Summer Insta-grams

It was a good good summer!

New crop

Welcome to Our Garden. This year our garden has moved up to the front yard. We had a huge Douglas fir tree removed this spring which has allowed a lot more sun light to hit the front corner of our yard. Nate built a great fence around 5 different garden beds.

 

We have 3 kinds of tomatoes, lettuce, sugar snaps, strawberries, carrots, beets, basil, peppers, kale, lemon cucumbers, and hops. All grew well except for our cucumbers. They just turned yellow and withered.

 

Stella was our garden eater. She goes out to the garden for a while to much on tomatoes, lettuce, sugar snaps. Sydney would only eat the sugar snaps. She tried some of the tomatoes but never wanted more than one or two. Our carrots should be ready to pick any day. I think we grew tiny carrots. Stella picked a carrot and it was about the size of her finger and super tasty.
It seems like growing a garden would be easy. Plant the seeds, water the garden and BOOM veggies. But it is not that easy. The soil needs to be turned, you need to figure out which plants need how much water, they sometimes need extra vitamins in the soil, the need the bugs to be picked off their leaves and they need to be supported. There is so much to learn from a garden and tending to it.  Such a great reminder of our spiritual lives. Lessons we don't get to see first hand unless we choose to grow something. I have a lot to learn and practice in growing our veggie garden. It will take my family. And I have a lot to learn in growing spiritually which my family and my garden have helped me understand. 

time

Do you every have those moments where you are playing, talking, watching your kids and you are blown away by how much they are changing right before your eyes? I know the time goes by fast, and I have fully realized it this year having both kids in some form of school. We don't have babies or toddlers any more. The other day I was grocery shopping and turned the corner and past a mom and her two little girls one just barley able to sit in the cart and the other babbling away in some toddler talk. My heart leaped and kind of sank at the same time. I will never have those years back. I am no longer at that stage. I am shopping by myself while my kids are at school. Such mixed feelings.

I am so thankful for the little bit of time I have to myself the days they are both in school. But I now understand that I will never have the  daily slow mornings, the morning playtime, the snuggles. I know I am glamorizing those times, I remember the fits, blowouts, nightly crying, etc.... But those things are not the things leaving the mark. It is the sweet lovely times that leave the imprint.

I am so thankful I am and was able to stay home and be a part of my kids life. Part of their daily happenings.
These are a few things that are budding in Sydney and Stella lately.

Stella

Usually Stella remembers bits and piece of things she has seen or experienced. She would tell you about them in between dancing or jumping. Lately, she has been telling us very detailed descriptions of things. It is so cute to see her try to remember things and the way her little eyes move while she remembers.
She has taken her solo play time to a new level. She can play for 30 minuets with a simple bungee cord. She turns it into a steering wheel, a fishing pole, a backpack. I love to see her imagination take shape and flourish.

Sydney

She has always been a reader and a drawer, but lately she has become a readers with a capital R. She reads like mad. She goes through chapter book after chapter book. Nancy drew, A to z mysteries, Ramona and Beezus, magic treehouse. We can't keep enough books on hand. She has started to re-read the Magic Treehouse books on her own. When we started them she wasn't quite reading by herself yet. But now she can finish one in a short afternoon.

Not only is she still drawing but now she makes tiny comic strips. The are so funny. Complete with 'POW' and 'BAM'. I love it.

I know things will continue to change, they always do. But I am trying to soak up this special time we are at with the girls. Both of them so unique in their likes and personalities. I am so lucky to be their mom.

Insta-gram week dump

Sydney has been very interested in origami. We have checked out several books from the library and now we have found Youtube to be very helpful.

Date morning spent on west cliff.

 

 

 

 

Went out for a fun night with the ladies celebrating my dear friend Reagan's birthday. We have been friends for, just counted, oh my 21 years!  

 

A little afternoon drawing.

I know it is mean to take pictures of your kids when they are crying, BUT, Stella was in a time out and was being so over dramatic about it I had to snap a picture. 

A little bocce ball on our vacation.

This just can't be comfy.

 

Trying some new Firestone Walker beers. 

 

 

 

Playing at Refugio State beach. Sweet surf break, beautiful beach and amazing rocks to explore. 

 

A little wine tasting over spring break. We find wineries who have their tasting rooms at the vineyards. The kids love exploring the grounds, playing hide and seek and of course being in the wine caves.
We had a great spring break last week. More pictures to come!

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter. Church was a great celebration, complete with rocking out with some Johnny Cash. I love that Vintage Faith can worship to Johnny.

Later in the afternoon, we had the best redwood forest egg hunt. Seriously, these kids don't know how good they have it. Hunting for eggs through the foliage, the redwoods, the fir trees and huge stumps, it doesn't get much more egg-citing than that. ( hee hee)

Of course we were those parents who made the kids pose for a picture while all the eggs were sitting there waiting to be found. We feel so thankful that our girls get to call all these wonderful kids friends. So many different ages, yet there was no fighting or 'racing' for the eggs. Just plain old fun! They are a great bunch of kids.

 

Redwood trees make for great hiding places for eggs. 

My dear beautiful friend Julie and sweet baby Indy.

 

 

 

 

 

I was so thankful for life and health and friendship this Easter. Easter last year we were just bringing Sydney home from the Hospital after a hard bout of pneumonia.
I was reminded of the fact that Jesus dying on the cross and raising from the dead allows us to be in relationship with our Creator despite our selfishness, our pride, our sin.  I am so thankful for this community of friends that we live and work along side of. To be in community with and to share in our relationships with our Lord. We are truly blessed because He has risen indeed.