I sat down last night and worked over our budget for the year. Some things, like car payments and rent, didn't change. Others, like GAS (yikes!) and insurance (we added another vehicle) did change. With Tim on part time, we've had to cut back on a lot of things. I'm truly looking forward to a time when it's all paid off.
I am grateful, however, that we have the means to pay our bills on time. Once upon a (not so long) time ago, that wasn't always the case, and we were living very closely to bankruptcy. As we got smarter with our money, things got better. Everything is paid on time for the full amount, and sometimes we add a little extra when we can to pay it off sooner. I've read that by taking the money originally used on a bill now paid off and rolling it into another payment, the debt will shrink faster. I'm happy to say that this will be happening fairly soon to one of our credit cards. :)
The true intent behind all of this is to pay off enough that we can start saving more money up for our eventual home purchase. We've refrained from any new credit accounts, paid up everything, and continue to pay on time in the hopes that when the time comes, we'll have the income, credit, and down payment available for a comfortable home we can afford. Something with 4 bedrooms and a LARGE kitchen would be nice. Especially if it is in a neighborhood with other children for the kiddos and no turney-pothole-y roads for us adults. Something in southern Berkeley County so we can keep the same schools, but a little closer to work so I don't have to drive 40 minutes (or more) to get there. For now we'll buy a house, but later on I think we'll have our dream home built.
Showing posts with label House News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House News. Show all posts
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
My new range
What's this? A range? A range of what? dates? temperatures?
Nope. My new cooking/baking/totally-awesome range.
It's a 'whirl pool'. *giggle* Sorry, a throwback to Home Improvements.
But it is a black Whirlpool freestanding range with 5 ceramic glass burners (1 is a warmer and two are dual burner that can be either small or large). It also has digital everything on it and a hidden lower element in the oven. We got it home last week, put it in, and didn't even have to adjust it - it was already level. Sweet!
Tim was the first to use it on Saturday (he made eggs), but I got to use it to make dinner Monday night and bake pizza, bread sticks, and cake last night. Those were tasty bread sticks, but I digress. I love this range! Everything baked beautifully, and with the big clear window on the front, there is no question about how things are doing, which means that the kiddos love it, too. The best part is, we got an awesome deal on it, but I can't tell you what it was. :(
Someday I will have to get a matching microwave and refrigerator! :)
Nope. My new cooking/baking/totally-awesome range.
It's a 'whirl pool'. *giggle* Sorry, a throwback to Home Improvements.
But it is a black Whirlpool freestanding range with 5 ceramic glass burners (1 is a warmer and two are dual burner that can be either small or large). It also has digital everything on it and a hidden lower element in the oven. We got it home last week, put it in, and didn't even have to adjust it - it was already level. Sweet!Tim was the first to use it on Saturday (he made eggs), but I got to use it to make dinner Monday night and bake pizza, bread sticks, and cake last night. Those were tasty bread sticks, but I digress. I love this range! Everything baked beautifully, and with the big clear window on the front, there is no question about how things are doing, which means that the kiddos love it, too. The best part is, we got an awesome deal on it, but I can't tell you what it was. :(
Someday I will have to get a matching microwave and refrigerator! :)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A day at home (again)
Tuesday at work they cancelled production, but said that the office personnel would report at their normal time. I figured that instead of going in at 6:30 like I normally do, I would come in at 8:30. Once they cancelled school in Berkeley County, however, I decided to stay home. no school means that the roads between me and the main roads have not been plowed. I wasn't going anywhere.
Instead, we had the kids pile all of their toys in the middle of the play room and start sorting while Tim and I built a quick shelving unit for their bins. It took us about an hour to get it together. Meanwhile, the kiddos got all of their blocks, magnets, cars, train pieces, and misc. stuff together in piles and bins. We reorganized the entire room and got rid of old, broken, or incomplete toys. We've got a large bag of toys to donate, cleared out all of the trash and missing socks, and put everything in its place.
The deal now, is that they can take their Christmas toys down stairs and put them in the places we've designated for them. They each may play with one toy at a time (or bin like the train set or car bin), but they have to put it back in that bin when they are done. They also cannot play with another toy until they've put the other one away. Tim and I are going to inspect each day until they get the hang of it, kind of like we did with the boys' room after we rearranged it. I'm so glad we finally get to clear out the living room!
Instead, we had the kids pile all of their toys in the middle of the play room and start sorting while Tim and I built a quick shelving unit for their bins. It took us about an hour to get it together. Meanwhile, the kiddos got all of their blocks, magnets, cars, train pieces, and misc. stuff together in piles and bins. We reorganized the entire room and got rid of old, broken, or incomplete toys. We've got a large bag of toys to donate, cleared out all of the trash and missing socks, and put everything in its place.
