Foto Friday

My post is super late because I wanted to wait until I made it to the Tulip Festival for a picture. The fields are still a little green but I hope to make it out again in the next week or two to see the full bloom. The weather was so amazing today! A rare event this time of year. Thanks to my friend Liz for being a trooper and dragging 2 preschool boys out there to keep me company.

Ultimate Blog Party

Seriously, my first attempt at posting something about myself for the the UBP11 was pretty lame so I went and read a few more blogs and realized I needed to spice things up!

Uhmmm, well it just doesn't get very spicy around hear. Plus the crying kids and slamming doors are kind of distracting.

I used to write about all the horrible things my kids did but then I felt bad about that so I decided to write about the things I like to do but that isn't as interesting as I had imagined. Now I'm trying to find a balance in my blog but that seems to be as difficult as finding balance in my life.

I have 2 kiddos (4 1/2 and 2 1/2) and a great hubby. I am a full-time domestic goddess and have the habit of jumping in head first to anything I find interesting.

I'm not terribly crafty but I do love to cook. My latest crazy plan is to bake every bread recipe in the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day". I'm only 2 recipes in but The Hubs is super happy with the plan. He is a breadaholic.

I also write about my garden. I started gardening a few years ago and just finished a class in sustainable gardening. I still find the process a little overwhelming so I'm not an expert by any means but I do like getting a little dirty.

I love photography but I'm not willing to invest the serious money it takes to turn it into anything more than a hobby. I have great family photos though!

I took up running to get rid of the baby weight but wouldn't you know it - I haven't lost a single pound. I have gained some muscle and tightened things up but still... I just ran my 3rd half-marathon and still weigh the same as when I started. Grrr!

Oh, and for some reason I have a husband who develops crazy obsessions! I started running so he became obsessed with running - last year he ran 1000 miles and this year he plans to run 6 half-marathons.. and he lost weight...Grrr again! He also watched a documentary about food and decided to become a vegetarian and watched another documentary about beer and started brewing his own beer (so now he is gaining weight - yippee!).

So that is me, I can't promise to be interesting all the time but I'll try!

Oh, and following the link to join the Ultimate Blog Party!

Thankful Thursday!

Today I am Thankful for old friends. I am in a MOMS Club and we get new members all the time so I am blessed with a steady stream of new friends coming into my life. It can be really fun but it can also be exhausting! Meeting new people and getting to know them takes energy! Recently I was feeling a little worn out but suddenly I got a few calls from old friends and we were able to get together or get the kids together. There is something pretty awesome about just hanging with people you have been friends with for a few years. I've only lived here for 4-years so I don't have any local friends stretching back farther than that but they have seem me through a lot! It also reminds me that I need to keep in touch with my friends from even further back. Thank God for facebook! So today I am Thankful for Old Friends and for new ones too!

What are you Thankful for today?

What's In My Garden Wednesday

So you may have noticed that today is actually Thursday. I just didn't get around to posting yesterday but I'm trying to be consistent so I will just get it done today.

Sooooo.... what's in my garden? Hail, lots of Hail. We got pounded with tiny little white balls yesterday so I didn't get out to look around. Unfortunately the gutters clogged and overflowed on my Columnar Apple Trees taking most of the dirt away with the water so I'm off to get some more soil to refill the pots.

The cloche in my backyard is working well and all my little lettuces are sprouting. The cloche at the community garden blew off but I think I might give up on that one. The weather is starting to warm up so I don't need it anymore.

I bought a little greenhouse on Amazon:


It has been keeping my seedlings and my little bell pepper plants cozy and warm on the back porch. I think I'm going to keep one set of peppers in there all year (I'll open it up in the summer) and see how they do.

I have raspberry plants growing happily in some plantar boxes. The kids can't wait for them to produce!

So now what? I have to review my plans and see what needs to be started. It is so hard to keep track of what needs to be done. I'm also going to need to start transplanting some more seedlings but with this crazy weather it is hard to know when!

Happy Gardening!

Tuesday Tunes

Here are some of my favorite songs that got me through my run Sunday:

Menu Plan Monday!

Bah! I have post-race let down today. After a fairly busy weekend and a sunshine teaser we are back to the gray. I'm more tired today than yesterday but a little less stiff so that is good but I'm generally grumpy. A lot of things are wrapping up in my life right now and it gives me a sense of being unsettled. I finished out my Home Horticulture Course which has been a weekly challenge since January, I finished my annual half-marathon (does 2-year in a row count as annual?), and the new board for our MOMS Club has been set and I will not be on it for the first time in 3-years. I'm happy that all these things are ending but I also am trying to decide what comes next and how to get myself out of negative funk that comes after completing a challenge. But of course none of these things have anything to do with Menu Plan Monday other than the fact that I don't feel like cooking so I'm having a hard time planning and my menu for this week is a little vague because I can't quite decide on anything.

Menu Plan
Monday - Pasta Primavera
Tuesday - Tilapia, Rice, Veg
Wednesday - Lentil Casserole
Thursday - Spaghetti & Salad
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Still Deciding
Sunday - Dinner out