May 26th

Today I am 28 years old. How crazy is that? Seems like just yesterday, I was 27.....

Dn. John came home today with a wheelbarrow for me. :) In it was a giant package of weed fabric and a portable water sprayer. He is awesome. I hope the weather holds, because I am now itching to get out and weed my rhubarb and delphiniums, put some fabric around them, mulch, and not touch them again all summer. (I hate weeding....can you tell?) This weekend, if we don't end up going camping, I'm hoping to hit the nurseries and come home with columbine and petunias to finish off the beds in front of my house. My friend offered some bleeding heart starters, so I am going to pick them up too. I have high hopes that the front bed will look incredibly awesome.

Today, Megan and I planted carrots, radishes, and green onions in our teeny tiny vegetable patch. Maybe next year, I'll get Dn. John to build us a fenced garden. Heck, maybe I'll ask him to do it this summer, so we can actually plant in it next summer. It's not worth it to plant too much without a fence, since the moose will decimate the vegetables. But they stayed out of them last year, so hopefully we'll get lucky again.

It is 71 degrees outside, sunny and cloudless. The girls played in the sprinkler at the Beck's all afternoon while I worked at the bakery, and I think we will go to the park and Cold Stone for some birthday ice cream this evening.

It is amazing to me to be beginning a new year in my life. The years keep getting better and better, and I intend to continue that trend. I am very blessed. Thank you God, for my family, my friends, and all that you have blessed me with.

Tea Party

I bought Megan a tea set at Walmart yesterday. It is, quite possibly, the best $5 investment I've ever made. The girls are having the time of their lives having tea party after tea party. It's the cutest thing. Megan is very dainty and precise, pouring tea, adding cream and sugar....and then there's Marina, pounding both her fists on the table and screaming, "TEA PARTY!!!"

Unfortunately, at the same time, I bought Marina a little toy microphone that, evidently, only plays two lines of one song. Not my greatest choice. If I have to hear "Under the Sea" one more time, I may vomit.

Megan's Grand Finale

This is the end result of Megan's year in Creative Movement and Tumbling. Enjoy.

Megan's Quote of the Week

We were running late the other day, and I was getting a little upset about it. Finally, we got into the car, only to discover that the gas light was on. I said something to the effect of, "Good grief! One more thing to do!" Megan very calmly looked at me in the rear-view mirror and said, "Mom, maybe you should say a prayer. It will help you feel better."

Out of the mouths of babes and infants...

To market, to market

I had a great day at the Palmer Farmer's Market today, selling 35 jars of jam and sauce! I sold completely out of three flavors (carrot cake jam, pina colada jam, and raspberry chipoltle sauce). It got windy at the end, so I left early since nothing would stay on the shelves and tables (it was REALLY windy). The crazy thing is that everyone around me kept commenting, "Wow, what a slow day! There's nobody here!"

It gives me a little thrill of anticipation/terror...if that was a slow day, how in the world am I going to keep up???

This week...

Only in Alaska--swimsuit weather, but there are still snow drifts!
Visiting the Temple's puppies.
I am so cracking up at this one....Megan recently discovered how much she loves water fights. The school had their traditional end of the year water fight on the lawn today, and this picture is her all tuckered out afterward, lying in the sun.
Nicolas stuck drink umbrellas in Marina's hair...it was pretty cute.
Nick playing Wii, surrounded by little girls. Adelaina was visiting, and so was Samantha, even though she's not in the picture.
Marina's super crazy hair. :)
I really love this picture.
CAN SHE BE ANY CUTER?????
Marina wearing her "gobbles." She wore them for almost two hours--I couldn't get her to take them off, and then she had serious rings around her eyes for awhile!
More "gobbles."

Eggs

I have started trading home made bread for fresh eggs from my friend down the street, and she has six dozen she needs to get rid of. This wouldn't usually be a problem, except for the fact that I already have two dozen in my fridge. So, today's project?? Cooking stuff with eggs. I got up and made pancakes this morning, but that only used three...although we did have fun with the pancakes! My sister and nephew came over to eat with us, and we had buttermilk pancakes with strawberry sauce (courtesy of the Apple Branch Pantry), whipped cream, and cantaloupe on the side. Kali even did the dishes. :)

For lunch, I am making sausage, mushroom, and Parmesan quiche. (Those just happen to be the things I have lying around....). Kari, Helen, and their kids are coming over to eat with us, so that will be fun.

I would love to make an angel food cake but I don't have a pan for it. I wonder who has one that I can borrow... The neat thing about the angel food cake is that it takes 14 egg whites, but no yolks. However, I have been wanting to make lemon curd, which takes egg yolks, and no whites! Ta da! Match made in heaven.