The deal now, is that they can take their Christmas toys down stairs and put them in the places we've designated for them. They each may play with one toy at a time (or bin like the train set or car bin), but they have to put it back in that bin when they are done. They also cannot play with another toy until they've put the other one away. Tim and I are going to inspect each day until they get the hang of it, kind of like we did with the boys' room after we rearranged it. I'm so glad we finally get to clear out the living room!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
It's TOO quiet
Before they left to visit their dad in AR, I got to spend Thursday with the kiddos. Audie and I had an interesting conversation. We were talking about their behavior recently and how it upsets me that they'll listen to Tim, but won't listen to me. Audie said that I seemed to be happier and less stressed when they come back from visiting and thought this was a mini vacation for me. In truth it is a little. A week of not having to yell to be heard, or repeat myself or repeat myself or repeat myself, or being ignored. It's nice to have a break every once in a while.
But it's too quiet in my house.
This is particularly evident on nights when I get home and Tim is already at work. Like last night. When I throw something quick together because I'm the only one eating. When I look around and the house is empty. Good grief, what will I do when they're grown and move out???
But it's too quiet in my house.
This is particularly evident on nights when I get home and Tim is already at work. Like last night. When I throw something quick together because I'm the only one eating. When I look around and the house is empty. Good grief, what will I do when they're grown and move out???
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas at the Whitcomb's
I took Thursday off from work so that I could spend it with the kiddos before they went to AR for a week or so. Tim and I ended up going shopping for their gifts during while they visited with my parents. I got to spend 2 hours that evening wrapping everything. :)
Friday the kiddos and I baked some pies and chocolate meatball cookies, then while Tim was at work, we watched some movies and worked on dinner. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, green beans, Mom's deviant wheat rolls, and Hannah's salad. Then we read the Christmas story from the scriptures and opened gifts (since we were traveling on Christmas day). The kiddos loved their gifts. Audie got the bow and arrows he'd been asking for, Dougie ran around in his SWAT gear "shooting" the rest of us, and Chloie is excited to use the knitting needles and *bright* pink and purple yarn we got her after they get back (she's been asking me to teach her to knit for some time). We finally broke down and got them a Wii, though I must admit I like the archery and bowling in the Sports Resort we got with it. We got enough controllers so that all 3 kiddos could play. Tim and I have already challenged each other several times!
We left at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday morning bound for Knoxville, TN. It flurried a little on the way down, but all in all it wasn't bad. The kiddos were occupied for hours with the Crayola Color Wonder sets my parents got for them. Awesome stuff there, BTW, just sayin'. The only place open to eat on the way down was Waffle House. I will tell you that since VA raised the speed limit to 70, the trip went a lot faster. We met, JD left with the kiddos, and Tim and I ate at IHOP.
We left at 2pm from IHOP fully ready to get home around 10 or so, but the weather had a different idea. At about 5:30, the snow had mucked up the roads enough that we were only going 40 mph. Add to that the darkness, and we decided to spend the night at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Dublin, VA. We had dinner at the Waffle House (yay) and passed out from exhaustion. Those beds are comfy! I'd already called my parents to tell them what happened, and I called my friends in the Primary to let them know I couldn't get home to do singing time on Sunday. It broke my heart, but I didn't want to risk the trip.
We left the hotel at 9am and headed home. By that time, the sun was up and the roads were well cleared. Driving home from then on was a breeze. We watched a movie, washed the road grime off, and went to bed. I'm glad to be home. I think we're going to start looking into trains, buses, or airplanes for future trips.
On a bright note, I finished the blanket for my brother-in-law and his wife. I also had enough yarn in those colors left to do booties and a hat to match. I showed her the unfinished blanket Friday night while they were at dinner, but these are the first pics of the finished set.
Aren't they cute!!! So tiny!
I admit that the booties are crocheted while the hat and blanket are knit. I wasn't sure that I could do booties with knitting needles, so I went with what I knew.
This project was a first on many fronts. First time using circular knitting needles, first time cabling (the lines and twisting), first time knitting with 2 colors separately, and the first time using double pointed needles (for the hat). I can't wait to do the next one!
Friday the kiddos and I baked some pies and chocolate meatball cookies, then while Tim was at work, we watched some movies and worked on dinner. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, green beans, Mom's deviant wheat rolls, and Hannah's salad. Then we read the Christmas story from the scriptures and opened gifts (since we were traveling on Christmas day). The kiddos loved their gifts. Audie got the bow and arrows he'd been asking for, Dougie ran around in his SWAT gear "shooting" the rest of us, and Chloie is excited to use the knitting needles and *bright* pink and purple yarn we got her after they get back (she's been asking me to teach her to knit for some time). We finally broke down and got them a Wii, though I must admit I like the archery and bowling in the Sports Resort we got with it. We got enough controllers so that all 3 kiddos could play. Tim and I have already challenged each other several times!
