Garden Update

My garden update is a sad one.  You've heard and read of my excitement of growing a garden from seeds. (Click here.) Of eating straight from the plant.  Of having endless fun watering and weeding and harvesting the plants with my daughter.  And it has, for the most part, been a good adventure.

The green beans and peas were successful.  And Eloise and I did eat them straight from the plant.  Ahhh...my rural-living dreams are being fulfilled right here in this big city.  Alex always washes his food first.  He is the son of a doctor and nurse, after all.  He knows better.  And Cordelia, well, she didn't eat anything.

Our sunflowers were pretty!  (Click here. And here. So pretty.)  But I made the mistake of planting them too close together.  And then the deer came and ate them all.  And now they are ugly, dead, and depressing.

And finally, our tomatos.  Sweet little plants. (Click here.) Attacked by the city deer.  Sending me into a RAGE.  Well, they have rebounded.  A second round of tomatoes are coming in and they are monsters.  I can't control them.  It's a scene from The Little Shop Horrors.

So here is my garden at present.  I call it...

Garden with 2 Small Children.


Gardening is fun but I just can't keep up with it!

(Weeds, weeds, some nice basil, dead/decapitated sunflowers and MONSTER tomatoes in the back.)

(Monster tomatoes cascading over the wall inviting the deer to come eat them up.  They must be 12 feet or more.  Unbelievable.)

Now, let's move on.  

Let's move on to the most beautiful garden I've seen this summer.  We call it...

Garden with 3 Grown Children.

This is the Lalley's annual vegetable garden that they eat from everyday during the summer.  It's so perfect.  We so enjoyed our time there and wish it was our own.  I hope you too can get a glimpse of the beauty.

Good Morning, Beautiful

One of my favorite things about living here is that I'm close to this beautiful woman.

Well, I don't live as close as I wish I did.  She actually lives hundreds of miles away and many of my readers get to enjoy her presence on a daily basis.  But at least, I live close to her parents!

And they are the best.  And they cook really delicious food fresh from their magnificent garden.  And when this beautiful lady, is in town, I get to see her!  Which is more than once a year. Not too shabby for a nomad like myself.

I miss saying good morning to you every morning (wasn't living together in college fun?!? don't really answer that :-).  You are a beautiful woman and an even better friend.  Thanks for dinner tonight!

Love, Emily

My Work Space Today

Today this is my office.  The place where I work.  And get things done.

(And take deep breaths so that I don't explode in the madness!)

Flowers for Sunday

Happy Sunday.  It's 6:29am and I'm up and at 'em.  Because I'm a hyper enthusiastic mother getting my stuff done (NOT) or I'm a hyper enthusiastic church goer (NOT really) or Cordelia woke up at 5 rearing to go.  Bummer!

She fell asleep at 6:30 pm which was awesome.  Gave us a nice long night to enjoy.  But then the morning comes fast.  This next week, she and I have an appointment with sleep training.  Time for us to get back to where we should be after a month of constant travel and room (more like bed) sharing.

Oh, yes, we've been a co-sleeping family for a month.

I love my family.  I love to sleep.  But I don't love the two together.

How sweet it was to come home to a house with multiple beds.  Eloise is back in her own bed.  Hooray!  And now for Cordelia.  (Sorry, sweetie, a mama's got to do what a mama's got to do.)

And now on to what this post is really about...

Beautiful kids enjoying some beautiful flowers.

I took these on Friday while peach picking at a local farm with a group of friends.

Have you ever seen such adorableness before?  And what about that little guy?  I think someone has a crush!!

Now on to some guilty tv pleasures.  There's only a few times I can get away with watching the Duggars over and over and over--that's when Alex is NOT here.  Which reminds me, 19 and Counting is starting a new season this week.  And I'm unashamedly excited for it.  What do you watch at 6:52am Sunday morning?

Happy Sunday!

For My Mom

Anyone in the crowd know my Mom?

Anyone in the crowd ridden with my Mom in her suburban?

When the economy starts to sputter and the car companies falter, my Mom tells my Dad to go buy her 2 more suburbans.  And I think she's serious.

She absolutely loves her suburban and for good reason.  They're beautiful.  They're powerful.  And most of all, when she needs to transport 2 goats for an African celebration, she can.  She will.  And she does.  (More to that story, I promise.)

This beauty is for you, Mom!

Family: Allen Style, Part 3

And here is my final Michigan installment.  I've written a bit about the fun we had with the Allen clan.  I mean really, what a cool family.  Such loving, interesting, and fun people!

I've posted lots of beautiful photos of beautiful people.  Because those Allens (and I mean Clays, Brabenecs, Larges, and everyone else in that clan too) are some beautiful people.

But I'd like to conclude this portion of the blog with a few words about my first trip to Michigan.  What a pretty state.  The lakes, the tall trees, the sand dunes, the cool summer air and the REALLY long evenings (wouldn't get dark until about 10) were great.  But the SUNSETS and LAKE MICHIGAN were outstanding.  Superb, really.

It's beautiful country up that way.

And without further ado,

Family: Allen Style, Part 2

Here is the second installment of wedding photos (scroll down to see the first).  

More to come tomorrow!  

Enjoy!

Family: Allen Style

You've thought you've seen my whole family in all those Colorado photos, didn't you?  Remember all these and these?  Remember how beautiful my family looked in the stunning Rocky Mountains?

Yes, I'm sure you do.  (If you don't, you haven't been paying enough attention. :-)

Well, you've seen nothing yet.

Meet the Allen clan.

((Top) Chris, Brent, Rae, Alia, Alex, (Front) Scott, Emily, Veronica, Galyn, Joe, and Maggie.)

All of Alex's cousins on his mother's side, "The Allens."  What a handsome bunch.

Not to mention how neat it was to have them altogether.  I'm not sure all my cousins have ever been all together in one room before--maybe once or twice.  Rare and neat.

And two more with all the significants in the mix.  Here we are doing our best "T-Rex" impersonations.  Amazing, huh?

And the fabulous occasion for this gathering was Emily and Jeff's wedding.  Aren't they beautiful!?

It was a fabulous family weekend.  Michigan is a beautiful state, but Emily was more beautiful.  She was the perfect bride.

Congratulations Emily and Jeff!

I Heart Faces

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is Purple.  I just shot this one today at the beach.  What a cute hat.  What an even cuter daughter.  :-)  (I'm her mom.  I get to say things like that!)

Parenthood Part 3

"Let me take your picture."

"That'd be great.  We hardly have a picture of just the two of us.  Thanks!"

And take 5 is the charm.  :-)

(But I still wouldn't trade this parenthood thing for the world.)