Annual camping trip!

I really enjoy camping. I am not sure why since I am always tired the next day and have a ton of cleaning up to do. It's also buggy (although this time wasn't really at all) and I do get a little nervous being out in the woods at night.

I think I enjoy just being in nature. As an adult, I am not out in it enough. When I was younger I used to walk around the pond behind our house; there were a little stream where the overflow from the pond flowed out and I would sit and listen and think and feel serious and thoughtful. Sometimes I would draw. I had this desire to have a secret garden like Mary Lennox or to be a farmer (I had a childhood goal to milk a cow). Now that I am grown, I have to make a concerted effort to be in true nature (not just our yard).

Our ward (church congregation) holds a yearly campout (held at various locations around here--this year was at Todd Lake), which is a nice and gentle camping experience since there are friends around and a group breakfast in the morning.

 Being in the tent after the sleeping bags are set up is the best. Clara especially enjoyed reading in the tent.

 Michael is getting the coals ready for dinner.

 I wanted to try a Dutch oven pizza recipe. It wasn't complicated--I made the crust at home, greased the oven, and put in the dough with the sauce. You let it cook and then add the cheese, pile on more coals, and let it cook some more. It did take longer than we expected, but fortunately Michael was wise and didn't take it off prematurely.

It looked gorgeous! The crust was really fluffy, but there was a bit of rancid oil taste, possibly since we hadn't used the dutch oven in a while. But it was still fun. That's another interest of mine--learning to make lots of food in a dutch oven for emergency (and camping) purposes.

Favorite little boy ever.

 Trying not to smile. He kept wanting to get into the tent with his shoes on.

 Hot cocoa is an essential ingredient to a successful camping trip.

 I am so grateful for Robbie's gregarious and friendly nature. He loves being around other kids and playing with them. I love that.

Michael found a leaf bug! Both Clara (?) and Robbie were brave enough to hold it. I was not.

Overall, it was a wonderful time. We didn't sleep super great with Robbie awakening around 1am and then again around 5:30 (and didn't go back to sleep), but we made it and I'm so glad we went. I am looking forward to next year!

Weekend visitors!

Our awesome friends, the Lansings, came up from Richmond a couple of weeks ago. It was so fun to have them. We had a great time at home and enjoyed going out for dessert on Friday night, adults-only.

On Saturday, we took them to the annual Mennonite Harvest Day, where kids and adults get to do "old-timey" activities. Despite it being probably the hottest day of the entire summer, good times were had by all.

 Clara and Michael sawed a log; I joined in and helped Clara, but we didn't saw it all the way through (Michael was bummed I quit, but it was taking forever. There were so many other things I wanted to do!).

 Here Clara is helping to saw a piece of wood for a necklace.

 The kids and Ted were preparing to make their very own wooden nut and bolt. So cool.

 Clara and I made a rag doll out of yarn--I was impressed Clara stuck with winding the thread 100 times around one board and 50 times around the other.

 Then we washed a rag on the washboard and hung it up to dry. Who knew washing clothes by hand could be such a blast?

 This was my favorite part of the whole day--this volunteer was making true kettle corn in a big copper kettle. He stirred the kernels in the bottom with lots of oil and a lot of them just popped out of the pot, but plenty stayed in and we enjoyed a bag.

Joy and Theo at lunch. We ate with a super loud auctioneer in the background auctioning off pies and tarts, but the Strites' donut (a legend here in the Valley) and homemade vanilla ice cream that Ted treated us to made all the difference.

So glad they came--thanks again, guys!

Going to bed

Robbie doesn't love going to bed and sometimes it's a bit tricky getting him into that bed. Since he learned to climb out of his crib around 16 months, he's had a toddler bed for quite a while. We had to turn the door handle around and lock him in because he would keep coming out during naps and bedtime. Now we still lock it but he stays in bed and calls out, "Mom!" or "Dad!" when he awakens. It is much nicer now that he's getting older and doesn't cry himself awake much anymore.

