In The Key of Life

Family Photos by Roxie!!

UPDATE: Roxie just added the slide show to her website. Go here to see more!

Look what we did while we were up in WI...

I was so excited when I heard that my best high school friend's sister, Roxie, and her awesome photo taking eye were going to be in town at the same time as us! I couldn't miss the opportunity when she started offering session times!!!

There are so many awesome photos, these are only just a few that she picked out as her favorites and posted on her blog. Head over there to see more and to see these nice and big.

The best part about the entire session too was that my ENTIRE family was there...Mom, Dad, Sara and her family too AND...these were all taken at my mom's farm where she grew up!

Needless to say ... there will be new frames purchased, arrangements made and lots of talent displayed on our walls!

AND...if you live in Washington...you must call ROXIE Photography!!

On Vacation...

So I haven't been blatantly neglecting you my dear poor blog! No, I haven't. I've been out hugging family, running in the soft WI grass, pushing swings, snuggling nieces and nephews, and so much more!!
Two and a half weeks away from home makes for a very fun and exciting vacation. We still have a few more days left, so expect more pics from the second half when we get home.
In the mean time...here's what we've been doing...

flying on planes and meeting new faces (yes, it's was Grampee's first time to meet little Em!)...

taking a few trips to the farm to look at all the tractors...I'm sure there will be at least one or two more trips to the sheds before we go home!!

hiking at our most favorite state park in Wisconsin...

 
loving on our Eastern Wisconsin cousins...

being silly in the yard and at the pool...

and my favorite thing of the entire vacation.....
RELAXING and ENJOYING!!!

We've got a sleeper here!

I hate to sound like one of those bragging moms....but....my baby is awesome!!
After being up every two hours like clockwork with #1, sleeping the entire night at 4 months seems totally impossible.
 
BUT...this little sleeper boy has proved us wrong. He loves to sleep, nap and be happy in general. We had him sleeping with us for the first months and I then started to put him in his own crib for the first part of the night because he was a little bit of a light sleeper for that first span of hours (when we adults were still awake and somewhat noisy). After a few nights of that...I woke up at 5am, after putting him down around 9pm, and ran in there!! Sleeping soundly! After that the length just got longer and longer. The last two mornings Dexter has awoke before Emerson does!
 

An added bonus...when you go in there to get him after hearing his waking up chatter... he squeals, throws his arms up and gives you the biggest smile!

This occurance and many others have made pretty much all that worry and anxiety I had about 2 kids melted away. Yes, we have our hairy times for sure, but this little man is so happy to be alive. He's recently started really full on laughing and giggling at Dexter too so it's been pretty fun to see them play together and love each other.

Brian's latest and greatest brainstorm

Today was the beginning of the solar dehydrator construction. As you can see it was a family affair.
Papa was the construction master and brad nailer extraordinaire. Emerson showed complete and utter over-tiredness and hunger support and supervision.

Dexter was the sawdust clean up kid...and comic relief!!

OH...and Momma...well co-brainstormer, meal maker, snack getter, baby napper and supervisor (who really should have been folding laundry...but didn't)

We can't wait until it's done to test it out with some whole dried bananas and sun dried tomatoes! We'll keep you posted.

Florida babies need lighter pants!

There's been a lot of talk about making kid's pants for summer in blog-world. Last year I made pajama pants and one summer pair for Dexter....BUT...this year I have another recipient.

SO..today I made three pair for Emerson because now that the weather is getting warmer, I just can't put those warm knit ones on him. AND...he needs to be stylin' of course. Well, with all projects I had a little issue. This time it was the fold over elastic. SO... one pair is huge on the waist while another is tight...and the last is...JUST RIGHT.

I couldn't help but think of our little friend Mr. River-Man when I took these pictures today. Yup, we've both got little pirate babies!

It looks like Jody did a much better job at keeping the legs trim...I might have to take mine in a bit. They are quite LARGE! I was thinking it would be a nice transition type pair of pants like Dexter's...something that can be worn for a LONG time. Pants now...then capris...then shorts. Dexter's pants that he now wears at 3 years old also can fit a 1 1/2 year old.

Speaking of brother...I thought I was sneaky enought to get a nice place to take a few pictures of Emerson alone...but...no Big Brother can't ever let a photo shoot go by without his appearances...

So...there it is...Momma...finally getting back to the sewing machine!!

It only took me 3 1/2 months to get to that machine and concentrate hard enough to finish a project. (there was a baby watching for most of it and a toddler helping on my lap for the last part!) Much better than last time around.
Maybe now I can get motivated and tackle the list of ideas I have...or the stack of half finished projects waiting by my machine.......oh wait..... I also really need to clean off my work area that is totally cluttered from inactivity!!

Wish me luck.

So Motherly

First off...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all women out there! For those of you who have the amazing experience of giving birth to wee ones, I solute your womanly-ness. For any woman who doesn't have children, we celebrate you too for your future as a mother or your motherly-ness to friends, family and pets!

As for my mother's day...
* Guy's grocery run last night
* Flowers accompanying the bags of groceries
* Super yummy supper made for me with clean up included
* Being wished 'Happy Mother's Day' from hubby's sleepy eyes as we awoke this morning. 
* Having Big Boy tell me 'Happy Mother's Day' followed by..."Wipe my butt mama!"
* A picture and article about our co-op on the front page of the local section in the paper!!
 * Little man sleeping in and then wishing me well with a little 'water'fall down my back
* Hubby making breakfast, cleaning up the kitchen, AND mopping the floors
* THEN...all the smiles!!!

We're also on our way to Brown Bag Barbeque to pick up lunch to take to Grandma's for swimming! A fabulous day all around.

OH GEEZ!! Is this happening?

Here are Dexter and Brian trying to convince me that this one should come home with us!!
Will it happen?

FYI...they are Patterdale Terriers.

The joules

With Dexter it was the same way...I always said he had grown joules just like a dog. SO DARN CUTE!!!
This little guy is just too cute! Looks a bunch like big brother, but also has a look of his own. This morning we're hanging out together while Papa and Dexter do some quality bonding and thrifting together!

SOOO...the joules...yes, they are even cuter when they do this...

Check out big bro's smile at the same age here!!
Just a little something to give everyone a weekend smile!

It's that time of the year again!!

Our mulberry tree is absolutely loaded. We can eat off of it pretty much every day until we're all full!! BUT...mostly it's one little guy eating them all and Mama and Papa with a few snacks.

YUMMM! I just had to post this because I immediately thought of our past berry faces.
 
January, June and November of 2007!! What a little cutie boy (then and now!). This boy LOVES his berries.

Choppin' and Freezin'

Just like Brian said tonight....we make a good team.
He grows the veggies, I pack them up! This is the scene from my counter top earlier this week...
.
All of it straight from our garden!! It's all so beautiful and fresh.

AND...
Now it has been converted to:
4 quart bags of frozen diced peppers (and some still fresh)
3 meal side dishes of steamed broccoli
1 broccoli rice main dish
1 large crockpot of pasta sauce (I used some previously picked and frozen tomatoes)
1 batch of pico de gallo
3 quart bags of frozen diced onion

AND...
an entire colander left of onions!!
even more tomatoes waiting to be picked
tons of flat leaf kale to be picked
an entire raised bed of kohlrabi that I have to figure out what to do with!!
more broccoli, peppers and tomatoes that's near ripening.

THEN...
it's time to plant the cover crop AND use up all that yummy freezer food.