Spring Break

So, here we are in 2011, and here is the first blog since last July. Well, the chickens are all grown up now, the kids are a year older (almost), and we have had an event filled year. I could do a recap blog, but that seems like too much work, and since I have a bunch of work ahead of me for the rest of our break, I will just skip all that has taken place and just pretend like you are all up to speed. Ah. That is much better.

Spring Break is always a time to get those projects going. This break is no different. The family has spent most days outdoors on our "Staycation" here at the Big Brown Lawn. First things first, we had to deal with those plants!

So, we have now planted the 40 tomato plants, 20 pepper plants, beans, peas, basil, and a number of flowers.

This along with our 4 apple trees, two nectarine, two peach, three cherry, persimmon, plum, apricot, pomegranite, and fig. Mason told me yesterday that we are living on a farm, "but if this is going to be a real farm, we're going to have to get a whole lot more animals." True dat, true dat...

And here is a view of the somewhat-finished-somewhat-to-be-completed patio area. Note the reused concrete bits collected from busted up driveways. It has only been a year with all that in our driveway. Did I mention how tolerant Jen is?

And all this is great, but Mason and Ellie are content trying to break their necks on the hammock... er... I mean pirate ship.

Come on by and see for yourself.

Endless Summer? Don't I Wish!

Summer break. For us it has always been a time of relaxing, traveling, visiting family, and creating the annual project list. This summer had its unique qualities. Many indoor projects were completed so it was onto the outdoor stuff, decisions were made on new fencing and orders were placed, two more trips were added to the annual Idaho roadtrip, and of course, our little Mason was here to join in all the fun. The phrase, "Time flies when you are having fun", was created for a reason and suddenly we are back at school 2 weeks underway to be exact and wishing we had a bit more summer to finish up some loose ends. The triple digit heat sure feels like it is summer. In fact it does bring back the bitter/sweet memories of roofing back in '04. Wait, I think that was just bitter and hot. Anyway, we have a few photos to share that show our work in progress. Josh was hard at work in between trips to build our new front porch. It is almost complete and sealed for the rainy season to come.



And this endless summer post wouldn't be complete without a Mason Montage.

Here's to a summer of great food,

many laughs,

big smiles,

and SEXY TIME!

Gas, Food... Nipples?

When we purchased our new stove this winter, we were unpleasantly unsuprised to find that it did not quite fit into this old, uneven, sloping, mismatched house. It stuck out into the walkway leaving a teeny, tiny space to get in and out of the oven (the island in the center of our kitchen doesn't really help either. The thing is so big that once I swore I spotted Jack and Kate looking for some way off the darned thing). This led to burned knees and a sore back from twisting to get cast iron pans and cookie sheets in and out of the hot box (My right eyebrow is now a bit shorter from a close call with a hot pizza stone). And so, once again, I was called out of "handyman" retirement to replace the gas line with shorter, more accomodating fittings.


When working with gas, it is always important to consult a professional. Luckily, I had one on hand. At first, I wasn't sure if Mason was up to the job. He seemed distracted by the red of the wrenches and the silver backing of the stove.


However, once I got his attention on the nipples, his professionalism came shining through. Mason proved to be an expert when it came to nipples. He gave me the advice and the confidence I needed to get the job done. Together, Mason and I reclaimed over 2 inches of floor space. My knees were thankful for a job well done, and I even think I felt my right eyebrow raise with a regained confidence.