fresh

The theme this week: 

Fresh

Cucumber Photos by Anna

 Fresh cucumbers and  beans from our gardening efforts. 

Delicious!

 Yes, it's hard to believe, but we got MORE fresh picked blueberries!

We can't get enough of them!

 AND finally after some molting, the girls are laying again! 
FRESH EGGS!!!!

Halleluiah!

 I didn't grow any of these but I got some fresh from a locals market. 

The gigantic cucumber is from a garage sale of all places?!? 

I went looking for cheap kids clothes and walked away with this for a buck. 

I just love a good, fresh deal! 

We made it into zuccini latkes. YUM!

 

 

This little baby squirrel walked right up to Patrick who was working in the yard. 

We thought he might have needed help, but apparently baby squirrels don't fear humans yet so he just came over to say hi! .

We set him free and hope he found his mommy, but he was soooo cute to observe. 

He's not exactly fresh but he is adorable, isn't he?!?

 

 

To top it all off, my crazy kids did some crazy fresh dressing up around here! 

Fresh is wonderful.

FOAH.

  This week Dallin turned four.
OR
Foah as he says. 

For a while I was trying to decide how we would do birthdays around here.

I wondered if I should just do friend birthdays on the odd years OR for special birthdays OR....

 Problem is: when Justin, the firstborn turned four, things were a bit different. 

It is safe to say that I have gone overboard in the past.

I am now a party pooper suffering from birthday burnout!

 

As a result, this year I decided I don't have to make a life plan for birthdays! Instead, I am deciding each year what I am up for! 

What I was up for this year was inviting 1 friend to join in on the festivities. 

Dallin chose Ira whom we invited to the "farm party."

Believe me, that party word is used very, um, loosely. 

To fulfill his idea of having a farm party, we ate food that came from farms AND put a few little farm animals on the table and vioala! 

A farm party it was!

Oh sure, it would have been nice for me to make some actual effort like I intended, but what pleases me the most is that no matter how little I did or didn't do, Dallin couldn't have been happier!

 As a tradition, the birthday kid gets to pick the meal for that night.
His pick?
Rainbow salad! 

I love that salad AND I love that my 4 year old loves it too! Yum!

I really did intend on doing some birthday shopping, but life got in the way and all the poor kid ended up with was a gift from Ira and 4 toys from the dollar store....and he loved it all!

I'm so happy that Dallin is growing into such a wonderful young man.
 
His smile and charm melt my heart and help me forget about all of the mischief he's into lately!

Happy Birthday Dallin!

And, no, you are not imagining things...that IS butter on his banana cake. I REALLY DID INTEND ON MAKING ACTUAL FROSTING!
I promise!

 So there you have it. A perfectly wonderful party from a slacker mommy! 

the view

If you have ever had a back spasm, I can now empatize as of last Monday. I am pretty sure that spasm, that 3 hours of torture, was the worst pain I have ever experienced.

Avoid one at all costs.

 It is amazing how a seemingly small injury can cause big problems.   A disc injury to be exact.

I am doing far better thanks to a great chiropractor.
Dr. Barnick even did a house call.

I am so grateful since my only other option was to be hauled away.

I was THAT pathetic.

To add to the drama, I was on the floor next to my bed where I had been for an hour that morning unable to get up until he came.

It was humbling.

I have been greatly blessed by good people.

On my worst day, my friend even came over to help with the kids and clean the house.
I have recived massages from a great therapist.

My dear Patrick has served me over and over.

I have been reminded that God knows me and is aware of my needs.
I know that he guides me.

While I have had a lot of pain, whenever I lay flat on my back, much of that is alleviated.

As a result, I was able to enjoy "the view" more than I have lately as I have been so busy around here the last couple of months.

The kids DID wreck the house, but it has since recovered.

Mostly.

I was reminded of how awesome my kids are.

Here's the lunch salad Justin served me without even being asked!

What a pathetic, lucky girl I have been.

unexpected.

When our friends help me bring home this old green lawn tractor, I had NO CLUE that a stationary tractor would offer sooo many kids, so much enjoyment!

Then, as if life couldn't get any better, they learned how to switch it into neutral and push it back and forth, back and forth. 

And life was good.

Thank goodness for neighbor kids and green tractors.