Garden Progress!

So this post is all about our gardens... there aren't any little boys in these pictures! :)



This is my island bed that gets the most weeds in it every year... because it is down wind from the hill in front of the house... which is where the wind blows from... But we have a lot of pretty stuff in this bed... the crocuses this year were really lovely! There are 2 tart cherry trees, burning bush, daffodils, tulips, geraniums, balloon flowers, black eyed susans, echinacea, stella d'ora, some grasses, evergreen bushes and some other things i don't remember the names of...


The purple flowers are the hardy geraniums that i love, although they are not the same ones i had a few years ago... those were more compact and they actually spread like a ground cover, sometime maybe i can find those again...Also this year some mint showed up... Oh my! is that stuff all over or what! I am not sure what to do with that... it is pretty and like a ground cover, and smells wonderful!!!


This stuff is so pretty i just had to share!


This is the view from the front... I realize it needs some help up there... It is where i have all the spring bulbs, so i need to find something that is low growing and fill in there... I really think the Huchera (coral bells) are pretty and now there are so many different foliage colors...

Does any body know what this stuff is? It is quite invasive and i am not sure what it does!!! does it flower!? I put in a gallon size pot last year and now it is covering a four foot area now!!!


Some of the crocuses! They are so pretty and the sure sign of Spring!!! YAY!!!



Some of the Kazakh Tulips! Just ready to bloom and it SNOWED!!!!!! I couldn't believe it! But as you see in the next picture, it didn't even phase them!!!


Aren't they FABULOUS!!!!? (Angela, I am going to buy you some this year, really... sorry i forgot last year. It is already on my calendar for September!)

These are the Kaufmann type, i am pretty sure.

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These are our garden beds by the house. The "Kitchen" garden. We decided to change out the soil to the WeedFree soil mix... Unfortunately we have to shovel by hand all of it out!!! We had built some "cold frames" to grow stuff later and start earlier... but it did not work so well... bummer! So we dumped all the excess soil around the lawn... The lawn is all sand and could always use more topsoil! Recently though we have discovered the chives still growing away in a small pile Jerry put in the woods! So we have been eating those... well ok... Alex has been... He LOVES chives and onion tops!!!! Crazy boy... He will eat lots of those at any time... then whew does his little boy breath stink!!!!


So we dug out all the soil...
Then we put in a weed barrier and hardware cloth to make sure moles can't come up into the garden! Yeah... that would be terrible!! After that we can fill it with the mix! woohoo!!


This is the next batch of Kazakh tulips!! These are Greigii tulips, I believe. Aren't the leaves great!? I LOVE these!


These are a Greigii type, too.


We went to Missouri for the Spring planting festival at Baker Creek Heirloom Seed company. Jerry's sis and kids met us there... It had rained 8 inches that week and then rained all day that we were there!!! I hardly took out my camera! But we finally took it out at the end, because we had to document that we spent all day slopping around in the mud!!! What a mess! So funny!


When we came home this is what i saw first when i drove up! The Tulips were still blooming, but seemed to be even brighter than before! So pretty!!!


Our first seedlings!!!! Sugar Snap Peas!! We can hardly wait to eat them... mostly we eat them in the garden... but this year we planted a lot more, so we might be able to get them inside for dinner or to freeze some... we will see! We still have to make the trellis that they will grow up... I think i have a picture of that... maybe next post.


Apple blossoms at a friend's house... Our Apple trees are WAY to small to blossom!


I think we are going to have GRAPES this year!!!!!! We are so excited!!! The Vines are covered in baby grape bunches!!! We have had it in for about 4 years and we got grapes once... one bunch. I can't even take the time to count how many bunches are on there this year... so many!!! But the leaves are amazing colors when they first start growing!!!


Here's our Lettuce, spinach, mesclan blend, and green onion "patch." All our favorites! Even Anthony likes to eat the leaves out there in the garden... I have to get after the boys often as they pull the whole plant up trying to get a leave to eat! :)


We planted a bunch of fruit trees this Spring!! Most of them we got from "Trees of Antiquity" in California. They have Organic, Heirloom varieties... LOTS of them!!! We bought 10 apples and 2 pears from them... and would have bought peaches and cherries too, but they were sold out already of the kinds that we can grow here. So we bought the peaches and cherries at a store here... HUGE difference!!! Next year i am going to try to get some from TOA though!

