Experiences in Farming 101

I would like to say that I come from a long line of farmers, but I don't. If I had a farming history, and as far as I know I don't, I would like to think that I would have grown up on a farm. Or at that least grew up on farmish property. I wouldn't be scared of the size of a horse or I would be eating brown chicken eggs. Maybe I would have some crops.

So I am not a farmers. Obviously.

But... my grandpa gardens. He loves to garden. I remember being little and there was always something growing in his dark Arizona soil. He grew a beautiful, big, plentiful garden.

And... my mom gardens. She loves to garden. I remember being little and there was usually something growing in our brown Arizona soil. She grew a beautiful, big, plentiful garden.

So here is my experiences in farming 101. I learned a thing or two about growing vegetables from my mom and grandpa. I've helped grow corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini etc. So when Brett and I got around to landscaping our backyard we decided to grow a garden.

So... we try to garden. We love to garden. Isaac will someday remember being little and there being one thing  growing in our hard Arizona soil. We grow a unsightly, small, scarce garden.

Last winter was our first garden. We got broccoli. This past summer we got zucchini. This winter will be our third garden. 

Every season we plant six or seven different things. We usually buy starter plans and plant them in random but organized rows. Our experiences have resulted in death. We only get one type of produce. Expensive and wasteful. So this year we planted seeds in rows, the way farmers do. I also decided to try a few potted vegetables. I work with a girl who has had great results with this.

My last attempt this year will be an herb garden. I took a well shaded part of the yard and decided to try a few herbs. This will be my second herb garden. This summer I tried a few things and ended up with a beautiful basil plant. It is still alive and growing in so full. 

Let's cross our fingers and hope that third time is a charm. Cause I am not up for failing farming 101 again.

Mom of the Year

I decided to apply for mom of the year. Here is my photo submission. While I was gardening I let my kid eat dirt. Oops. Any votes would be greatly appreciated.

Five Months

Age: 5 months
Height: 26 inches (unofficially)
Weight: 19 pounds 8 ounces (unofficially)

I am amazed each month when I sit down to brag blog about what Isaac has been doing the past month. He is learning so quickly. I'm going to wake up one day and out of nowhere he will be all grown up.

Isaac can roll over now. He is semi-mobile. He rolls around over and over and over... I laugh a little when I come back to find him six feet from where I left him. I won't be laughing soon when he is getting into things and terrorizing the dogs. Which will be very soon. Isaac recently got up on his hands and knees. At first he would just roll back over. But now he gets up on his hands and knees and starts to rock back and forth. He can't sit up yet though. So maybe soon.

Sleeping is 100% back to normal, just in time for the eastern time zone to mess it up again (Isaac and are headed back to visit the kiddos).

He can hold his own bottle! This makes life a bit easier. It takes him forever to finish a bottle though. He likes to play with it. Pop it in, pop it out. He tries to see if he can drink it on his side. Or maybe on his stomach. Maybe I should try some sippy cups. When are you supposed to start doing that?

He is a champ at solids! Loves everything I give him. Especially peas!

Isaac likes things now. Anything. His hands and mouth act like positive and negative magnets. He takes a quick peak at what he has found and then he decides to see how it tastes. He loves his Sophie Giraffe. He likes to make her squeak now. Then there is Mr. Froggy. I often find poor Mr. Froggy depantsed. And... if you decide that Isaac has something he shouldn't, he gets very mad when you take it away.

I can already tell that he is going to be a stubborn child. Which should be no surprise to anyone.

His eyes seem to have stopped changing. When he was born they were a dark slate blue kind of color. Now they are a lighter brown with a bit of a green undertone. His hair is a different story though. It was dark like mine when he was born. And everyday, I swear, it is getting lighter. Ever seen a naturally blonde mexican? I've seen one... But he doesn't look mexican.

So. Shall we take bets for next month? Who thinks he'll be sitting up and who thinks he will be crawling?

I Could Love Washington DC/Virginia

I decided that there is room in my heart for Washington DC/Virginia. The weather in September is so nice. Unless of course there is a tropical storm blowing through. Then your hair curls with the humidity and all major freeways start to flood.

I can make some room for all the cute front doors Virginia residents have. I can make room for all the nostalgic downtown wherevers. There is room for the wonderfully green crabgrass lawns and the colorful roadsides. There is room in my heart for the east coast, not much, but some.

