Rah Rah Radishes

I started off planting my garden and wondering why I didn't just use all the money I spent on dirt and plants and tools etc. at the market where I could pick up fresh veggies all washed and cut and ready. 

I take it all back. Now I get it. I can think of a million reasons now.

Every single thing I planted is growing and thriving. It's a miracle! 

One afternoon I found this guy in the garden. He looks so real that he startles me sometimes. 

I think he actually does work too.

Comfrey is amazing. I'm learning more and more about it and realizing how magical it is. I wish all my other plants would grow like this one. I infused oil with comfrey last summer and used it this summer to make salve so now I'll infuse another batch for next summer- well, actually Jane will do it this year so she can learn the art of green salve. We need to pass these things on :) You can also use comfrey to make fertilizer for the the garden and it's supposed to be awesome for the compost too.

We find froggies in our straw regularly. The last time we found a big one and the kids fed it to the ducks and watched them eat it. I couldn't go near the situation.

The first rhubarb bounty.

 This was a fun one. I packed their hobo sticks with lunch and sent them off on an adventure. They were gone all afternoon. Even Ezra.

  No one can tea party like Jane. It makes Scarlet's day when she will.

The girls will often come inside wearing daisy chains. Best childhood ever.

I'm obsessed with the lilacs this year. I cut them daily and bring them inside- they smell so good!

On my lilac to do list:

lilac bath

lilac lotion

lilac sugar

lilac salad

pressed lilacs in an old book

dried lilacs

Scoopy Loopy

Scarlet has been having a hard time when people leave our house- for work or errands or lessons or whatever the reason. She doesn't sleep good because she's half listening for when dad gets up to leave for work. She used to cry her head off and say things like, "Why does someone always have to go? I just want our family to be together." It was quite dramatic. Tim would have to talk to her on the phone the whole way to work. Then she started making plans for what she'd surprise him with when he got home and that helped her cope. Now it's much better. She stands at he window and calls him as he's leaving the driveway and that's all it takes. It's been a long process.

Scarlet once said this in her prayer, "Bless us not to break our heads off." 

How about this conversation.

"Mom, how many fingers does a monkey have?"

"I don't know, actually." I reply.

*About 2 minutes pass*

She then says, "Why do moms not know anything?"

Another time I said, "Scarlet, I can't believe it's almost your birthday! You're going to be five!"

Scarlet, "Mom, quit bragging about my age."

I was reading Little House to her and she said most sincerely, "Oh, I wish I was a prairie girl."

More about Scarlet:

She's left handed.

She finally learned to ride her bike and she loves it.

She's been working so hard on copying the Articles of Faith into her notebook.

She's by far our silliest.

She calls the VCR a CTR

Hazel learned to walk on May 15. She had been trying for weeks before but this is the day it finally clicked. She would stick her tongue out to the side to help her concentrate. I loved it.

Catch Up

 For date night we met Jay and Linda at the Science Center to watch Jerusalem. We sat down in our seats and about 4 seconds later Hazel started barfing like crazy. All over me. It was classic. So I took her to the restroom and gave her a bath in the sink. Kids are awesome at sabotaging date night.

Our good friends the Quintons came up from Cardston and we got to meet them for dinner. It was really nice catching up with them. I don't think Scarlet or Ally stopped giggling to breathe.

 Lap looming while I read aloud to them.

Tea parties with Ezra are tricky.

"Ezra, zip the green zipper. How about the red zipper. Now the blue zipper."

etc.

Jane makes awesome dream catchers.

 We had a fun time at the K'Nex exhibit. We couldn't peel the kids away, even for the Imax.

Jacob finished his math first this year so he picked a bag of K'Nex for his prize.

 Ezra making Jello with creepy crawlers inside.

 I'm trying not to burn out and still make lots of playdough for the last 2 babies.

Charlie and I worked hard on his cub car together. 

May

 Mother's Day breakfast was lovely. 

 Hydrangeas and garden gloves from Timmy.

Sunday before church.

 He's my friend.

 Hazel squeals when she's around the chicks or the ducks. It's really cute.

We had a close call with the chicks. One of the littles left them out and we didn't know and it started raining hard. Jane was watching the rain and saw that the rain barrels were almost full. She ran out to dump them and found the chicks literally on their last breath. They were soaked and frozen. She brought them in and scared us half to death she was in such a panic. We laid them on warm rice bags with a heat dish near and hand fed them their food and water. They didn't move for a long time and we could barely tell if they were alive or not. It took a few hours and many fervent prayers. 

Finally they fluffed up and started chirping :) 

 I found this list in Jane's notebook. I wish my lists were as well rounded and simple.

 This year was one of my favourite graduations. We had a roast feast. Then I read out our Year in Review so the kids could hear all they've accomplished this year. Then we gave out awards and medals and garden gnomes. It was pretty funny. The awards were for character traits we've noticed each of them have developed this year. It was neat to celebrate their scholastic achievements but then focus on the more important thing- who they are becoming.

Ducklings, Berries and Babies

I love this sequence of Jane and her ducklings.

 You can totally see her love for animals shining through. She definitely has a way with them and it didn't come from me or Tim, that's for sure :)

Charlie is usually the worker until the project is done guy but for some reason Jacob was pruning raspberries with me to the bitter end. He must have had  homemade raspberry ice cream on his mind.

We did some PH tests on our garden soil. Turns out it was a 7-neutral. Interesting.

Snuggling with babies in the hammock.

These two love to relax on the tramp with a bucket of peanuts.

I had an arborist come over to our place and teach me how to take care of all our trees. It was heavenly to learn from an expert and ask her all my questions. I learned so much in such a short time. She told me what kind of tools I needed, so now I'm the proud new owner of a Zubac 330 pruning knife. 

This is not the kind of purchase that would have excited me before.

The other day my dad came over and I was working in the yard- wearing gumboots and a bandana on my head, muddy clothes and holding my pruning weapon... I looked really homeless. Dad told me to go inside, have some pizza and relax :) It was funny.

I've been a busy bee this spring. We planted a vegetable garden- lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, onions, carrots, peas, beets, cabbage, broccoli, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, butternut and spaghetti squash, pumpkins, chamomile, mint, basil, baby's breath and lavender. I like how gardening gets me outside more but seriously it's been 12 hour days in the yard for the last couple weeks. I can't believe how much work a garden is!!! Besides the slave labor, my brain hurts. It's really complicated to know what to plant when and how far apart and what vegetables are companions or enemies, when and how to fertilize, how much water etc. And the expense of it all is stressful too. I'm scared nothing will grow.

Besides the gargantuan garden, we've been pruning fruit trees, getting composts ready, tending the flower beds, planting a strawberry patch, pruning raspberries and the currant patch, painting the deck, washing windows, arranging coops for ducks and hens...

The kids have been helping non stop. They have been way into it which has made it extra fun. It's been nice being outside together. Ezra especially has surprised me. He's happy to wander around the yard all day! He eats lots of peanuts and jumps on the tramp and rides his bike, all in his yellow gumboots :)