Mana From Heaven!

Here is our little garden, we are VERY blessed to have it today! Yesterday we had more CRAZY weather! We had massive thunderstorms, were on tornado watch, and had a few down pours. But thankfully, unlike the rest of the borough, we did not have golf ball size hail! Unfortunately our friends in the rest of the city lost their entire gardens. The hail destroyed alot, and damaged cars. Mom even called this morning and told me that on Good Morning America this morning they mentioned our town specifically for the severe weather! So we had plenty of thankful prayers last night!

Today we had a fun adventure at the Hartford Children's Museum, and we found a Whole Foods Market right across the street!! I will give you all the scoop later tonight or tomorrow!! :)

CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Dan made us some yummy chocolate cupcakes yesterday, and Dad got soft and let Fern and Jake lick the remnants! Riley did not even know he missed out, he was outside playing, so ssshhhh!!At least Dad remembered a bib over Fern's pretty new pale yellow church dress!!

After using his fingers Jake decided it would save the middle man if he just stuck his head in and licked the bowl! Jake keeps us laughing!! :)

A Day I Wish I Could Skip!

Ok do you see the tiny black speck in the bag? For size estimates, this is a regular sandwich size ziploc. Well that teeny tiny black speck is a tick. I found this on my side Friday morning while taking my shower, I had to pull it out. I then ended up at the Dr.'s office that afternoon where he confirmed it was a Deer Tick, which is not good if you live in Connecticut. Because here in CT. there is a city named Lyme, where Lyme disease was named after, and where it is rampant. And so here I wait to find out if I have been infected, not fun. So in 2 weeks I have to go get blood test to see, while I watch for symptoms of Lyme. It worst is that I have not been hiking in the woods, or anywhere else you are likely to pick up a tick, so I am now a bit paranoid about camping and hiking here, which are two things we love to do. So there is my pitiful story. Say your prayers for me please.

There will be fun chocolate pictures tomorrow.

WOW Riley!!

I know kind of funky, it is the first thing I have tried to scan!

Anyway, Riley brought this to me last night, he did it all on his own!!

He wrote : I heart to 2c tepl = Riley

It means: I love to see the temple, Riley

It is the name of a primary song he loves to sing. He sounded it all out with out copying! He loves to write and is always asking us to spell something, or he is copying, but this was purely from his brain!! Just amazing!!! Thought you'd all like to see it!! :)

BUGS!!

Dan made the kids their own bug boxes this week, and Riley was so happy to find a bug this evening to put in it!! He found a caterpillar, it is a little fuzzy, but not as fuzzy as the cool ones we use to find when I was a kid!! But he would not touch it, so I had to do it! Silly kid!

Riley informed me today that when he grows up he is going to move back to Calif. and he is going to live with Grandpa, so that he can see him everyday! :) Jake then added a "me too"! :)

More of Our Yard!

I know you expect pictures of the kids, but today you will have to indulge me! :)

Now look at the first picture before you scroll to the second!!!

I spy with my little eye... something that hops!!!

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Did you find it?

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Don't look if you didn't!!!

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We found a FROG in the yard, it was so small, about the size of a half dollar!! I showed the kids how to touch him softly, Riley tried, but Jake wouldn't. Then the frog surprised the kids by jumping, then Fern started jumping!! It was SOOOO cute!!

Looks like a pretty unassuming plant hu! But it is not!! This is called a Jack in the Pulpit because of it's flower. Dan's parents were here for a day this week and Dan's mom told us they are VERY rare! We have 2 in our yard!! Pretty cool hu!! :) More!

Here is the flower up close, pretty cool hu!!

Have a great Sabbath!

All In One Day!!

So I have been a slacker, but here are a ton of pictures to make up for it! :) As I was trying to upload all of these photos Fern thought it would be a good idea to slather herself in Earth Balance (our fake butter), so I had to stop and clean her up, she was naked except for a diaper so it could have been worse!! Maybe her Great-Grandma Jenson gave her sunbathing instructions before Fern came down from Heaven!

This all happened last Thursday!!