This is an entry I wrote a few weeks ago:

Tonight I got him in his pajamas (with some fuss, but I soothed him by saying he could go see Daddy when he was all dressed). Then we went upstairs to brush his teeth, which of course he wanted to do all by himself. I told him it was my turn and so I finished brushing them, after which he said, "Good job, honey." Then he sauntered over to his bookshelf to get some books to read. We first read an old Dora book (from Clara), and then he got his favorite Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, by Richard Scarry. He loves finding Goldbug and Dingo and pointing out things we've discussed during past readings ("Oh no!" when he points to the pickles falling out of the pickle truck). He wanted another truck book, but I told him we could read it tomorrow. I went over to his bed and knelt down for prayers, but he wanted a different blanket. So we went to the playroom to get the white fleece blanket, which I wrapped him up in and carried him back to his bedroom, and placed him by his bed for prayers. We began to pray. "Dear Heavenly Father," I began. "Thank thee for . . . " and then he filled in the blanks and I repeated them. His words: "For Addy" (our neighbor's dog). "For cousins." "For fence." "For cousins' fence." "For Dad." Then we finished the prayer by asking Heavenly Father to bless him to make good choices and have a good sleep. I put him in bed, and he wanted me to sing "temple" ("I Love to See the Temple"). (He also commanded, "Sit down," which he says when he wants us to sit on the floor by his bed instead of perching on our knees in preparation to leave quickly.) Then he wanted "Bunny Foo-Foo," so I did an abbreviated version of that (the fairy only gave him one chance instead of three). Then he wanted "Bunny," which is the song "There was a little house in the middle of the woods/a little old man at the window stood," etc. Then he wanted "temple" again, but I told him we'd already sung that. So I got up to leave. He said, "Hug" and so I picked him up and gave him a hug and tucked him under his (three) blankets. I began walking toward the door, and he said, "I want a kiss." So I came back and gave him a kiss and told him I loved him.

(NOTE: A few weeks later, the routine is now very much in place. "I love to see the temple," then "Little Bunny Foo Foo," followed by a "really fast!" version of "There was a little house." Then he wants a "fast" hug and a kiss, which he asks for multiple times, even as you're leaving the room. :-))

These nighttime routines take a while, but boy, they sure make for some sweet moments if I am being mindful. He is such a precious boy.

Here are some pics I took of him and Daddy preparing for bed.

 Robbie loves the camera.

Getting ready to read Hug.

 Besides books, Robbie also likes to bring Duplos and trains to bed with him, and he has to have both Huggles and Brown Bear with him, along with two fleece blankets. (He always wakes up so sweaty!)

 Man that smiler is a killer!

Sweet dreams, our sweet boy.

32 Things

In honor of my birthday tomorrow, I thought I'd write down 32 things I love.

1. Freshly cut and edged grass
2. Mint Oreos
3. Michael
4. Clara
5. Robbie
6. Our families
7. My Savior, Jesus Christ
8. The temple
9. A clean fridge
10. A good workout
11. Chocolate chip cookies that don't spread too much and are nice and chewy
12. Organizers--baskets, pantry containers, mason jars, etc.
13. When Michael makes me laugh out loud
14. A book that sucks me in and lifts me up
15. Lark Rise to Candleford BBC mini-series
16. Working with the young women and my fellow sisters at church
17. Planning and calendaring with Michael, being unified and working on a project together
18. Updated finances
19. A clear desk
20. When I'm in the moment and not distracted
21. A company meal that turns out well
22. Beautiful music
23. Shoes that fit
24. Open cardigan sweaters
25. The anticipation of fall and pumpkins, apples and boots
26. Having thick, curly hair
27. Being a wife and mother
28. Waking up early
29. Good oatmeal
30. Finding something I've been hunting for forever
31. Writing
32. Being early and not having to rush
and one to grow on . . .
33. When my children are playing nicely together

I could go on and on. There is so much in life that is beautiful, so many things I can be thankful for that I have control over. I am so thankful that I've lived this long on Earth. I sometimes worry about what the hard things that I will have to face in the future might be, but I know if I look forward with an eye of faith, the Lord will help me. As it says in the 136th psalm, "Give thanks unto God for all things, for his mercy endures forever."

(updated later)

 And here's a shot of the yummy brownie Michael made me for my birthday! Delicious, especially with vanilla bean ice cream.

House projects part 2

The next big project we tackled was a fence. After doing a lot of research and getting some quotes on various options, we opted for a wood-colored vinyl fence (our neighborhood covenants didn't allow wood).

But of course, we couldn't just leave well enough alone and had to get two trees taken down as well, one of which we had tried so hard to save when building the house. Super bummed. 

The silver lining to any construction project is the joy that large machines bring to parents and children alike.

Yes, that would be a man up in the tree. Incredible and dangerous, but they did a great job of not tearing up the yard with big machines.

Bye bye, beautiful tree. I think I need to go read The Giving Tree now.

