Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.
Psalm 63:3

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

more harvest

Carrots...a friend was surprised that we could grow them in an Ohio summer. {I'm surprised that we can grow anything in an Ohio summer with my annual case of it's-the-end-of-July-I'm-over-it neglect.)

Bug carried in 2, then three, then 5 and 6 carrots at a time for about a week and before we knew it we had a veggie drawer full.


Bug: Can we make a carrot cake? {Has he ever tasted carrot cake? I don't think so.} 

me: Of course, what a great idea! We'll take it to our picnic on Saturday.


shredding is hard work


Friday, we baked. Saturday, we decorated, shared and enjoyed.


Some of you may be thinking clever boy wearing his carrot shirt. Nope, it just happens to be his favorite shirt (from his daddy) and he wore it both days we worked on the cake.

If you're keeping track, like I am...Sweet Man returns home in 3 days for good...very good.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

first day of school

we prayed, pledged, read, & snuggled

we discussed the fruits of the spirit while noshing on fruity kabobs

we counted, practiced our phone number and address, wrote compound words

we cut, identified letter sounds, subtracted 9's

we stayed on schedule {huzzah!} thanks to Bug

we marked the day with a pose


{moments before this, Bean had a beaming smile on her face as she wore her floor length velvet skirt and high heeled patent pumps...I asked her to dress for first day pictures, after all. I offered 3 optional more casual skirts to change into and she begrudgingly did so. She made sure I didn't forget she was not happy about the wardrobe change.}



we celebrated our day with a new board game {a total blast...} and banana splits for dinner {perhaps, not such a good idea}



and just before drifting off tonight, she asked do we get to do school again tomorrow?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

home again {& poor grammar}


Tonight we returned from our North Carolina trip. There's a thin layer of sand on everything, the washer's whirring, and I'm trying to sort the discs of the 3 audio books we listened to in the car. Oy.

What a great adventure to wrap up the summer. Thanks for letting us crash your party, Grammy A! 

I looooooove the beach...everything about it...the smell, the seaweed, the barking sound of dry sand as I walk to the boardwalk...the warm, salty water, at least until my throat aches for fresh water. {Pardon my tangent: my favorite beach is Arecibo, Puerto Rico...beautiful sand with shallow blue water with the extra bonus of a freshwater stream carving a path to the sea.}

This trip was to Caswell Beach...just south of Wrightsville Beach, where I lived for a bit. Mostly we beached ~ morning walks on the soft sand, midday swims and digging, evening crab hunts. There was a little thrifting and eating in Southport {a fun town down the beach.} Even a bit of hanging out with new family. Bean had a bit of pink around her eyes {seems to be where she always gets sunburn} but the rest of us left without any significant sun damage...success.

And in the spirit of The Adventures of Billy and JJ,  here is the kids' version of the trip:

Bean: I liked the dogs {Opa and Grammy A's,} that we got to see them and I got to pet them. I like *Grammy A* at the beach and I like the beach that we went boogey-boarding and that it was her birthday and your birthday and that we gave her presents and got to see her open them and she gave you some presents and we got to see you open them. {Wowza~ grammar's gonna be a blast with her, no?}

Bug: At the beach, I loved boogey-boarding, looking for crabs and periwinkles, trying to free Bean from the sand pile {Opa buried her up to her head.}


It was a perfect last hurrah to this gypsy adventure. Big news: it's almost over...this wandering life. Sweet Man has taken a job back here in the close-to-home office, beginning next month. Back to a normal schedule...with all of us in the same place most of our days. It's time...we need to be together, in one place. But it's bittersweet because we had so much fun traveling.

He'll have two weeks off before he starts. Better start school soon because I know I'll want to play hooky when he does. 


{It has been two years today since Mom died.}

Sweet Man just pulled in the driveway for a long weekend home. 17 days since we parted.

I'm gonna go get me a hug.

Monday, August 15, 2011

beach bums










{again with the turning the camera on its side}

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Berry fever


A summer without berries???? Almost.

Berry count for 2011 thus far: we skipped strawberries, were on the road during black raspberry week {my faves,} and my blackberry source said it didn't look good this year. Oh, bother.

When Opa murmured something about picking blueberries, I didn't get my hopes up...sure they would be dashed by something.





Hopes fulfilled. 



Friday, August 12, 2011



Is there anything better than catching up with a lifelong friend?


Yes. 

 

...watching our kiddos become friends. 




*sigh*

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Bounty

Preservation in operation here. Gotta give props to my in-laws for much this week.

Last Saturday, they delivered our chest freezer...safe and sound back to us. {Bear with me for a little explanation: Two and a half years ago we moved out of the house in preparation for Sweet Man's work adventures carrying us around the country. We intended to sell our house quickly {*cough* right} and that we would not live here again.  After purging many items, things we wanted to keep were moved to Sweet Man's parents. The house didn't sell, the traveling is slowing down. We've been around a bit but I'm feeling the need to plug back in to a community....here we are.}

We received some delicious corn {peaches & cream} from them. In cooking all of it for our supper, the kids and I couldn't finish it, so I decided to freeze the leftovers. I remembered a tip I once heard about cutting corn of the cob: place cob in the middle of a bundt pan and cut kernels off into the surrounding cake pan, making sure to run the back of the blade down the cob to get the yummy creamy bits. It worked so well...just a bit bothersome getting all of those precious gems out of the grooves of the pan.

I also put up more shredded zucchini...{tell me, why is it that a squash looks so much smaller on the vine that I think to myself  give it a few more days, it's not ready yet and then when we do pick it, it's monstrous?} The only thing to do is core and shred. My MIL brought some new freezer bags that use the little vacuum to suck the air out. Put to good use tonight.We now have 8 qt. bags stashed.

Made some kale chips today...wish I could say it was my homegrown kale. Jury's still out...my first batch was too done; the second, much better.

Tomatoes are everywhere, from our garden, the in-laws and my dad's place. Most of them are of the poppable size...not can-able or freeze-able. But yum!

No berries, this year...been too busy to go pick. Boo.

AND Sweet Man's parents kept my kiddos for a few days so that I could paint Bean's new room...separate from her big brother. I have some more work to do before I share pics.

We hope to be hitting the road again...so I may be back soon to tell you all about our travels. And while we are gone, my big boy tomatoes will be falling off the vine. Riveting stuff, this life of mine.