Law of the Harvest

We finally planted a garden this spring. It took some ingenuity, engineering and many more hours then expected, but we finally built a deer-proof growing space. We have been eating peas and lettuce now from our garden for the past few weeks.  It is so satisfying to go and pick some vegetables that you have grown and tended for dinner. I want to always remember Grace running into the house, her hands full of homegrown peas and a smile of wonder on her face.  She was the first to sample them, but we have all eaten our share. Does anyone ever grow enough peas that they make it to the dinner table? We just seem to eat them straight from the vines.

The kids each have their own area to plan, plant, tend and harvest. I know it is small, but it is a beginning. There is so much eternal truth to learn from the Law of the Harvest. We will see if we can keep our thumbs green all the way through the heat and humidity of summer...

 Molly loves peas too!

Twin Day

Grace and Sophie's school had a "twin day" today. The girls have been planning for couple weeks what they would wear. An old pair of glasses with no lenses were resurrected with their Papa's help. $5 dollar t shirts were purchased.  I even had trouble this morning telling them apart. They thought it was really funny. I think it is funny that my twins are so excited about dressing up as twins!

Slowly but surely

My kids are being converted into southerners. Today while working outside I heard Grace repeatedly call out to her brothers on the trampoline "Y'all, I have biscuits!" using her best southern drawl. Turns out it was yet another version of the puppy/owner game that has been played for years at our house. Then Jason took the girls to ice cream as a special treat for good report cards. They both chose caramel bacon gelato. Sophie said it was mysteriously delicious.

Making Memories

 We went camping last week at Hanging Rock State Park. It was cold. We have had such a warm spring and then the few days we camping were freezing! The woods in early spring are so beautiful though. We were mostly by ourselves which was relaxing. Worrying that your kids are being loud and bothering people camping 2 feet away from you is just not fun.

 Jason and I are polar opposites when it comes to what to eat camping. I am the super fast and easy camp food person, like hot dogs just cooked on the fire. He is the super yummy, lots of work camp food person. Jason did food this time and we ate like kings. Jason brought dutch ovens and cooked delicious food the entire time.

 

 

The dogwoods and violets are all blooming. Violets in the woods always remind me of Granny and it makes me smile. It is still so amazing for us to see wild trees blooming all through the forest. A ranger also pointed out the first wild magnolia I had seen. It's blooms are not quite open yet, but was still so fun for me to find. He also taught me the difference between mountain laurel and wild azaleas, both of which will bloom in a month or so. Grace found salamanders in a small lake. The kids had never seen any before. Molly was super fun to have along and we had a great time.

I finally got all the laundry washed on Wednesday and we got home on Saturday. But it is worth it. I have so many happy memories of camping with my family and being taught to love the world around me as a child. It shaped so much of me, including my spirituality and my relationship to the Savior. I hope to follow my parents and do the same for my children. Making memories, building a foundation for my kids in the Lord one bit at a time.

Easter 2012

 Luke, Grace, Sophie and Noah

 

 

Sophie has become quite the designer. She made this Easter tree with some eggs we had from Granny's house, a stick from our backyard and a pickle jar. The only thing she didn't do was spray paint. :)

Happy Hardy St. Patrick's Day!

My kids woke me up at the crack of dawn this morning asking when our special breakfast would be ready...good thing special breakfast only needs things we usually have at in the cupboards plus plenty of green food coloring. It is also the first anniversary of Molly joining our family. We adopted her last year a few days after St. Patrick's Day.

Happy St. Pattie's Day!

Do these look awful or what? I closed my eyes when I ate them :)

Growing up

Sometimes it  is hard to believe how quickly my kids are growing up. Noah and Luke have gotten older in what seems like the blink of an eye. We have been watching a lot of home videos lately and it does not seem like that long ago when I had 2 toddlers and 2 babies crammed in the bathtub all together. But it is exciting to watch as the boys begin to create and express themselves.

Noah drew this picture at church. It is of him, his Dad and The Book of Mormon.

 My first ever love note from Noah.

Luke is not into writing or coloring very much yet. They do fun art projects at school and this is one of his latest.