We left at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday morning bound for Knoxville, TN. It flurried a little on the way down, but all in all it wasn't bad. The kiddos were occupied for hours with the Crayola Color Wonder sets my parents got for them. Awesome stuff there, BTW, just sayin'. The only place open to eat on the way down was Waffle House. I will tell you that since VA raised the speed limit to 70, the trip went a lot faster. We met, JD left with the kiddos, and Tim and I ate at IHOP.
We left at 2pm from IHOP fully ready to get home around 10 or so, but the weather had a different idea. At about 5:30, the snow had mucked up the roads enough that we were only going 40 mph. Add to that the darkness, and we decided to spend the night at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Dublin, VA. We had dinner at the Waffle House (yay) and passed out from exhaustion. Those beds are comfy! I'd already called my parents to tell them what happened, and I called my friends in the Primary to let them know I couldn't get home to do singing time on Sunday. It broke my heart, but I didn't want to risk the trip.
We left the hotel at 9am and headed home. By that time, the sun was up and the roads were well cleared. Driving home from then on was a breeze. We watched a movie, washed the road grime off, and went to bed. I'm glad to be home. I think we're going to start looking into trains, buses, or airplanes for future trips.
On a bright note, I finished the blanket for my brother-in-law and his wife. I also had enough yarn in those colors left to do booties and a hat to match. I showed her the unfinished blanket Friday night while they were at dinner, but these are the first pics of the finished set.
Aren't they cute!!! So tiny!
I admit that the booties are crocheted while the hat and blanket are knit. I wasn't sure that I could do booties with knitting needles, so I went with what I knew.
This project was a first on many fronts. First time using circular knitting needles, first time cabling (the lines and twisting), first time knitting with 2 colors separately, and the first time using double pointed needles (for the hat). I can't wait to do the next one!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
♪♫♪♫ I'm FALLing in love ♪♫♪♫
OK, so it's not the photo quality you're used to, but on my way home yesterday I decided to snap some pictures of the changing colors with my phone. I especially like the contrast - all of that green then suddenly a jolt of red or orange or yellow!
Some of the pictures might be a little hard to make out... the sun was not cooperating.
Still pretty, though! This last one was to the left of our driveway.
Some of the pictures might be a little hard to make out... the sun was not cooperating.
Still pretty, though! This last one was to the left of our driveway.
Monday, August 23, 2010
I think we survived...
Eyebrows? ... check.
Hair? ... yep still there.
Sanity? ... debatable if it was there to begin with!
Looks like the family survived the weekend! All of the orientations are done; I like the kids' teachers this year, and they seem to be ready to go. Audie and I went grocery shopping Saturday morning while Tim, Chloie, and Dougie cleaned up at the house. It wasn't a long trip (thankfully), and Audie downed an entire 20 oz. bottle of orange soda on the way home. I think he's a camel... who will turn orange... and bounce off of the walls!
The birthday party went well also. We tried a new recipe for BBQ ribs from the crock pot cook book that turned out really well. I'm planning on using the left over BBQ liquids for the pulled BBQ chicken we're doing later this week. Mmmm, yummy! I even made ice cream cake for them. I'm liking it more and more!
We took a short nap after everyone left then headed up to Hagerstown to catch a Suns game as part of an Elders Quorum activity. I couldn't argue with the price! A hat, a complete meal at Chip.oltle, and game admission for $6.25 a person. For the 5 of us at Chip.oltle would have been $50 easy. It was a good game; I loved how they kept you entertained with little games, dancing, etc. while the teams switched. The kiddos liked it, too, and I was surprised at how much I knew about the game while explaining it to them. The Suns lost 6-1, but it was a good time, and President Fugate even caught us on camera dancing to the Cha Cha Slide.
We got to hear about the 10th Article of Faith during sacrament on Sunday, and hearing President Fugate speak is always a treat. :^) Our RS meeting was about helping our children stay in the Gospel or come back to it, and applying those methods to fellowshipping other Saints and non-members. I had a complete blond moment and thought we'd be doing a lesson from the manual and practiced songs on that subject. Luckily JaNae is awesome and picked songs related to the correct topic that I could play. The pop practice hymn would have gone badly very quickly had I attempted it, so she was kind enough to play that for me. Whew!
