Garden Preview 2013

Hi!  I have so much to share with you!  Especially about our garden this year.  But I only have about five minutes.  So I will give you the much shortened version, with more details to (hopefully!) come.

We are expanding our garden this year! Last year was a bit haphazard because Baby John was such a newborn.  This year, both Chris and I want to really focus on it.  We want to run it like a mini farm.  We recently watched a Ted Talk by this guy who plants gardens on people's lawns in South LA. He said, "Growing your own food is like growing your own money."  We agree. And who wouldn't benefit from a few extra dollars?  Especially edible ones.  :-)

So right now, Chris and the boys are outside working on the garden... I just came in (I'm supposed to be starting dinner).  Chris got fence, dug a trench, put in posts, and put up the fence to make our garden 50% bigger this year.  I cut circles of fence to make our potato containers (which will be grown outside the garden).

In addition to the backyard garden, we want to beautify our front garden.  After talking it over with my aunt, who is a master gardener, we decided on a butterfly bush, some blueberry bushes, and some other grasses, shrubs and perennials to fill out the space.  It has been ugly for too long.  :-) (And Chris is super excited about the blueberries!)  He also picked up a grape vine.  And Benjamin bought a kiwi plant.  Who knew you could grow those in PA!?  We are looking forward to getting our hands dirty and filling our baskets with produce this summer!

I will plan to make regular posts to let you know how it is growing!

Of course, please understand if 'regular' is interpreted loosely... I do have four kids, cook traditional foods, homeschool, clean (sometimes), launder, cloth diaper, sew and garden.  :-)

Sam's Schoolwork

Today Sam was practicing numbers.
"7D7, 8D8, and 9D9"
(77, 88, 99)

:-)

Hanging laundry

It was Ben's idea to hang the laundry outside for me today!

Baby John

Sweet baby John. Some things he's subjected to on a regular basis.

Wearing an old, hand-me-down jacket from the nineties, pink mittens, and a crazy hat from Uncle Dave.

Getting dragged to Target when he's so tired that he was asleep in the car, slept in the back of the cart the whole time we were there (and slept in the car on the way home)!