Mulberry Street

This picture was taken on April 1st and if you can tell, my Iris are on they're way out.  That is how warm February and March were.  I went on to transplant the dwarf iris, and yellow daisies in an attempt to spread the color.  I also planted a few squash plants in this front flower bed.  I wonder how big they'll get?  Eventually I'll plant some basil here too. Genevieve and Emory spent many hours being silly.  Daddy and Emory got some one-on-one snuggle time.  And most of the month we spent playing, running, eating, sleeping, and playing some more.  I don't think I ever appreciated the "care-free" lifestyle when I was a kid. Some of our favorite Idahoans came from a visit from Connecticut.  We crammed in as much playtime as possible.  Ben was kind enough to toss Genevieve up in the air, just like he did when she was one, two, and three years old.  The girls picked up where they left off and Emory and Diesel made friend...

How does your garden grow? My garden grows in pots.  However, this year I pulled out some hostas and ornamental grasses to plant in the ground.  I'm not sure if that was the best idea, but, we'll find out in time.  This year I am growing the following: Herbs - basil, parsley, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, sage, and tarragon; Veggies - tomatoes, beans, peas, three varieties of lettuce, green onions, and summer squash.  Last week I threw some corn seeds in the ground, so we'll see what becomes of those.  I figured I should plant things that I frequently buy from the store and things that we don't eat enough of (ie. lettuce). This weekend I watched the following on gardening:  Back to Eden complete film  here.  The film is very long...like an hour AND a half long, but interesting and simple and practical.  If you're into gardening at all you'll likely enjoy it.  The film did make me want to move, just so I can star...

I can't believe that Genevieve's preschool year is almost over.  We have been very happy with the school and she has enjoyed herself very much.  Recently, we went to a little concert of sorts in her classroom.  The kids shared 15 or so fun songs while all the parents oohed and ahhed with cameras in hand.  After the concert, Genevieve showed us around her classroom - her hook, her chair, and some of the toys.  I am so grateful Genevieve has been able to attend preschool for many reasons, but I am most grateful for the opportunity it gave her to develop friendships with new kids and develop the social/emotional skills she'll need in kindergarten.  A big THANK YOU to Mrs. Rhemus! I think Emory will insist on attending the same preschool because of their awesome playground.  He especially loves the airplane.

I have a special friend.  She is one of those woman who, when you try to help, you're the one who ends up on the receiving end.  I don't know how she does it, but I always end up on the receiving end with Patty.  In the past ten years I have witnessed Patty touch the lives of many people, particularly women.  She and I exchanged emails recently that I want to keep, and read often, so that I can draw strength from her example. ***************************************** Patty, I am continually amazed at your ability to keep things real. Yeah, you have MS, but you deal with it. Yeah, you have a calling, but you get it done. Yeah, you have a schedule full of things to complete and you manage to teach the rest of us. To talk to you at church reminded me all of this, plus you do it all with a sense of humor. Thanks. I need your example in my life. Take a look at your calendar and let me know when I can bring over some dinner or even ...

This is one of my favorite dishes.  I make it year round, though I have to adapt my ingredients if the fresh ones are not available.  I think you should try it this summer... Fusilli with Zucchini, Lemon & Rosemary -Adapted from the Quick & Easy cookbook, published by Parragon Ingredients 6 TBSP olive oil 1 small onion, sliced very thinly 2 garlic cloves, chopped very finely (or about 1 tsp jarred garlic) 2 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary 1 TBSP shopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or any parsley) 1 lb small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces Finely grated rind of 1 lemon (or 1 tsp lemon juice) Salt and pepper 1 lb fusilli pasta (or rotini pasta) 4 TBSP freshly grated Parmesan cheese Directions Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.   Drain and keep warm.      Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.   Add the onion and gently fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10...

Yesterday I taught a lesson in Sunday School about the importance of record keeping.  I tried to emphasize that recording the details of an event were truly important for preserving the feelings and lessons learned. I have been working on the following post for months.  I haven't published it because I was worried that it would come across as arrogant.  That is not my intent.  My intent is to preserve the details of our lives for my children, so that someday they will understand how much we care about and love them.  This post is about Eric.  He recently shared his feelings on "daddy guilt " offering us an opportunity to understand how difficult it is for him to delicately balance his responsibilities. Dear Genevieve and Emory, Your father is an incredible man.  He works hard to provide for our family.  He serves in the church.  He cares about his health and challenges himself through races.  And, every c...

I love living in Northern Virginia.  While I miss my family tremendously, my friends have helped ease the distance.  Our friends have become like our family in so many ways and we love them dearly.  So, it is super sad and hard to say goodbye to these friends when they move onto the next adventure.  We are very fortunate when an opportunity arises to visit with our friends once again, espeically those who have moved far far away. Little Makenzie, Austin and Ashley came to town first.  I was worried that Genevieve and Kenzie would have a hard time playing, but they picked up right where they left off.  It was so great for them to play and play and play.  Austin is so mild and sweet.  I can't help but think about how great of friends he and Emory could be.  I'm not sure how I didn't take a single photo of Ashley while she was here - tsk, tsk, but had a great time catching up and eating yummy deserts.  I miss her easy going perso...

I have two observations to share.  First - In one week's time I went from running in shorts to running in thermal tights, then back to shorts.  Am I going to run in thermal tights again come Saturday?  I hope not.  This is not a trend I enjoy. Second - Eric and I clearly have too many exercise related clothes!  Sheesh.  My entire drying rack is covered.  (Note the green sweat head band - a new fave!)  The funny thing is, even with all these clothes, we still find ourselves re-wearing the dirty stuff again.  Actually, that isn't funny, that is a reflection of my poor laundry habits.  In any case, I don't mind having the variety of clothing for many reasons, including the weather reason listed above.  It is much more enjoyable to go for a run in a fitted, moisture sweat wicking technical t-shirt than a baggy old sweatshirt.  I could never be one of those people who only has 100 possessions.  Never.  B...

I'm making progress on my family tree project.  I have more images and new ideas on how to display them.  Most recently, I received images for individuals who were born in the 1700's!  The late 1700's but still.  Can you believe it?!  A big thanks to Eric's grandmother, mother, and uncle for the newest images.  Thank You. Children   Father Grandmother Great Grandmother   Great Great Grandfather Great Great Great Grandmother Great Great Great Great Grandfather Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather, Born 1786

The kids and I wanted to spend a few extra minutes with Eric one morning, so we all drove into the District together.  Hmm, sitting in traffic can actually be productive when you're surrounded by your family!  After dropping off Eric, we headed over to see something on the Mall we'd never seen before.  I let our parking spot decide our location and I found a spot right in front of the S. Dillon Ripley Center.  We spent time in the Math Alive Exhibit, time in the rooftop garden, and also time in the Freer and Sackler Galleries.  We had lunch in the car and arrived back home by 12:30pm.  It was perfect!  S. Dillon Ripley Center When we walked into the Math Alive Exhibit I felt like we'd walked into an arcade.  Genevieve was afraid of all the middle school kids (because, not only one bus unloaded before our eyes, but two did) and Emory was overwhelmed by the noise.  In reality, the exhibit was much too old for my kids, b...