I can't help myself...

I have changed the look of this blog about 6 times since I started it. I just couldn't figure out what I liked. I'm a complete sucker for fun designing and playing around with editing. If you can't tell, look at my pictures. Almost every one is edited to look different than the original. I just can't help myself. It's so fun. But I'll try not to have a new looking blog every week, or every day for that matter. I think I have a look that will keep me satisfied for a while. Maybe...

Summer Garden

We've always attempted to grow a few plants and even attempted a small garden a couple of years ago but have never been successful in keeping any of our plants alive. It's been 90% due to laziness and the fact that I've been either pregnant or nursing the last few years and completely unmotivated and exhausted to keep up with a garden AND the fact that we had extreme drought every time we tried. The combination resulted in a complete FAIL. However, this summer I was motivated, determined to grow my own vegetables.

We invested a lot of time and money into making it work this year but it was so worth it. I had so much fun watching it grow. What a rewarding summer it was! Here it is after a few weeks of growth. It came a long way from a big box of dirt.

Haynes really got involved in helping me keep up with all the gardening. It was his job to water the flowers. And he took great pleasure in doing so. I just had to get used to the idea that he would be soaking wet by the end of the task and there may be a few less flowers in the pot. He picked them just for me...roots and all.

Brookelynn didn't quite get into it this year.

We planted 10 tomato plants. I know, I know! I got a little carried away. I didn't realize how many tomatoes that would yield. The first sign of success! Baby tomatoes!

Baby Squash. 

Never again will I attempt strawberries. This little guy was my one and only strawberry that didn't get eaten by bugs, or birds, or chipmunks. 

My bell peppers did great, too! I planted red and green but the red ones never turned red. Still haven't figured out that secret. 

I was coming out my ears with tomatoes at the peak of the season so I decided to freeze them. That process was quite tedious. I may blog separately about that later. In total, I got about 6 times this many tomatoes from start of season to end. Plenty to share as well. It was a great reminder of how God loves and cares for us and always provides for us. We are thankful to Him for our garden's success.

And now, my freezer is stocked with tomatoes, squash and green peppers for the season ahead.

After such a great season, we are encouraged and ready to start planning our fall garden which needs to be planted in the next few weeks. Time to dig up the garden and start all over...

Haircut, please.

Haynes needed a hair cut so bad that we could have mopped the floors with his head this week. He was so hot and sweaty underneath it all. Finally, I got in touch with our new favorite hair dresser for Haynes, Mrs. Angie. Thank goodness for her patience. Haynes is always really shy at first but she is so sweet and finds a subject to talk about with him right away. Before you know it, Haynes is telling her all sorts of things.

This one is my favorite. He makes so many funny faces during a hair cut that range from scared to worried to annoyed. At several points during this haircut, Haynes tried to brush hair off his face with the cape and succeeded in getting hair in his mouth. Then he spit and spit. I'm sure Mrs. Angie appreciated it.

All done. I know Mrs. Angie breaths a sigh of relief that this wiggly little boy is done with a hair cut for a while.

It's an "Annika" day!

During the last few summers, I have had the joy of spending some time with a sweet girl named, Annika. She voluntarily comes to my house and plays with my babies so I can get some things done. She probably has no idea how much this really helps me but I enjoy every minute she is here. What a service and ministry to a mom! I am so thankful for her and her family.

Last time she was over, she informed me that she did not like tomatoes. Ha! Any one who's seen my facebook page recently know that I have them growing in my garden by the thousands it seems. I am always scrounging trying to find something for us to eat for lunch when she's around because I never seem to be stocked with food when she is present. Except for, in her opinion, the dreaded tomatoes... Don't get me wrong. She never complains about what I feed her even though, I am sure, sometimes she might want to. Anyways, she told me the only way she has ever liked tomatoes is when someone made a tomato pie for them one time. Hmmmm... tomato pie! I had never heard of that. So naturally, as I have an abundance of the main ingredient, I had to try it and I had to wait until Annika was here. That day was today. While she played with and read and entertained my children, I cleaned up the kitchen, did loads of laundry, picked up a little and then started on the pie. It was delish! How fun.

After I dropped Annika off at home, I put the babies down for their nap and hurried to the den for a project that I've been dying to do for a while. I'm tired of carrying a big heavy diaper bag filled with two kids junk in it around everywhere. Haynes is big enough for his own bag if he needs it. I found some cheap backpacks at the Fred's Dollar Store. 5 bucks a piece! Even if they last 6 months, it will be worth the fun of the project.

 I quickly rummaged through the fabric I had on hand, which is a lot, thanks to my friend, Maja, and found the perfect coordinating fabrics for the back pack.

 Cut out the letters and now they have their own personalized backpacks and I only spent 10 dollars! I am happy with the results!