It's the Grand Backwards Countdown Time of Year!

 Starting at 0 years of age, the adorable Cameron!

At age 1, the cute Oliver!

Sophia is our playful 2 year old!

Our expressive Thomas is now 3!

Rylee is our spunky 4 year old!

Olivia is our sweet 5!

At 6, Parker is ever energetic!

Creativity describes Ashtyn at 7!

And at 8, Claire is so caring!

Of course, all of these words and so many more could describe all of our Grands! We love them so!!!

I am so blessed!!!

The Big T is Big Three!

 

Thomas is three! He is such an articulate kiddo for his age, very fun loving and such a joy!

We count ourselves lucky to have time with this little one. We are blessed!

The Big O is O-N-E!

 

And isn't he just so cute!

We have loved watching him learn and grow!

I am so blessed to be Oliver's Grandma Dee!

The Garden May Yet Go Wild!

 It's been a different sort of year for the garden. I have not even had one ripe melon (although maybe by Tuesday that will have changed)! I only have harvested 1/2 gallon of tomatoes - except for the lovely cherry tomatoes that are producing about 1 cup every 2 to 3 days.

But the squash is up over the trellis and I am starting to get a few beans!

I even had to rig a taller trellis for some of my tomatoes - they are at least 7 feet tall!

I love my wild garden!

I am so blessed!

Now she is 4!

 

This fun loving girl is four - and she could not be cuter!

Rylee loves food, loves people, loves animals, and loves life! I am so blessed to have Rylee Sue in my life!

Getting Creative with the Garden Harvest

This year has been so very strange for my garden... 

1) Lots of bugs. I lost at least 5 tomato plants to a cutworm. Many green bean plants to slugs who paved the way for the pill bugs. Almost all of my kohlrabi and some cabbage to aphids. BIG SIGH...

2) The weather. First we had a late-ish frost. Thankfully, I had not transferred most of my tender plants from my jugs out yet. So I just covered the milk jugs. The frost did, however, impact the Swiss Chard. Now it has been so very hot and dry. Most of my plants look wilted by early afternoon. Some even look like that with the shade cloth I have erected! Poor plants.

For whatever other reason - or just a combination of the first 2- very few tomatoes yet, no melons, one zucchini, a handful of small peppers. Not going to feed us on just the garden any time soon.

All that being said, some things have done well. Luke and I ate much lettuce from the garden! And I have tried to find ways to use what I can grow such as my herbs. I made some Tarragon salt and Tuscan Herb salt - so yummy. And the beets, although slow to start, are coming along well - and SO DELICIOUS!

 Tarragon chicken sandwich topped with caramelized onion and Swiss, golden beets sprinkled with Tuscan Herb Salt, and artichoke (the artichoke was from the store BTW)  - Yum!

Tarragon chicken: 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 1/2 tsp. Tarragon Salt. Slow cooker for 2 hours - until the cream cheese melts (stir well).

With the Swiss Chard bouncing back and basil finally growing... Chard lasagna - SO GOOD!

The tomato sauce was from last year. Here's to hoping I will yet get enough tomatoes to make some more!

Even with the weird garden year, I am so blessed!

She is 8! She is Great!

 

Claire is eight! I am so happy for her that she has chosen to be baptized. She had this beautiful smile on her face afterwards. 

Claire is such an intelligent, caring and wonderful girl (granddaughter, daughter, big sister)! She is very creative, asks many great questions, and loves to learn.

I am so blessed to have Claire in my family!