This Week in the Garden

Iris continued blooming.
I'm gonna move them next fall.

My Martha Gonzales Rose is covered
in beautiful blooms!

I got a new pepper plant that had a stow-away!

In case you don't recognize it,
that's a ladybug larvae!
And here it was the next day:


Romas are growing!!!

Chard is growing!!!

Marigolds are blooming!

Pill bugs are destroying!!!! Boo!!!!
Everything I've direct seeded in the garden
has been attacked!
I've had to re-start the pinto beans, black beans,
Elizabeth's birdhouse gourds, and David's loofahs
...in peat pots this time.

Built a tee-pee for some pole beans.
Thanks, Grandpa, for the bamboo!

Finally found the guinea nest!
She laid another today!

More iris.

I took pictures with some of my chickens:

This is one of my favorite girls.
She's an Egger.

I took more pictures yesterday, but haven't had time to get them up yet.

My Beautiful Rose

More beautiful than the most beautiful flower.

Sweeter than the sweetest scent.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

(he's writing the names of his Bionicles)

Overheard down the hall, Elizabeth to David: You should go use Mom & Dad's bathroom.
David: But I'm not even married!

At the plant sale on Saturday, David at the top of his lungs: MOM! ARE THEY GIVING THESE PLANTS AWAY, MOM?
He probably asked me several times, but it was so loud in there I was not able to hear him until he screamed.

Elizabeth stuck 3 Duplo blocks together & brought it to me: Look at my ship, Mommy! It has Dark Vader inside.

And here she is "reading" her favorite bedtime book (which usually goes much faster than this!):



And Rebekah said "cracker" today! Isn't she adorable??!?!?!

Rainy Saturday Afternoon

Rain coming down outside, creative play going on inside.

The next in our line of Lego builders.

My farm girl is standing up!

Tiny Talk Tuesday and the Train

I went out last night to bring the goats in. David called from the back door: Don't let the coyotes get you, Mom!
As I was walking back up the steps, Elizabeth called: Did the coyotes get you, Mama?

The train has nothing to do with Tiny Talk, but it was a fun family outing this weekend. Dad took us to a good spot to wait for the historic Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Number 844. It was the last steam locomotive built for UP, when my Daddy was 3 years old, and according to an older guy I met Saturday, it's the only steam locomotive that has been in continuous service, never having been retired.

One train went by before the 844 arrived - Rebekah's first train! She waved as it passed by and the engineer gave a little toot-toot as the train passed. She jumped but didn't cry.

Finally the 844 arrived!

It was sooooo loud! We quickly got back into the car & headed off. But my wonderful husband know his battalion well and we were able to catch it again as it went into a residential neighborhood:

After that we saw it one more time as it went under a bridge we were crossing. Then Dad had to get to work, so we headed out of town. Uncle Bubba's family and Grandpa were coming up to see it at the yard, so we met up with them at McDonald's. Check out that static Elizabeth got while playing:

We made it to the yard, and there she sat. Steam trains are so beautiful. A wonderful opportunity for photography.
Lots of people were taking pictures of the train, pictures of kids and themselves beside it. So many, in fact, that it was really hard to get any photos without a bunch of random people in them, but I did get some.

Fun times!

Happy First Birthday, Rebekah!

On Saturday we celebrated Rebekah's First Birthday!

Rebekah took turns hanging out with family before the festivities began.

She got some great presents, including
sunglasses and her first Hello Kitty
from Aunt Wee,

some really cute dresses and a stuffed bunny
from Grana,

a Laugh & Learn Purse (which Elizabeth was very excited about!)
from my friend Janet,


a touch & feel Bible story book and

a set of dishes featuring Noah's Ark
from MawMaw,

a shape sorter
from Grandpa & Norma,

and some stackable nesting blocks
from Aunt Erin.

I think that covers it... did I leave anything out?

After presents we moved over to the table for
Carrot Applesauce Cupcakes!

"Why's my food on fire?"

"Uhh, now what?"

Afterward we had an Easter Egg Hunt, but that's not about Rebekah, so I put that in a different post. Read about the rest of our Easter festivities here.

I wrote a letter to Rebekah a few days ago.
David & Elizabeth just love her.

She also got this "Fun to be One" t-shirt in the mail
from her friend Brigid, who turned 1 five weeks ago.

Today we continue to celebrate
Rebekah!
as this is her actual birthday!

I would like to say thank you
to Dad for taking pictures at the party
and to Grana and Janet for
sharing your photos with me!