Hey look, fence posts!

And then the project that was the grand finale: the playset.

I was originally against building a traditional playset. A lot of people in the neighborhood have them and I just don't see kids playing on them much. However, after Michael and I spent lots of time imagining and designing the awesomest play area ever including a water feature, fountain, and tire swing, budget and reality kicked in and we decided that a playset would be just fine.

We did, however, get to design the playset (on a much more modest scale, of course), which we both thoroughly enjoyed.

 After receiving a shipment of 19 (!) boxes, we set them all out in the garage and numbered each one. Little by little over a period of a few weeks, Michael assembled pieces and got rid of boxes.

But of course, we (meaning Michael) had to level the ground first.

 Michael kept the sod to be used to replace the grass where the other tree was cut down.

 Michael is a perfectionist but he is really good at anything he puts his mind to. Actually, it's not so much that he's a perfectionist, more that he just has the correct attitude that a job worth doing is worth doing well. One of the many things I love about him.

 Assembly of the gazebo. This whole project would have taken much longer without the help of our friend from church and neighbor, Sheryl, who is skilled and very generous with her time, coming over on several days to help Michael before night fell. I helped somewhat, but she was invaluable.

 It's coming together. Robbie and Clara were so excited and loved climbing up and down the slide even before the rest was completed. And hey, a fence!

 Almost done. And over on the side is where Michael put the sod and then surrounded it with new seed and covering.

 

 Can you see the W that Michael painted on the flag? Love love it. 

The set still needs a rope and bucket installed and the sandbox area on the bottom to be filled, but we probably won't do the sandbox until next year. I figure we can prolong the fun.

Overall, we are super pleased. And very pleased to have a little more time on our hands. And to have our garage back.

House projects part 1

The end of June we celebrated our one-year anniversary of moving into our house. In the process of making it a home, the realization that the house projects are never done has truly hit home. (I am eating a big piece of humble pie right now, Mom!) However, instead of begrudging the time, money, effort, and stress that these projects bring, I wanted to remember them so that in the future we can look back and enjoy the fruits of our labors and hopefully learn from our mistakes and experiences.

Project #1: The garden.

 So this is what it looked like in May after initial plantings. I had wanted to do an arbor trellis on the side between the two beds for the cucumbers or other vine plants.


However, I was too lazy and indecisive and figured I'd just plant them in the beds. After continually stepping on the vines, I've decided that (1) I only need one or two cucumber plants (the above is three seeds. Just three!) and (2) I must have a trellis for them to grow up.

I also learned you really need to check the type of plant on the tag before you purchase. I had forgotten how similar cilantro and flat-leaf parsley look . . . bye bye, cilantro plant (I like it but I am the only one in the house).

The cucumbers got mildew with all the rain (or as some like to say, moisture :-)) we had in July. Also, I wasn't anticipating how enormously tall these tomatoes would get. They kept falling over in their cages, and I kept wasting money on piddly stakes and ties trying to keep them in the soil. Finally, Michael just got some chain link fence posts and hammered them down deep deep into the soil. No more falling tomatoes, but I still couldn't keep all the vines up so they kept flopping over. Any suggestions for next year?


Fortunately, despite some eager bugs/caterpillars, we enjoyed lots of veggies and had many to share.

Project #2: Clara's nightstand. (This project was actually done in the spring but I am finally getting around to posting it.)

I had been hunting and hunting for a nightstand for Clara and finally purchased this little green shelf used for $35 I believe.

 Before.

After. I am really happy with it (it's actually a bit more turquoise in real life) despite my poor spray paint skills.

And here is Clara in front of the Washington D.C. temple. I actually purchased a white frame and had it hanging for a while but just didn't like it and found this pink one which was perfect.

Project #3: The driveway.

Despite considerable discussion about the design of the driveway before it was laid last year, it still cracked, and people (myself included) kept driving off the driveway and into the grass because of an awkward design.

 My camera pics are corrupted for some reason, so I can't show you the before, but basically they chopped off the top part of the driveway (where that bump on the left is sticking out and covered with "hay" to protect the grass seed) and then added a new triangular piece. Much better.

Other random house projects:

 I adore Creeping Jenny (the green plant in front) almost as much as I love Cutie Clara. Okay, not even half as much, but boy, I didn't realize how happy a plant could make me.

I had taken all the furniture off the porch and was scrubbing the floor, when Clara unexpectedly decided to help. She did a good job, too! Robbie, of course, couldn't be left out of the action.