The Fruits of Our Labors

March came in like a lamb and went out like a lamb.  In fact, we have been enjoying the weather so much we keep forgetting to get out the camera.

Spring is officially here though. The work we put in last Fall to plant some bulbs has come to full fruition and I have had a happy little garden of daffodils to greet me this spring.  They're so cheery, it makes me happy to look at them! 

Although we missed most of the month, we did however record the end of it.  We had a great Spring Break and Easter at home with my parents.  I don't know if they considered it much of a break though since we put them to work on a few major projects while they were here. 

You might have noticed that I'm not much of a seamstress, I don't even own a machine, however our trampoline badly needed some new pads.  My mom brought some material they had lying around and some heavy duty nylon thread, plus my friend let me borrow her sewing machine. So while my mom was here we made new pads together!  Okay, so my mom did almost all of the sewing because every time I sat down at the machine it had a conniption and the bobbin knotted up and we had to un-pick it all (I don't own a sewing machine, so I obviously don't have a seam ripper and it was very irritating, so it was better for us both if she did most of the sewing). They actually turned out great and I'm so pleased. Now the baby can jump on it safely without fear of his leg going through the springs.

Before

After

Before

After

My Dad wasn't left out of the fun of course.  I found a perfect project for him and my husband.  My husband isn't much of a mechanic, although he does own a very basic set of tools. I sent them to a salvage yard (my husband's first time) to find a new door for our car since when we bought it it had a huge dent in the side.  They successfully found one that matched, took off the old one, and put the new one on (despite the many "helpers" they had around) and voila!  It looks so much better! 

We definitely capitalized on their visit, I hope they don't feel too used.  I made sure to take care of them well though, feeding them good food and taking them to some of our favorite places.  

Mmmm... Crepes.

They were here for our Easter Bunny Saturday celebrations (we celebrate the true meaning of Easter on Sunday and try not to mix the two).  Since it was good weather, the Easter bunny decided to be tricky and hide the baskets outside.  The kids had fun finding them.  

 Bubble swords were a big hit.

We went for a walk by the fishing ponds and lo and behold they were having a free fishing event.  They gave us rods and bait and the place had been recently stocked.  Well, that still didn't mean we had any luck (we've talked about how it's called fishing, not catching for a reason right?).  I didn't mind that much since it was such a beautiful day.

We also had a picnic later at a park near the lake.  We ate in peril of the fuzzy worm things falling from the trees and into our dinner every time the wind blew.  Quite the adventure.  At least the kids had fun climbing the trees.

It was a good weekend.  (...Until I had to sing a solo in church as part of our Easter program, but that's for another post.)

Three Fishing Trips

 So after finding out that we'd be back in Idaho for the Fall, (yeah, didn't get into any PhD programs, but we're not going to talk about it) we decided to go ahead and buy some Idaho fishing licenses.  Of course, I've talked about our fishing experiences before, and I guess I'm just always hoping things will get better.  The kids have also been playing a few fishing games on the wii, and won't stop begging me to take them fishing for real. (Yes, I did explain to them that it's very different than the game, but I wanted to get out of the house anyway.)

Well, the first time we went was a beautiful evening... but that's about all it was.

 Yep, skunked again.

The next time we went fishing actually started out as an impromptu walk/picnic with a good friend of mine and her kids.  I called her up to go for a walk, and it just so happened that her husband was already there fishing.

We never did end up going on that walk, I was suddenly too interested in fishing.  She probably thought I was weird.

My four year old, laying on the charm.

 Well, it just so happened that we hit the timing just right.  When we got there, her husband told us they had just stocked the ponds that morning.  He was catching them right and left!

I love the face she's making. (And the pink stained shirt thanks to my son's generosity with his Powerade)

 Since I still had the stuff in my car, I thought we'd try our hand at it too.  Soon after they left for an appointment, we caught one!

He knows how to make 'em look big. It was actually a little too small and we threw it back.

He didn't appreciate the flopping.

Poor thing was nearly squeezed to death.

They didn't care for the sliminess either, but my four year old figured out how to avoid that one.

 Our trip was cut short, however, by a sleepy baby and so we went home with the promise we would come back with daddy after he got home from work.

