Tuesday, February 21, 2017

2017 updates. .

I seriously don't know where the time goes to! It has been so long since I have posted any pictures. .or added any updates!! I don't do facebook very often. .and rarely post pictures or information. .So that's not my excuse. .I guess I just get caught up in the day to day.
Seems like everyone is still growing by leaps and bounds. .and changes are occurring regularly. .
Like Jeremy's hair!! HA!
I did have to include our Halloween picture. .
Cami is not about to let us stop celebrating the season with a still-huge costume party.
Now it's all about her. .and her friends. .
But we only must survive 2 more. We are well into double digit hosting now. .And I suppose, that all these "lasts" will be more bittersweet than all the "firsts!"
Tristan has just flourished this year. He is finishing up a year of cabinetry school. He works part time at Lowes and has been able to find regular carpentry projects in the community too.
He is looking at his options for employment in May-thinking he wants to keep doing the broader spectrum of carpentry for a while to increase his skill set.
Grant is also starting to consider employment options. He is finishing up diesel mechanic training. .and is hoping to work for a large company on their trucking fleet. There are several options around
Topeka. He is working part time for a small farm and ranch store there and that keeps him busy and provides some spending money.
We got to enjoy them at home for about a week around the holidays. Last month, we visited them one weekend and enjoyed going to a local trampoline park. .
This old woman was super sore after jumping for an hour. .but it was a blast, and we all decided we would do it again in a heartbeat!!
This guy is growing INCHES at a time!! Seriously, this photo was taken one morning when he was all at once taller than he had been the day before! It was a monumental day for him. .He finally was taller than his mama!! I am 5'10". .and he was super pumped! I guess it won't be long and I might be the shortest. .which doesn't happen very often-trust me!
He is pretty excited for high school next year. .
And, again, I can't believe that time has gotten to this stage. He is 14 and his dad promised to take him to get his farm permit to drive. .We have seriously missed the big boys carpooling the kids around to where they needed to be!!
They just finished basketball last week. .League champions! And we will look forward to a slower month before the crazy spring activities start! He has been involved in a local drumline. .and is now on to playing his 3rd instrument since 5th grade. .the baritone sax. I think that he is going to be a man of many talents as he grows!!
He and his dad are making more time to go fishing as the weather warms. .and the guys have a guided fishing trip booked for June. .for all 4 of them. Cami and I are going to need a girls trip too I think!! Devin will keep us busy and young for a while yet. .as he has a lot of passions. .and wants to be in the middle of most anything!
And then Miss Cami.
She and her brother have gotten used to having their brothers gone. They tolerated it better than I expected. .and better than I certainly did! She and Devin are pretty good buddies now. She is still ALL girl. .but likes shooting her pink camo BB gun and her cross bow.
She's in 3rd grade. .For her birthday, her friends brought their aprons and enjoyed doing a little cooking. It's different having girls at the party than boys!!
She still loves cheerleading and is in her first year of a gymnastics class and dance. She has been mastering handsprings on the trampoline. She is totally a mama's girl. .and wants to be wherever I am at. .or maybe I should say. .she wants ME to be wherever SHE is at!! She is quite something!
She has mastered the social media sphere of SNAPCHAT. .and will snapchat her brothers, the neighbors, and her cousin! It has been fun for her to keep connected with them that way!
Not too much has changed with us old farts though! We're getting ready to be a little older. .and we are trying hard to get a little wiser as we go. Lots of work. .and plenty of play. .both of us are ready for the warmer weather to come around and stay!
We finally made it to that iconic family of 4. .one girl. .one boy. .it's super weird!! I am not sure I will ever learn to cook for less than an army. We get sick of leftovers. .I get sick of not having to cook something new for days. Laundry doesn't take that long though anymore!! That is a plus.
We did apply to get an international 4-H student for a month this summer. .either from Costa Rica or Japan. THAT will be incredible!!
So that is about all we are up to. .
 
Thanks for checkin in on us! Wish I could say when the next update will come. .Some day I look forward to catching up on everyone else's blogs as well. .Enjoy the few weeks left of winter!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Wintertime News

Hey there!!
I got a Christmas card with a special request in it nearly 2 months ago now. .
I'm not the quickest. .
But I AM perseverant!!
Ms. Sue from Michigan was hoping to warm up her winter with some pictures of my greenhouse! And I did oblige quickly with some pictures. .and then took my time to get them up! In the meantime though, we endured a nasty ice storm. .and then some 80 degree days this past weekend. .so I have a few photos from that to share too!
A few years ago I bought a pomegranate tree. It flowers well. .and has grown some tiny pomegranates. I had read somewhere that the decorative trees aren't designed to be able to offer edible fruits.
So I was surprised that these little fruits appeared. .
They grew for a while. .but when they got big enough. .They split open. .to reveal the tiny little, normal looking pomegranate seeds inside! That was fun to see!
I have only used the greenhouse the last couple winters to house my succulent collection. .
But I felt like I might have some extra time to worry over tomato plants this season. I just did little grape varieties. .yellow and red. Jeremy is eating them as fast as they turn.
My two big ferns are looking mighty good for this time of the year!! I have been growing them in self watering planters on the east deck all summer. .which is the only way that this lazy over-scheduled gardener can keep them living. .and this is the first year that I have overwintered them successfully too! They should look great when the season changes! The big pots of succulents are doing well too. .but I think I neglected to get photos of them on!
In January we had a yucky 3 day ice storm. Our old elm trees didn't fare very well at all! This tree is in the front of the house by the pond. .
The guys had to use the tractor to get the branches out of the pond. They did this on day two when we were kind of in between systems!
It was BEAUTIFUL. .
But look how thick that stuff is on the lilac bushes!!
It took us a lot of days to clean up. .
In fact, we still aren't done yet-but the majority of it is cleared out into big piles, waiting for a match when the time is right!
Jeremy ended up taking down a lot of the old, ugly elms. .which I was sad about. I am still fighting for the few that are left. I want them mainly for the bird habitat until our younger trees get bigger! It is a battle of the wills!!
It was a little unnerving to stand in the house, listening to the CRACK-CRASH cycle all around.
But it was the quietest, still air in between the crashing. The ice-blanketed world made the atmosphere seem unusual!
CRAZY!
Fast forward into mid February!!
Two days above 80 degrees!
The boys got a very old fishing boat a few weeks ago. .
And spent countless hours cleaning it all up and fixing the brokenness.
Sunday it was ready for it's maiden voyage. .
It was a gorgeous afternoon with zero wind. .And while we didn't catch a thing. .It was great just to relax and soak up some fresh air and sunshine and DREAM about summer!!
I do have a few pictures uploaded to the blog already. .
Just waiting on a few minutes to spare so I can tell you what everyone has been up to!!