

Here They Are!

Except for A's.  I'm not sure where it went.  It's green.

 J's is on the left.  It's significantly larger than N's.  (A's is in between these two sizes.)  The bigger they are, the easier it is to turn them into...

Eggs!

Easter

I crocheted peeps for the kiddos.  They are so cute (the peeps.  And the kiddos).  I forgot to take a picture.  But I will take one.  Because they make me happy.  And I'm happy to know that there are fun things to crochet!  This one project taught me at least 5 new stitches/ways to stitch.  Wow!  So instead of peeps, you can see my flowers.