Sure enough, when we went back that evening our prime fishing spot was taken.

The baby was kept busy for a little while, but in the end kept daddy from getting his fair share of fishing in.

Finally, success!!

 
Again, slightly larger than an anchovy, this one was set free to be caught another day.  I'm afraid things slowed down after that, and we didn't have any keepers, but it was still fun.

And I only got one hook stuck in my hand.  Success indeed.

Back in the Saddle

So, my blogging life has been thrown to the wayside recently, but I'm determined to keep it up.  Even if no one ever looks at this stuff, it's good for me to get it out there.

Highlights since the last post:

We went fishing twice. The kids had more fun climbing trees and throwing rocks, and we didn't catch a thing, and forgot our camera, but that's to be expected. Here's some phone pictures.

You can actually see me in the middle of the light patch of grass on the left,
--dealing with a snag on that branch in the middle of the stream. I got my only bite right before that happened.

My 4 year old started Preschool.  I was torn about sending him off on his own, and then paying someone else to teach him things that I actually feel quite qualified to teach him myself (not to mention things he already knows --like his colors), but I decided that what I couldn't teach him would be the social aspect of things-- how to make friends, to get along with peers in a school setting, to stand up and talk in front of a group... etc.  I think it will be good for him since he'll be one of the younger ones going into kindergarten next year (Eeeek, next year!)  He's actually loving it, and I think he and his brother appreciate some time away from each other... I mean, they appreciate each other more when they're together. :)

I actually didn't get any pictures on his official first day of school, he had scabs all over his nose from falling down the stairs, although the true reason is that we were running late --as usual.

My baby was blessed.  The blessing his father gave him was beautiful, I wish I had written some of it down.  We had both sets of grandparents there, two sisters and a brother-in-law, and I didn't manage to get any pictures somehow.   I'm seeing a pattern of a lack of record keeping for this baby that I hope doesn't continue.  Poor thing.  This is the most recent still picture I have of him. It's actually the only one I have from the past 4 weeks and I didn't even take it. :(

I'm glad I didn't go get one of those fancy little suits to bless him in though since right after the thing he had a major blow-out.  I know, TMI.  Isn't he getting so chubby? 13 lbs 3.5 oz at his 2 month check up!

We bottled fruit!  We actually found the energy to can some fruit that my mother brought from Utah.  Bless her and my dad.  They checked both boxes on the plane to get it to us so we could have free fruit to preserve.  You might think that that would defeat the purpose of it being free, but no, they get free airfare since my sister works at an airport and you can check a package (or luggage) up to 45lbs. so they did!  And no, writing "Handle Carefully" all over the box doesn't do a thing.

Yay for home canning!

Of course, I prefer it this way...

Fresh peaches and cream!  YUM!

My kids do too, and I admit I had a hard time sharing.

Look at those puppy eyes.  How could anyone say no to that?

My husband turned 28!  So for a month or so, it'll look like we're only one year apart (on paper anyway),  but actually we're two.  Yeah, I know, I robbed the cradle.  (I'm turning the big 3-0 this year, and I'm sure you'll hear about it in a later post.)  Isn't he so accomplished for a 28 year old?  Has three kids, a master's degree, teaches college courses, and still looks like he's 19!

Homemade Hostess, Yum!  Complete with marshmallow creme filling (thanks for the idea Jen and Melissa) and chocolate ganache on top (which for some reason didn't really set, but it tasted good anyway).

So that was our last month and a half in a nutshell.

Sadly, I wanted to to a whole post about how much I love September and how Labor Day is my favorite holiday, but I guess I'll have another chance next year.  I will however post one thing (besides fresh peaches) that I love about September:

BLTs with fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes!  I ask you, were fresh, juicy, garden tomatoes made for anything else?  I can hardly bring myself to buy those waxy things you find at the store, and I refuse to have BLTs any other time of the year.

Oh yeah, I also LOVE corn on the cob, but I didn't get any pictures of that.  My husband prefer's corn off the cob, so this is what I bought him for his birthday:

Nothing says "I love you" like a corn cob cutter. ;)