more of the gardens

a wedding!

this is one of matt's sisters, amanda, with her fiance', kevin. he's been like part of the family for a while now, but amanda finally called this week to tell us that they are going to make it official this fall. (this picture was actually taken a year and a half ago, but it's all i had.) we are so happy to soon promote kevin from "almost-uncle" to "uncle"! they make a great couple.

we are especially excited for the wedding because it is going to be a long-weekend event with pretty much only their immediate families, probably at some type of resort. they have decided to spend their wedding budget on this instead of going the traditional route. and, i'm sure the dresses will be fabulous, as amanda is my #1 fashion advisor. :)

neighborhood patrol

it appears i have been issued a new job this summer. yes, we are excited to discover that there actually are other kids in our neighborhood. but how is it that they all come out to play in the direction of our house with no parents to be seen? on one hand, i really don't mind (as long as they are getting along) and appreciate the fact that my kids have playmates. on the other hand, it does add some stress to my afternoons when sometimes it seems like i am the only adult eyes on the block!

social graces

our week has been filled with graces... miriam had playdates with both of her friends named grace this week. she spent tuesday at grace r's house, and on friday grace h (and co.) came over, all the way from virginia! we got to see the hemmekes two day in a row, as they are a part of a little overisel reunion that we had yesterday, as well. six of us (that's minus the spouses, though they too are now an integral part of us) have literally known each other since birth and grew up together in the same schools and in the same church. it is rumored that some of us even used to take baths together, though we won't name any names... now that the hemmekes (and soon the pates) live out of state, we try to get everyone together when they are in town. it's always a special time, but this time was extra special because we all brought our kids! what fun to see them all together. so far miriam and grace are the only girls out of the bunch of ten! any day now, though, little girl pate will be joining them. she was actually due to arrive two days ago but has not yet made her appearance. there is also a little harmsen on the way, which we celebrated yesterday with cake and gifts.

(photo compliments of rebecca)

one month

that's exactly how long until our trip to seattle! can't wait!

we've run into loads of people, it seems, who have either been to or have lived in the seattle area, so we have been trying to rack their brains as far as where to go and what to see. if there are any more ideas out there, please let us know!

so far on the agenda: matt's aunt & uncle's house and a tour with them through the city, pike place market, mt. rainier, san juan islands, and possibly olympic national park or mt. st. helens... we will have 8 days and 0 kids... :)

i am in love

…with my new square foot garden! i have been itching to have a vegetable garden for the past few years, but always thought we had too much shade. and in fact, we do… in our back yard. that’s why this year we bit the bullet and plopped our veggie patch right in our tiny—but very sunny—front yard.

i think it was my friend joni who introduced me to the square foot gardening method last year, and i instantly knew i wanted to give it a try. it is perfect for small spaces, and its neat appearance was also a factor for us since it would be in our front yard for all to see. besides that, it is a cinch to water and weed!

it feels good to have finally plowed through my intimidations with the whole thing (my perfectionistic tendencies sometimes slow me down because i am so afraid it won’t turn out just right). it’s a big step forward from last year’s gardening attempts. now here’s hoping the bugs and bunnies don’t snag our harvest before we do! so far, things are looking pretty good, and we have already been enjoying the lettuce. i can’t wait to make it twice as big next year!

here are some photos to document our progress so far:

though i did remove the sod from underneath, we added our own (purchased) soil inside the frame so that we know it's good stuff. matt built the frame (8' x 2' --we are not starting out overly ambitious, people), and the kids and i have had a good time this spring visiting our local seed store and putting it all together.

started a few peas, lettuce, and spinach plants in egg cartons before transferring them to the garden...

and here they are in their new home... (viewing from the side)

and here's what they look like now. (viewing from the front)

what fun to watch the little seedlings pop up! these are the bean beginnings...

and here they are today, with a tomato in the background.

and here are the zucchini, then...

and now.

one other new thing i am trying this year is a potato pot that i found instructions on how to do here.

strawberry heaven