The Baby and her "baby"

This is Taylie Hope 







She is my baby girl and this is her favorite blanket. She calls it her "baby", she will not sleep without it, play with out it, and if it get lost (knock on wood) Mommy and Daddy tear the house apart and make special trips to Grandma's house to retrieve it.She has MANY other blankets but will have nothing to do with them. They aren't "baby".  She would eat and shower with it if I would let her and will try to sneak it out of the house to play outside with her. She loves her "baby" very much. It is her comfort zone, she wont let you rock her with out it, hides under it when she is hurt or scared and you will find her quite frequently walking around the house with it over her head like a cute little pink ghost.   


Here is what happens when you try to wash her "baby" and she finds out:

This went on the whole wash and dry cycle. Poor thing, it broke my heart. She would only leave the laundry room to come find me and bring me back to the washer and beg for "baby".



Any ideas?

Target doesn't carry this blanket anymore, we checked.



My Garden

My Grandpa Tolman loved to garden. He was very good at it. Growing up though we never had a garden because there was to much shade at my parents house. I remember the one year we tried to have one all we got was carrots. Alex on the other hand grew up gardening. When we bought our house we talked about planting a garden and where to put it. I was a little nervous as most of the responsibility would be on me because Alex works such long hours in the summer. Alex was nervous that I would kill them, so we decided to start with a flower garden. It didn't survive.



The flower bed in front of my house. Sad isn't it.

 Last year we got some starts for strawberries and raspberries for free from his parents garden that was getting a little over run. I weeded them quite often and would water them everyday, I found that I enjoyed working in the garden and that I like checking on my plants to make sure they were growing. We were told we should get fruit in early summer and fall. I waited.....and waited.......................and waited. Nothing grew.

I was sad that after all my effort the early summer fruit never came. Alex thought it was because we waited to plant them to long or they didn't like being moves. I kept at it though. You should ask my neighbors, every evening they would see me out there watering my plants. Especially my raspberries that by that time looked like little sticks someone just stuck in the ground. They thought I was crazy.

My strawberries this year

By fall time they were looking better with leaves on it and the strawberry plants were still green. I was surprised to go out one evening and discover that I had ONE strawberry! I was so excited I called Alex out to see. He thought I lost my mind I am sure, it was just one strawberry. But it was MY strawberry! I did it! I didn't kill it! I grew something! We got maybe a dozen (and that's being generous) strawberries last year and about the same on the raspberry plants which is sad considering I had 18 plants.

Fruit Trees

Peas

We have four fruit trees as well. Two apple, a cherry, and a pear tree. I LOVED going out each evening and picking fresh fruit off of the trees for dinner. I realized that I really liked gardening, watching something that I have loved and nurtured grow and become stronger.  Winter came and we talked again about what kind of Garden we wanted. Alex was still a little worried but I was ready to do it right then.



 He built me a box and just this Monday we finally found soil. We planted peas, bell peppers, carrots, and red onions. I also have some tomato plants that I planted by the strawberries. I was so pleased that when this week I went out to see TONS of little strawberry buds growing into fruit. The plants look very healthy so I must be doing something right. I even have 4 little tomatoes. They are still green but they are there. Only four raspberry bushes came back this spring and we had 2 new starts this year. No fruit yet but I am still hopeful. The neighbors are surprised I had any come back at all. As for the rest of the we just planted them last night and are hoping it isn't to late in the season. But I am very excited to go tend to my little garden and watch it grow.

  

Carrots, Bell Pepper, Red Onions

My strawberries



My Tomatoes



One of my Raspberry plants









Happy Father's Day Grandpa!!....I mean Alex.

This year I took Lydia shopping with me for Fathers Day. We went on Memorial Day so we would be ready this year. We got everything but the cards because I wanted to look at them by myself. We get him and my Dad a different shirt every year. They both proudly wear shirts with little hand prints and sayings like "My Dad Rocks" inside of a guitar. This year we found the perfect shirt for Alex. Navy Blue and the words "Worlds Coolest Dad" written across the chest, the only problem is that it is in the wrong size.My hubby is on the short side but I don't hold that against him. I quickly checked the folded stack for the sticker they put down the folded seam so you can see the size with out unfolding everything and pulled out a medium and put it in the cart.

This week has been so hectic, I have started tending our friends eight year old while she works. Monday through Thursday 7:30am to 7:30pm. It has been fun he is a big helper with the kids and hasn't caused me any trouble. The only problem is that I don't have enough seats in my car for all of us to go places. So we are stuck at home. Friday came and I spent all day researching Minute to Win It games and buying supplies for it as that was my responsibility for our family reunion on Saturday. We spent all day Saturday playing games, eating great food, and visiting with my extended family. It was a blast! We however did not get home until 9pm. Crap! The dessert I wanted to surprise Alex with for Father's day has to sit for 24hrs before it can be cut. Why did I put it off!

AHHHH! I forgot the cards to for everyone (Father's Day cards for Alex, my Dad and Father in Law, And Birthday cards for 3 Brothers in Law and 2 nephews.) Alex then asks what I picked up for his Dad. I told him I though he was doing that. Luckily we had talked to Jon and Steph, Alex's brother and his wife about getting rose bushes for him and they took care of it! (Thanks Guys!) So I sent Alex off to bed with promises of Breakfast in Bed and began working on all the cards. At 3am I was finally done!

The kids woke up late Sunday morning thanks to their exhausting Saturday. I didn't have enough time for the Breakfast in Bed I had planned or we would be late for church. CRAP! What a wonderful wife I am!.

Luckily for me my sister in law Jeryka texts wondering if we were still planning on coming to my Parents for breakfast! Yes! I had completely forgot! Alex loves my moms Pancakes though so it all worked out in the end. Thanks Mom! (Brad too)

After church I pulled out the Father's Day card I made Alex and his shirt.



Part of the card I made him


He loved the card, and then he opened the shirt.

 "Worlds Coolest Grandpa" Wait........ What?!? NO!!! The one thing I actually planned and thought went right was all wrong! Thank goodness Alex has a sense of humor. The only thing I can think that happened was someone put it back in the wrong stack and I (stupidly) didn't check to make sure the saying was right I just checked the size. I assumed that all the shirts in the stack where the same. (Note to self: CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY!!!)

Alex enjoying his gift

So now here is my dilemma, do I take it back and hope I can find a Father shirt AFTER Father's Day or hold onto it for 20 plus years until he becomes a Grandpa? Decisions, Decisions.....

All in all it was a good day, the kids behaved for the most part, and we got to see lots of family.
Happy Father's Day Alex, Dad, Alex's Dad, and all my Brothers and Brothers in Law! Hope you had an awesome adventure filled day! I love you guys!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Grandpa's too! I love you and miss you very much!

My Cookbook Bible: To share or not to share? That is the question.

This is my new blog! Feel free to come visit, I like to share!

My Cookbook Bible: To share or not to share? That is the question.: "I hate to cook! I love to bake! And yes there is a difference. If you are looking for some low calorie, fat free receipes you will want to k..."