When i first requested a catalog from TOA i guess i forgot my address, so they had to contact me to get it... when i replied, my blog address is always in my signature in the email, i discoved that the lady that would send out my catalog was also researching adoption and had been interested in Kaz, but was also checking out Kyrgystan! What a small world... we have kept in touch ever since! They offer an Apple tree named Alexander, so you know we had to order it!! When she sent out the invoice, she gave it to us as a gift in honor of our Alex!!! i couldn't believe how sweet and generous she was!! So we really cherish that apple now!!! Soon i hope to be able to send her something for her baby... although i am sure it won't be an apple tree!! haha! I can't wait to taste them all! So then we ended up choosing each our own apple trees... Anthony gets the Mutsu Apple... huge and tart... haha! Jerry gets the Roxbury Russet, me the Strawberry parfait, and Kimi gets the Snow Apple! haha! We also have Spitzenburg, Ashmead's Kernal, and Cox's Orange. They all sound so very good!! We are excited about them... we have dwarfs, semi-dwarfs, and standard sizes.


Of course, my water lilies! However, my pond has a leak somewhere in the bottom pond... bummer... that is going to be a big job to find, so it will wait a while until all the planting and gardenbed selling is done for the season!

More updates soon!!! :)

April Happenings!

My little soymilk-addicts! They are so funny... Anthony is still a little slow at sucking down the sippy's but Alex can empty a sippy in about 2 minutes... it seems! Anthony will catch up, I am sure...


Anthony fell asleep like this watching a Veggie-Tale video. He looks like he is praying... so sweet!


This where the pool was last year... we removed it because we think that it was costing a fortune in electricity and we were having problems getting the water nice... every time it would rain it would go absolutely green and none of the pool places could even figure it out... About the time we got it cleared up it would rain again... and we need a heater to use it longer... more money... so we just let it go. It was kind of a hard choice to make, but it is a relief now...
See the teepee? That is where we are going to grow vine-ing beans this year... then the kids can play in the teepee... my mom did this when i was a kid and we loved playing in those... although ours is made out of concrete re-rod! haha! We also are planning to put some new garden beds in that area. We might even move the kids' fort over near the teepee to make more space for gardens. :)


Lucy-girl checking out a little snow in April


Some more of Anthony's smiles!


Wanting to get in the tub with Dada and brother! This is their little male bonding time... its so funny... I usually stay out of the bathroom!


Outside enjoying some "Spring" warmth and sunshine! This was Easter Sunday... we worked on the gardens... we have been adding more beds and mulching and cleaning things up! Getting the electric fence going again, planting, planting, planting! I am going to make a new post especially about the gardening around here with pictures!


We took a whole 15 minutes and i tossed some eggs out in the grass for the kids to "find." Anthony wasn't sure what that was all about, but once he discovered there was something edible inside, he was all about that!!!


So we enjoyed eating the ears off a small chocolate bunny... saving the rest for later...


Anthony got mostly M&Ms! He loved it though!!! So cute!!


Always and forever wanting to be like Daddy! Apparently he was cold...


Grandma brought over a little Easter present for them... this huge (awesome) bow was on the box! I still can't get over how much like a little girl Anthony looks!!! haha!


Alex wasn't as excited about this thing being on his head...


We're kind of into hats these days... however it is mostly about hardhats, but this was fun for a minute.


Alex is ready to help putting soil into the garden.


Little WHITE babylegs and arms! They have definitely "chubbed" up a little!


Milk drinking is of most importance...


"I am ready for work, mom, where's my briefcase? See ya!"


Anthony likes these too!!! He is so funny... if brother does it, he wants to. In a lot of things, we have to remind him that he is a baby! So you can hear me frequently saying to him, "no, Anthony, you're a baby... you can't get up there/do that." He hates it...



One nice shot from Alex's special photo shoot...


A photo that Alex took when i wasn't looking... he is all into getting ahold of my camera... included in this batch were a bunch of the deck floor, which was quite dirty, actually and a rather artsy shot of the toilet in my bathroom... you all didn't really need to see that, so i spared you... But maybe one day it will be famous... who knows!


Anthony's first ice-cream cone! Sugar cone with rainbow sherbet... He adored it!!! Very serious business!!!


YUMMY!!!!!


This is hilarious!!! They pull down the 4 pillows that are the sturdiest (because that is all i will allow) and then they just fall into them!! Then they laugh like crazy and do it again!!!! Even little scaredy-pants Anthony!


can you believe how much i am updating... just wait!