So what do you do when mom pours Tabasco over your favorite thumb?? It actually kept him from sucking his thumb all day, but I have abandoned that endeavor for the time being as Jake has finally decided to work on potty training!!! Yea!!!!
We have grand plans for a great play house for Fern, but between time and money we decided unfortunately that it will not happen this year. But then our neighbor offered this little play house to us for FREE!!! She speaks my language!! So we brought it over and we cleaned it all up while Fern was napping, then after her nap we surprised her with it!!
Not alot to do in there yet, but she enjoyed "her space"!!
The windows were the best, she would shut the shudders and we would knock on them and then she would run over and open the window! With a great smile of course!!
Then she tolerated the boys coming over for a visit! Jake thinks this is the Dukes of Hazard, he jumps in the dutch door!
A little further away!

Fern decided I should sit by her house, she patted the ground until I came and sat, this was my view looking up. I love trees!
Here she comes strolling home!
This was later in the day when Dad was spoiling Fern, that is chocolate!!

We got forced inside late in the afternoon, we knew there was a good chance of rain, and the clouds had started to get dark, and there was thunder rumbling around. But then the sky turned this strange color as it got darker, the wind was weird too, so we deiced we should get things cleaned up. So I took the clothes off the line and set the basket on the back porch, then Fern and I walked around to the front to check on the boys cleaning up out there. Then as I was standing out there I felt a couple drops so I turned to go grab the laundry basket off the porch, I had not even gotten past the garden patch when it really started to rain and the wind got stronger! I started running, with Fern in arms, I got to the back porch scooted Fern in the back door, grabbed the basket shoved it into the door, it was pouring by then. When I jumped in the door and turned to shut it I looked out and our little aspen tree by the shed blew all the way over and touched the ground, and all the big trees blew over so far that I could see plenty of sky over them!! And then as Riley describes it a "wall of water" came (also into all the front windows that were all open, soaking the carpet and curtains) the boys had gotten into the garage but it was still open, so they got it in the face!! It lasted for a bit, we had lightning pretty close to the house, it was REALLY dark. We got out our oil lamps and were ready, luckily we did not lose our electricity! We enjoyed the rest of the evening watching the original Swiss Family Robinson movie! It rained for the next couple days! The next day we found out we had actually had a "mini twister" I don't know what kind of science is behind that name but it is what we heard. It would explain the color of the sky and all! So there is our latest adventure in Connecticut!! :)

Daddy's Girl!

Fern has decided there is on;y one safe place when dad mows the lawn! Not even inside will due!
Dan noticed me out snapping pictures of him! And I said, "but it is so cute"!!
Dan and the boys found some poison ivy up in the wooded area of our yard today! I guess I better see if I can find the Burt's Bees Poison Ivy Soap around here, just in case!!! It is nice to have Dan home, he was gone all last week! We get to keep him until the weekend, then he is gone for 5 days or so, and then he is OFF for a whole month!!! And there is no wondering if he will get called, the airplane will be down for maintenance!! YEA!!!! Now if we could just figure out what we are doing!!! :)

It Must Be Connecticut!

Remember my Skunk Cabbage that smells like rotting meat, well hey we could witness (or rather smell) the biggest "Stinky Flower"! Check out the story in the local paper! And we moved here why??

And to off set that smelly story, look what I have in my yard!! I have 3!! I was so sad to leave my lilacs at Daddy's, but what a nice surprise to find these blooming! Too bad they are up wind from the house, our neighbor will enjoy their sent more! :)

And another cute picture from the other day, just to appease you who come here looking for my cute kids and not my smelly yard!! Fern looks so cute running around the yard, and she is truly from my side of the family, it is impossible to get her to wear shoes, especially outside. Unless we are going to the store and I suggest her "pink shoes", she always knows where they are and will go running for them! Most of the time they are put away nicely in one of the cubbies in her closet. (And y'all know it was not me who put them there!! ) :)

"In the Leafy Tree-tops...

the birds sing good morning..." This is a song I sing to the kids in the morning, and today it was soooo true. Along with the birds we have rain and thunder. The boys have been out playing and loving it!! Here is a picture this morning, and HERE is a little video I shot out the door to see if you could hear all the birds and rain, so turn up your speakers!!

Crazy Kids playing in...

Our big backyard on a warm evening right before bath time! I went outside last night after dinner to bring in the laundry and the kids decided to join me. It was dusky and our backyard was enchanting looking, we have alot of leaves now so it is always a little darker in the far reaches of our yard. It was a peaceful fun moment in our day.Jake and Riley think it is hysterical that we have "fern" growing in our yard. I know this picture is a bit blurry, but I really loved Fern and Jake's expressions!
Fern has learned well from the boys! Here she is flying the space shuttle, making the appropriate noises along with it. She also makes a different noise when driving hot wheels cars! We are reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary as a family and this reminded me about how Ralf the mouse has to make the "pb-p-p-p" sound to make the toy motorcycle magically go!
Here is what they did almost the entire time we were out, RUN!!! Needless to say they quickly fell asleep after their baths! But Jake has been sure that Dan would be getting home each night the last 3 nights, so I had Jake in my bed in the middle of the night scouting out to see if Dan was back! He was quite disappointed to find just mom!