It has been a month since Brett, Isaac, I got back from visiting Krista and her family. I miss them so much. It was a nice low key vacation where we never had to be anywhere. We woke up when we wanted and went to bed way past our bed times. We went wherever, ate whatever, did whatever.

We took a red eye flight out to Baltimore. I was seriously stressing about this vacation from the moment we booked our flight. I was taking a baby on an airplane. If flying isn't complicated enough, I was going to have a lap child. I asked over and over for the best tips for flying with an infant. I packed as many carryon items for Isaac as I could. I mean a million things could go wrong. Blown out diaper, screaming child, running out of formula... Of course I stressed for nothing. Isaac slept the whole way there and was just as easy on the way back. Only once was I not able to get a seat for him.

Like I said we pretty much did whatever while we were there. With five kids, four of which belong to Krista, anywhere we went was a bit chaotic, but we managed to get around.  Since we did the touristy thing the last time we were in DC, we only went to the National Mall once. We parked right in front of the National Archives building and saw the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. It was quick and cool. 

We went to Georgetown Cupcake. Twice. Don't judge, we like to eat. Our first time was in the rain with four kids. Isaac barfed on their floor like three times. I felt so bad. Then while we were waiting for our cupcakes the rest of the kiddos had a melt down. Which is normal, but crazy. If you ever go to DC just visit Georgetown Cupcake. The cupcakes are a bit expensive, but they are so good. After eating sweets we ran to Chipotle in the rain. Where Isaac lost his only binky. I had a melt down of my own and made Brett go back and find it. Life without a binky is not something I would like to experience.

Of course we had to have a night out without the kids. Thanks go out to Krista's babysitters. Because of them we were able to make it to the Washington DC Temple. When I was little I always thought that this temple looked like a hospital. The thing is huge and so pretty. I love how each temple is so different. Even inside, they are so similar yet so individual too. It was fantastic. We also enjoyed a yummy Cheesecake Factory meal following a session. And then more Georgetown Cupcake for dessert.

Krista found some baseball tickets on Groupon. We took the metro to a National's game. I don't know who was playing. I just like to go so I can people watch. It was actually my third baseball park. Each park is so cool. We took all the kids and fed them popcorn and cotton candy. Then got back on the metro and headed home. Getting on and off the metro with five kids is crazy. I can't wait for teleportation.

(The image is small cause my hair looked bad)

(I love his t-shirt)

(We love Aunt Krista)

Poor Andy missed out on some of our trips around town. He had to work while we were there. But, we did get to see him play his trumpet. He participated in the Spirit of America show. It was pretty cool. Lots of music and some US history. At the beginning of the show they fired off a canon. Then they kept doing it throughout the show. The kids didn't like that so much. Lots of crying involved.

Krista forced me to paint Addy's bedroom. Okay, I pretty much begged her to let me paint it. She had some ideas for a cute little girl nursery and I was all for it. We got Andy on board with the plans and I made Brett help me spend his vacation with a paint brush and power tools. Check out my project blog for the details on that. It came out so good. It was time well spent.

(Just a sample of the finished look)

The rest of our time we spent eating. Brett and I went to Noodles and Company three times. They have fantastic macaroni and cheese. We had lots of chocolate. Lots of soda. I had lots and lots of soda. 

Isaac got to spend time with is cousins. I can't wait for him to get big enough to play with Addy and the boys. We were so exhausted each day but we had so much fun.

(Isaac beating up Addy)

(One)

(Two)

(Three)

It was a fantastic vacation. So good that when we left I told Brett. I could handle being in the DC area if I had do. I could even handle it if I had to be there forever. Maybe. I'm not saying anything big like we are moving. I am just saying I could love Washington DC/Virginia.

I Painted While on Vacation

I'm going to send you to my project blog to read a post about the bedroom Krista, Andy, Brett, and I worked on. It was one on my favorite projects. But here is a sneak peak of baby Addy's new nursery.

I'm a Project Do-er

Kay. I finally did it.

I have been wanting for so long to make a project blog and I always have a project or two going on to talk about.

I started the blog with a project I did for a family member, but I need to add a few projects that we have going on right  now at home. But I am so one of those people that just needs to get something started or else it stays an idea forever. Which totally torments me.

Anyways. It is boring right now because it only has one post, but it's a good post. So go check it out.