Garden Happenings

I love having a garden. I love how it responds to your care, gives you something back, and doesn't talk back to you. :) It's amazing how a little seed can grow into a beautiful sunflower that's taller than I am. I find it quite fulfilling.

Here's the produce I harvested this afternoon. I had to dig up some of my yukon gold potato plants because they got blight. It's been so wet here (unusual for UT!) that they got the dreaded disease. I treated it too late, so I've lost several plants, but I still have a little produce to show for my efforts. My red potatoes and sweet potatoes are doing great, so we have those to look forward to. The beans and squash are prolific at the moment. We've been loving grilled squash and beets these days.

This is the trellis James and I made for the cucumbers to grow up. Last year I got ZERO cucumbers, so this was made in efforts to help them have a better chance. There are already baby cukes though, so it looks like we'll have a great harvest with those. If anyone is interested in a tutorial on how to make one I can give you the link. The wood was leftover from other projects, the twine was given to me (Thanks Taylor!) and the only screws we had to buy were $1.99. We made two so each cost $1.00! Pretty good if you ask me!

I made the bean trellis by myself. :) It's a little more makeshift than the others, but surprisingly sturdy. James went to Lake Powell last weekend so the girls and I made it together. I didn't want to wait. I dug the holes all by myself too. Hopefully 10 inches is deep enough to withstand any storms! The beans are just starting to climb it. This is my first try with pole beans - I've always done bush (which is what is producing right now).

A lot has happened since I last posted . . .

We've fed the ducks (and goose) down at the pond occasionally.

Played at the park.

Swung on swings.

Learned how to do the monkey bars.

I got bangs. Still not sure how I feel about it . . .

Gone on road trips to visit family.

Played with friends and said goodbye to some great ones!

Addison graduated from Joy School.

Met a new cousin named Wade.

Took a first picture of baby #3 - It's a girl! This is a cute shot of her feet. Her legs were crossed pretty much the whole time. It took quite a while to get a gender shot!

And, lastly, one from this afternoon, with the girls sporting their helmets and riding their bikes. They play together well sometimes . . .

The Festivities of the Fourth

This year we kept it pretty simple for the fourth. We went to the Scera park in Orem for Colonial Days where they had a great patriotic program. It was a bit long for the kids, but fun. At one point, they had the kids come up on the stage to act out a few things as a group. I encouraged Addie to go - she was hesitant, but willing. About halfway into the performance as they were on stage I could tell she was about to bawl though. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was pulled downward into an almost comical frown. I knew if I went up there she would lose it completely, so she stayed until they were told to return to their seats and as soon as she saw me she started to bawl. We talked about it and she told me it was terrifying to be up there. I thought she'd really enjoy it because she is such a ham everywhere else. Her favorite thing to listen to right now is the Phantom of the Opera CD. Many many mornings, as soon as she wakes up, she'll come into my room and ask me to put it on for her. I guess we'll have to work on stage fright!

After the program, we walked around the Colonial Days at the park. They really did a great job - if you're in the area next year and haven't visited you should! For a free venue it was great. There was a whole different area about Ellis Island and immigrants that we didn't even get to.

To cool off, we went up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls and let the kids get wet. The extended fam talked of going to a pool later, but that would be just too much sun for me. This was a perfect alternative - beautiful scenery and the girls got to swim. James and Addie climbed up a little ways - that made me nervous! They got down just fine though and Addie still talks about a friend she made there.

It was a fun fourth!

Addie and Ella in the Colonial Days "school house."

We need some stocks at home!

James and Ella in front of Bridal Veil Falls.

Addison climbing up the Falls and doing a classic wedgie pick.

Oh Deer . . .

I have seen deer in our yard every day for awhile now. They keep nosing around the garden wondering where all the produce went! Maybe they'll get it in their heads that my garden is not for them! Doubtful though, I've seen more than ever since the summer ended than I did during the summer. It seems like they are reproducing and sticking around instead of heading back up the mountain.

All I can say is that it will be war once spring comes around and I plant the garden! Maybe we'll follow the Indians' example and station our children in the garden to throw rocks at the birds and deer.

I have my family back.

I have a fun family. Jami and the girls spent some time with her family in St. Gorge while I hacked away at my final projects of the semester. Two weeks! Originally the plan was for me to drive down and get them sooner, but things popped up, and the school work was stressful. It seemed better at the time for me to not break up my studies, and to go get them when everything was done. The first half of their stay they had some fun (as you can see in the posting below). The second half they all spent it sick. My time was spent with the constant mental buzz caused by feelings of stress and being overwhelmed. I cleared my head on the drive down on Thursday and as I arrived I was met with big smiles, and big hugs. We are now all home in Salem. I am happy to have them back. Not everything is perfect though. There is still a bit of sickness, but there is a lot of love.

Plane Ride with Grandpa

Addie got to experience a plane ride with Grandpa today. She was quite excited about it. As soon as she saw the plane she told me she really really wanted to get in. However, after getting in, she wouldn't talk at all! I guess she was a bit nervous. She rode the tail end of the flight alone with my Dad to drop the plane off to get the oil changed and he said as soon as she got out of the plane she started jabbering non-stop again.

When asked what her favorite part of the ride was, she responded "the landing." I do think she enjoyed it though. I overheard her tell Ella that it was a lot of fun.

Here are some pics from the experience.

Addie helping with the pre-flight check.

Grandpa Glenn, the pilot!Wide-eyed Addie. Her expressions were similar to this throughout the whole flight. :)

My very happy birthday.

This is one of those rare time that I, James, make an entry in our little blog. I had my birthday this last Thursday. Unfortunately I spent more time than I wanted at school, and at the DMV renewing my drivers license. I was excited to get home and spend a little time with my family. My sweet sister in-law, Lindsey, came over to baby sit so Jami and I could go on a date.

My gorgeous wife had some secret plans that she revealed at different points throughout the night.

First off, Jami told me to pick a place to order take-out for a picnic later that night. We drove to Gloria’s Little Italy to pick out dessert (that was part of her plan), and then we went to The Italian Place to get a sandwich for us to share.

We then went to the Museum of Art on the BYU campus. Jami had reserved tickets to an art exhibit showcasing the works of Carl Bloch. He has been one of my favorite artists, and it was special thing for me to be able to look at the original artwork close up.

After that we found a somewhat secluded bench surrounded by trees on campus. We sat close and ate out Italian sandwich and desserts. The air had a slight chill, but it was not too cold. For November, we could not have had a better night for a picnic like this.

After great food, and a tender kiss, we moved on to our last activity. Jami had tickets for the play Romeo and Juliet. This was also on BYU campus, so we did not have to walk far. The play was great, and the cast did a good job.

Some have argued that Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story ever told. I have to disagree. For me the greatest love story is the one I have just told. I wish I had the writing skills necessary to convey the feelings and the emotions surrounding that night. I loved the sparkle in Jami’s eyes as we went through the well thought-out night. I thrived off of the feel of her hand in mine as we drove, walked, and talked. I can’t even begin to describe the exhilarating feeling I would get each time she would lean into me to give me a kisses during that night. Romeo and Juliet both took their lives to express their love and devotion. Our contrast to their story is the best part yet; we get to give our lives to express out love and devotion. Our love story continues on. I just can’t wait to see what happens next.