Well it is quite warm today and VERY humid, last time I checked it was 85%! They say there may be thundershowers tonight and tomorrow, so how many little people will be in my bed? I REALLY need a bigger bed!!!

EAT!!!!!!

Fern came walking down the hall this morning after waking up, I picked her up and snuggled her, then she pointed to the kitchen and as plain as anything said, "eat". She says some things, but mostly only mama can understand. (Although everyone can understand her yes and no because she does the head movements so emphatically while saying it!) I just can't believe she is getting so big! Too fast!
So I of course got her some breakfast and then ran for my camera! So the first is a cute little giggle, and the second is where her spoon goes! :) If you ask her where her spoon goes she puts it on her nose!! Silly girl! :) That is all for this morning!

Found Out!

Ok I did my homework! Remember the plant in the soggy spring area of our yard that I described as looking like lettus? IT IS NOT LETTUS!!!!! I found it today in our Audubon Field Guide to New England. It is called Skunk Cabbage, in my book it describes it as; smells like decaying meat!!!!!!!! EEWWW!!! I am not sure it is even worth trying to pull it up, there is not too much in our yard, but there is TONS in our neighbor's, plus it may just come back. Besides can you imagine having to work around that!!!! It does say that it attacks pollinating insects. So maybe it will have an indirect good effect on our yard. Just thought I'd share my gross moment for the morning!

All you could ever want to know about skunk cabbage!
"A fully-grown skunk cabbage has a massive root system. It's virtually impossible to dig a plant out of the ground." I guess that answers my question. Breath easy Dan your off the hook! :)

Short description.

And good ole Wikipedia!

Our Saturday!

What little boy does not dream of the day when he owns his own lawn mower!!?? And then after mowing the whole yard looks back in fondness of when he did not own one. And then turns to looking forward to when his son is old enough to mow the lawn! :) Dan and the boys went out and bought a lawn mower and a weed whacker, you should have seen the 3 happy boys I had! Dan is so excited to have gas cans! I think I shall never understand boys! :)
MY girl!!! Do you see what she stole out of our farm box today!!?? Yes she is munching on a big radish! As I was making our salad for dinner she kept reaching in and stealing the tomatoes and radishes. Then after dinner she was left to her own devises for a minute and she found the goods!! Cute hu!

Well Dan leaves tomorrow for Calif. :( sniff sniff. I WANA GOOOO! He is giving the kids a bath right now, and I am hearing alot of crying, even Dad I think! I guess I better go! Love ya all!!

Random!!

Here is Fern and I the other day, Riley wanted to take a picture of us, Riley has decided I look like a "better mom" when I wear my glasses. Silly guy!! :)
Here is Fern last Saturday night, we had a dinner at church, it was the "scoop dinner" it is a way for the youth to make money for camp this summer. You buy tickets for each scoop of food, and they auction off baked goods and services. Dan baked a loaf of bread and it went for $30! I donated a dinner to be made, and it went for $40 I think, there were a couple families trying to out bid each other on it! It was a fun night, the boys got to run-a-muck with all the other little ones there, and Fern was cute and so happy to get a cookie from Sister Spencer (the bishop's wife, they won enough goodies to share with everyone many times over, too bad most had milk in them)! It was alot of fun!

Ok Mary your turn to update!! :) XOXO

Just Today!

Well since our dryer has been broken it has been raining, but thankfully today (as we were running out of clean clothes) it turned sunny! I put this load out this morning when it was still looking threatening, even the barometer was not promising. But thankfully my good faith was well rewarded with warm, drying sun!!!
Our neighbor across the street gave us some of his raspberry bush! He said once it gets established it will go crazy spreading! We also bought a blueberry and blackberry starts! Dan is just about ready for me to plant in the veggie garden!! Yea!!
Look at these weird plants growing in the spring area of our yard! I do not know what they are, they look like lettus to me!
My beautiful girl who is growing too quickly! She picked out her yellow socks to wear this morning and then found her yellow jumper to match, how cute is she!! I love how the wind is blowing her hair!

