'Round These Parts

Yeah, I know, it's been awhile. No, baby (who still needs a blog name. I have none. No real name yet either, though we do have *one* possibility. Why must naming your children be so hard?) has not arrived early. So many bloggers want to share with you all the little tiny details of being pregnant "this is my ___ child and I feel so fantastic, all the time, each one gets easier!" OR "This hurts that hurts I can't sleep and I need sleep, but I'll persevere on, blah blah blah." I kind of want to smack them, and usually just skip the post. Here's what I have to say about pregnancy: There is a BIG difference between having your first baby at a month shy of 25, and having your 5th baby at 32. My brain is mush. The End.

On another note, I don't think I like the new blogger thing. I can't figure out how to get my pictures in order, and I will admit to some almost cussing. So some of these are in order, but most aren't. And two of them never showed up.

Happier thoughts. How 'bout some gardening?

~Muffin planting the peas

~Honey planting beans

~Biscuit planting sunflowers

~ Beans being cute

                            

~The day we planted

~ A week later after grass mulching

(the kids worked so hard helping to rake grass and pile it in the wagon so I could spread it in the garden)

 ~ This morning. B tilled it and Honey and Biscuit spent the last two days weeding, which they thought was the most fun anyone could possibly ever have. Really.

 ~ My sister and I are throwing a baby shower in a week and a half for our sister-in-law Bethany. I made a bunch of hand milled soap as favors. This shower will either be fantastic or look like Pinterest threw up.

 ~ Starting at the left: Lavender Oatmeal; Spiced Rose; Oatmeal Chamomile Blossom; Green Tea with Citrus and Jasmine; Lavender Lemon Balm and more Oatmeal Chamomile Blossom.

 ~ We've been eating breakfast on the porch nearly everyday. It's either been too hot or windy for lunch out there. Yesterday I made these muffins, and added half a diced apple. It needed more, but they were really good.

 ~ I've started a new baking schedule which seems to be working well. Every other Monday, 4 loaves of sandwich bread and some sort of breakfast item (english muffin bread, muffins, etc.) It lasts until the next baking Monday, and I'm not caught without anything to eat.

 ~ B. shot out back with the kidlets on Sunday.

 ~ This is the gun he bought them for Christmas

 ~ Yes, my girls do always wear their finest to shoot in.

~ He showed up out back Saturday morning. I didn't like how he was looking at my garden. Come back around gun season when B. is home, okay?

 ~ Picked raspberries a few weeks ago. $3.10 a pound. I made 8 half pints of jam, and we are down to 4 or 5 thanks to making TWO of these:

~ White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

 ~ Recipe here

~B. brought me one of the MOST gorgeous bouquets

 ~ New herbs this year: Rosemary, parsley, sage (which seems finicky), chamomile, pineapple mint (which I think I killed), and pineapple sage (which I thought I killed, but seems to be okay now). Also in here are "will never bloom hollyhocks" and a blueberry bush that I think is alive, but I'm not sure. It never leafed out, but the stems are green.

 ~ Lots of lavender and a happy bumble bee. (actually, if you can zoom in on the picture, you can just make out my reflection on him)

~Looks like it will be a dandy blackberry year!

 ~ Are these elderberries (I hope I hope) there are LOTS!

 ~ Four of Five- 33 weeks tomorrow!

                                       

~And lastly a favorite picture from planting day before B. cut the "hay field".

I'll post what we planted. Eventually.