Garden pics...

Just a few pictures from what is growing in our garden today. We also have romaine lettuce, onions, tomatoes starting to grow big, celery, kale, artichokes, lavender, basil, chives, parsley, collards (planted from seed last spring, it is still going strong!), rosemary, and a few other things. Sounds like a lot now that it's all written down but doesn't seem like it when we're outside.

We have 30 fruit and nut trees in our orchard now, they are all blooming nicely and we can't wait until they are fruit ready to pick! Most are still young trees but we've had a lot of lemons, oranges, tangerines and limes. The loquats are starting to turn yellow (mostly green now) and the kids can't wait! Those are next to be picked and consumed in our house.

Beets that I harvested today...yummmm I'm going to pickle some, eat some and juice others!

Strawberry

Brussels sprouts, not as tight as I'd like but yummy anyway!

Purple broccoli (large & leafy that we can't wait to eat!) and the lima beans are coming back on the teepee. Not sure if they will make it, I don't think they are supposed to grow in the same area as the previous year. We'll see!

Baseball...

We are in full-on baseball mode in our house! Ben has games a couple of times a week as well as a few practices, and that makes for a busy week. Today was a good game, Ben got several good hits and he didn't get hit in the head with a ball! He did on Wednesday and was dizzy for a few days after. That was not good and we were a little concerned for a bit. But he's all better now and other than the cold he has, he's doing great!

Hit!

Run!

Poop...

Rebekah pooped in the potty yesterday! It was quite a highlight of the day and I wasn't sure it would be something she'd do again. Up until then she would occasionally make the mad dash down the hall to the bathroom and sit on her potty. But with her diaper on. Yesterday she was naked because it was so hot so it was easy for her to just make a run for it and succeed. As she looked into the pot she got slightly nervous about what she found there and wanted me to hold her. But today she is quite proud of herself and her accomplishment and is very happy that Grandad saw her as she was coming out of the toilet.

This morning however she didn't make it. She kept running down the hall and then finally, maybe she didn't believe it was really coming, she went on the living room floor. The older kids were disgusted but she thought it was funny. Then, while I was cleaning it up, she went and pee'd on the kitchen floor. Not funny. But easier to clean up.

So she's on her way! We are very excited because this is the beginning of less diapers for us.

Squirt...

Today was our 2nd hot day in a row and the kids think they are going to melt in the heat! Ryan came over to play this afternoon and I found them all in the back with water guns and swim suits on! They were having so much fun! They love to get their suits on and get wet! They can't wait to get into the pool! With only a few hot days under our belt we are probably not making it to the pool any time soon, we'll wait for the water to warm up first.

Get BEN! (Hannah has a squirt camera, she thought it was appropriate for April Fool's Day)

Daddy is next, we know he is on wheels but we'll get him as he drives by!

Baby...

Last night Rebekah stayed up late. She took a long power nap during the day, woke up at 4pm and the night was full with playing with and entertaining her. The other kids went to bed and Rebekah got herself all set up on the couch so that she could watch her TV show. She put a baby doll on either side of her, pulled up a cozy blanket to cover herself and the baby dolls and started to suck her thumb as she waited for her DVD to start. It was adorable.

Once I gave her attention (I took her picture-below) she wanted to play with the dolls with me. We made them dance on the couch. They slid down the cushion slide. They drank sips of water because they were thirsty. They jumped up and down and they went to bed. Rebekah had so much fun. But this didn't tire her out. She was up until after 11pm and was still restless as she was trying to fall asleep. But she had fun!