Some Pictures from March - 2009!!!

Alex made a family of "Robots" one day... I thought it was ingenious!!! He even added the dreamed about Kimi and Lili! (the twins from China that we dream of) heehee. Isn't that so cute!!!?


Yep... this is still the smile I get when the camera comes out! :)


This is Anthony's time out... remember the pink rug?! We are still using it! It's going to be worn out by the time Kimi comes! We will have to find a new one for her. Notice the little gray kitty-paws coming out from under the bed! how can you stay screaming for long with soft little paws playing with your hair!!!? Look at the cute little polar bear on his butt!


Trying to get a cute picture of the PJs that Aunt April sent for Christmas! They are so cute! It took a whole 10 minutes before bed for them to cooperate! silly goobers! You like Anthony's smile or what!!!?


This is what usually happens when I sit them together, Alex leans over and smashes Anthony... sometimes its funny, sometimes its not and sometimes its funny for a minute!


A picture of our Booth at the West Michigan Home and Garden Show in Grand Rapids in March! This Show was amazing!! I talked all day long all 3 days that i was there! I was hoarse! I couldn't believe the response! Our booth was probably the most popular. It was the booth that there was always a crowd around! It was awesome! We sold some seeds too. We are now a distributor for Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com) too! LOVE their seeds! So check out our website when you get the time... www.WeedFreeGaredenBed.com I will be posting a gardening post soon with pictures!


I just thought he looked so beautiful this day... I think this is before his haircut too, so his hair was all long and pretty...


My beautiful Alex...

Anthony's "smile"


After the haircut! I got it a little short, but it is still cute! I loved this sweater on him and wanted to try to do a little photo shoot in it because it is almost Spring and it will NOT fit next year! haha! Also i wanted to record his "walking" shoes! Alex wore those same shoes when he learned to walk so they are special to me... plus they are so cute!


They both had haircuts and looked so cute... but Anthony did not want to cooperate, as you can see... almost every big shoot has some tears at some point! i just shoot the other one and come back to the crying one later! haha! they are such a mess!


As you can see... It was Alex's turn! He can be quite the ham sometimes... at times he wants his picture taken and then other times he tries to run from me and hides his face!!! Where on earth did he learn that nonsense!!?



Some more hugging and leaning...


And kissing... Anthony is the kissing king!


Anthony... not wanting to cooperate again...


Aren't they so cute!!!?



Alex had to climb the pile of dirt at the jobsite... I couldn't allow him to be there long, but it was after hours and there wasn't any equipment running... so a boy has to explore a little!

We went down to Dayton Area (Ohio) for Jerry's Birthday and stayed the weekend... He had been staying in the motorhome on the jobsite, so we took the motorhome to a park for the weekend... more on that in a minute.


Dirt dirt dirt!!!


We discovered Anthony LOVES to swing!! he was just laughing and laughing!!

The playground at the camping park... It was decent... The park on the other hand had interstate on 3 sides and a train track on the 4th side! we could not believe it!!! On the way to the park the transmission on the motorhome died and jerry was only able to drive about 20 miles an hour! It was terrible!!! He could not go in reverse either!!! It was sooo annoying!!! At least we had my truck too (of course) so we still had wheels!
Taking a walk around the camp park...


We visited some memorials of flight and drove around on Saturday, explored a little... It was a fun family day!!


Anthony's little baby newbie walk... So cute!!!

The boys' sleeping arrangements in the motorhome! We pull out the couch which is so nice and is made of temper-pedic foam, comfy... Now this is living! haha!


On Sunday we went to the Airforce Museum - The History of Flight. It is an awesome museum! It is huge and has all the eras of airplanes all inside buildings! Alex loved it! He also had to learn all about bombs being dropped from planes during war... Now he frequently talks about that and asks why... kind of sad really.


Anthony wanted his picture by the big tires too!!!


What a cute astronaut!! Anthony was sleeping during this part of the museum or i am sure he would have wanted to be in there too!


This was cool! Alex got to sit in this cockpit and push buttons... dream come true! So cute!

We will have to go back again, since it was rainy and cold we did not get to visit the outside planes! Bummer... The boys will really like that! What a fun day! So we drove the motorhome back to Troy where we found a transmission repair place. We had to drive on back roads as to not cause a lot of problems for the other drivers on the road.

We are ready for Spring though!!!! Bring it on!