NapTime . . .

I was *hoping* the quiet meant he was doing this . . .
But he was really doing this:

I had a good nap though!

Bye Bye!

Rebekah is getting more verbal all the time. It is super cute but she has started something that is borderline annoying-- every car she sees driving by she says "Bye Bye" to. This started because the kids have a ritual every morning of waving bye bye to Daddy when he leaves for work. But now ANYTIME she sees a moving vehicle she feels the need to wave and say "bye bye". When we eat lunch and dinner we hear a lot of "bye bye" to the cars passing down our street. And when we drive to town, I hear about 12000 "bye bye" calls! Really I think it is quite funny . . . Rebekah waving at the cars passing by.

. . . plus how can I ever really be annoyed with this???!

CAN'T!

Freezer Jam

Preston getting ready to dive into the sink full of berries!

Preston and I made freezer jam about a week ago! It was really fun and we have been eating way too much of it! He is really becoming better help all the time :)

The official taste testers!

In the end we made 4 batches and ended up with about 30 cups of Jam! YUM!

Dinosaur Hill

We went for a little hike up Dinosaur Hill a few weeks ago. Preston has been asking to go back and sit on those "dinosaur bone seats" ever since!

The Garden

We started our tomatoes and peppers from seed-- something I have never done before.

As I kid, I remember saying that I hated the garden and I would never have one . . . but when you are raised on garden produce . . . it is a taste that you cannot forget. So I was super excited when we moved here and there was a place in our yard that had once been used as a garden--it was very grown over with weeds, and the earth seemed so solid and I was sure nothing of value would grow . . . but everyday I go out and pull a few weeds (need to pull more than a few) and water my garden and witness a miracle. More plants pushing through the hard earth, new leaves, bigger plants . . . I can't tell you how happy it makes me to watch my garden grow :)

This is a pretty good picture of the grapevine. Also the raspberry & strawberry plants (and more than a few weeds!)

Quite possibly the cutest gardener in the world! Every morning this little boy asks me if I am ready to go and work in the garden. So cute!

I couldn't fit the whole thing in one picture and I completely missed the other side! Oops! Here is a view of the corn, tomatoes, peppers, beans, carrots, lettuce, spinach, onions, parsley, and basil. Not pictured are the "big" plants-- zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

Preston's only competition for cutest gardener in the world. She sat on a poor tomato plant no less than three times the other day though so I think that is points against her.

So Mom there you go-- don't be mad at me for not having all of the weeds pulled at once-- one row a day just isn't really getting me very far! But you had nine kids to help weed that humongous garden. I just have me and two crazy little helpers (not so much "help" if you know what I mean!)

Take Time to Stop and Smell the Roses . . .

I have been thinking a lot lately about why I do what I do, and what motivates me to do it. So often I find myself trying to control things that are either beyond my control, or just really don't matter. Today I found my patience thin and my children particularly whiny. My Mom and Dad called me this afternoon to chat with me and see how I was doing. Preston was being mean to Rebekah and earned a "time out" while we were on the phone. At the end of our conversation, Mom requested I post a few pictures of my garden. I realized as I got off the phone and let Preston out of his room that we all just needed to get out and start over. So we went out into the backyard. Oh the magic of the backyard! I pulled out my camera and for once tried to shut my mouth and let my beautiful children be children. As I watched them explore and learn and enjoy the world I realized how much I need to just stop and enjoy the roses too. I know these precious days of little children under my feet asking for my undivided attention at every moment will be gone before I know it. When that happens, I hope my heart only aches a little--just that they are gone and not that I didn't take the time to enjoy their innocence and wonder. Seeing the world through the eyes of my children somehow softens me and motivates me. How I pray that I will be the Mother I promised to be. The Mother I want to be. The Mother they believe that I am.

Happy Birthday Burke!!

So my camera is MIA-- I keep blaming a kid, but I am pretty sure it will turn up in a place that I could have put it, --so I have no pictures of Burke's birthday (He will be heart broken I am sure!) He played a trick on me for his birthday this year-- our ward's Father/Son outing was scheduled for Fri/Sat and so because he was planning to go and take Preston, I decided we would celebrate his birthday on Thursday. In the end he decided NOT to go on the campout so we had TWO days of birthday fun! I am pretty sure he planned it that way . . . We really did have a fun celebration and enjoyed slowing down a little. I am so lucky to be married to such an awesome guy :) He really is one of my greatest blessings :)