We are still enjoying Dan this week, although he leaves on Sunday to go to Long Beach! And he will have dinner with Daddy! Completely unfair! Next he'll decide to go hold my new niece and then I may not let him back in! There is nothing right now that my heart yearns more for than to hold Novella! See for yourselves how cute she is!! :)

Ta ta for now!!

Outing!

Today was a great day to go somewhere indoors, it was quite rainy and chilly! So we went to West Hartford to the Noah Webster House!
Here is the house, if you look towards the back you can see the add on, that was for the "modern kitchen", with a pull out arm over the fire place for pots and everything!! :) People lived in this house until the 1960's, crazy!
Jake learned how to card wool, (I remember learning that at 5th grade camp!)he was thankful there was something he could touch! :)
Riley really enjoyed getting to try out the little loom, he loved the big one, and thought it was great to try the little one. Our tour guide was surprised at how many answers Riley had for all her, "Do you know what this is?" questions! :)

Fern thought it horrible that we did not let her run free! And since my tumble down the stairs on Sunday I have not been able to carry her as much as she would like. So she had to put up with Dad!! :) But here is the ONE picture of me, with a little more contented Fern! :)
As always here is Dan with his eyes closed!! Oh well other than that it is a good picture. This is the modern kitchen! It was a good outing, and we enjoyed the fun!

And for our new dryer, the repair man opened the top and said, "WOW", not exactly what you want to hear the repair guy say! Well the drum is broken, big ole crack, and the rollers got damaged because of it. So on Monday or Tuesday a new drum should show up! Crazy!! And for the rest of my day, I got completely fed up with the mess the boys never clean up, (stop laughing mom!) so I took all the toys in their room and locked my self in, in the end I have 3 bags of trash and they each have 1 small box to keep treasures in, everything else went into labeled bins that can be brought out one at a time, and only after asking. Yea mom is mean, but hey there is floor in their room and down stairs now!! I'll post pictures of the pretty bins when Dan gets the shelf up for them, (tomorrow hopefully)!!!

No Pictures!!

Be thankful! You DO NOT want any pictures from our last 2 days!!! Poor Fern has had the yuckies coming out both ends! I know if you are not a parent I have just totally grossed you out and you are now leaving my blog, but for the rest of you all! I have been up and down with Fern, at first I was afraid she got some of the ice melt Jake spilt, then worried that she got some of the eggs I finally let in the house because of begging boys, and now have just settled that maybe it is just a bug. But it seems she is on the mends, THANKFULLY!!! So no pictures, mom is tired and thankful for this little smidgen of time with out a clingy crying babe! So hopefully we will go on our day trip tomorrow (after the dryer repair guy comes) and there will be fun pictures!! Dan has been busy outside, so I'll get some pictures of that too! Love ya all!!

Shopping!!

I really enjoy getting to shop at the 2 local (13 miles away) health food stores, but it is nice to make "THE TRIP" occasionally and go to Wild Oats. I walk in there and feel like a kid in a candy store! There is just so much!! So today, being Dan's first home, he worked all morning outside getting my garden ready (YEA!!!) and then this afternoon we went for an excursion to West Hartford! Here is some of our booty!! :) Sorry the boys are into playing pirates! With a chunk of our tax return we are adding to our food storage, so that is why there is so much, plus I stock up on things I can not get at the local stores!!
On our way there we saw this, I think will be an upcoming day trip, The Noah Webster House. Ya no "Webster's Dictionary"! First dictionary came from Connecticut, it looks VERY cool!
Then we passed this beautiful building, it is The American School for the Deaf. This is the only picture I could find online, it does not do it justice!!

So that is our day, I am hoping to have beautiful pictures of my garden for you soon!! It was 85 here today, everything is budding, it is SOOOO nice to see color! I can't wait to see what our yard will look like with leaves!!

So Where Do You Store Your Legos?

Last night after putting the boys to bed Fern and I came down stairs, I was watching a show and Fern was playing with the legos. Then I turned around and found her with her jammies half unzipped stuffing legos in! I of course RAN for the camera, she tried to hide from me by turning her back, she also tried to get them out fast, but they were all down in the leg, and she could not get them. It was so funny and too cute!!
This is when she gave me the "eyebrows", and I of course kept taking pictures and telling her to "SMILE"!! :) Good thing the background is pretty dark, you can't see how messy downstairs is!! :)