I'm setting up my appointment with the bishop for my temple recommend, with the appointment with President Grow to follow soon afterward. I'm so excited!!!! Can you tell?!?!?!? Hehe! I'm all giddy about it. I didn't realize that going for the first time was such a bid deal. I mean, I knew it would be for me personally, but people are crawling out of the wood work to go and support me, and I wasn't expecting that. Now I'm also kind of nervous that I'm going to royally mess up, but I'm glad that there will be people I know and love there with me. I'm hoping to go the Saturday after my baptismal anniversary, so I guess that is September 18th. I'm still working on the details. After that I have to work on my temple dress for the sealing. More on that later!
The McIntyre clan (and extended members) was invited to Mrs. B's house for a BBQ. My sisters and I went to school with her daughter Ashley. The food was excellent, and the company was even better! I got to see friends from MHS that I hadn't seen in forever! Some more than 10 years. I didn't realize how much I missed seeing them until we spent the length of the party catching up. Some things were the same, others different, but all around a good time sharing war stories and memories.
I think that's enough for now... I'm looking forward to a semi-quiet weekend this week! I think the only thing on the calendar is a date night while the kiddos work on their Primary Program Saturday night.
Hair? ... yep still there.
Sanity? ... debatable if it was there to begin with!
Looks like the family survived the weekend! All of the orientations are done; I like the kids' teachers this year, and they seem to be ready to go. Audie and I went grocery shopping Saturday morning while Tim, Chloie, and Dougie cleaned up at the house. It wasn't a long trip (thankfully), and Audie downed an entire 20 oz. bottle of orange soda on the way home. I think he's a camel... who will turn orange... and bounce off of the walls!
The birthday party went well also. We tried a new recipe for BBQ ribs from the crock pot cook book that turned out really well. I'm planning on using the left over BBQ liquids for the pulled BBQ chicken we're doing later this week. Mmmm, yummy! I even made ice cream cake for them. I'm liking it more and more!
We took a short nap after everyone left then headed up to Hagerstown to catch a Suns game as part of an Elders Quorum activity. I couldn't argue with the price! A hat, a complete meal at Chip.oltle, and game admission for $6.25 a person. For the 5 of us at Chip.oltle would have been $50 easy. It was a good game; I loved how they kept you entertained with little games, dancing, etc. while the teams switched. The kiddos liked it, too, and I was surprised at how much I knew about the game while explaining it to them. The Suns lost 6-1, but it was a good time, and President Fugate even caught us on camera dancing to the Cha Cha Slide.
We got to hear about the 10th Article of Faith during sacrament on Sunday, and hearing President Fugate speak is always a treat. :^) Our RS meeting was about helping our children stay in the Gospel or come back to it, and applying those methods to fellowshipping other Saints and non-members. I had a complete blond moment and thought we'd be doing a lesson from the manual and practiced songs on that subject. Luckily JaNae is awesome and picked songs related to the correct topic that I could play. The pop practice hymn would have gone badly very quickly had I attempted it, so she was kind enough to play that for me. Whew!
I'm setting up my appointment with the bishop for my temple recommend, with the appointment with President Grow to follow soon afterward. I'm so excited!!!! Can you tell?!?!?!? Hehe! I'm all giddy about it. I didn't realize that going for the first time was such a bid deal. I mean, I knew it would be for me personally, but people are crawling out of the wood work to go and support me, and I wasn't expecting that. Now I'm also kind of nervous that I'm going to royally mess up, but I'm glad that there will be people I know and love there with me. I'm hoping to go the Saturday after my baptismal anniversary, so I guess that is September 18th. I'm still working on the details. After that I have to work on my temple dress for the sealing. More on that later!
The McIntyre clan (and extended members) was invited to Mrs. B's house for a BBQ. My sisters and I went to school with her daughter Ashley. The food was excellent, and the company was even better! I got to see friends from MHS that I hadn't seen in forever! Some more than 10 years. I didn't realize how much I missed seeing them until we spent the length of the party catching up. Some things were the same, others different, but all around a good time sharing war stories and memories.
I think that's enough for now... I'm looking forward to a semi-quiet weekend this week! I think the only thing on the calendar is a date night while the kiddos work on their Primary Program Saturday night.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Could this really constitute a failed experiment?
Sooo...
I've learned that Blogger + IPhone (Safari) + Erin's PC illiteracy = no posting during trip to Knoxville, TN.
I really tried on Friday, I promise! I could enter a title and tags at the bottom of the "New Post" screen, but I couldn't type anything in the body. Go figure. In any case, here's the events of the weekend:
Hubby and I drove to Knoxville, making good time, and arriving around 5pm. We checked into our hotel and started plans for the evening. Days.Inn was nice. We got the jacuzzi suite. You do the math! Our only issue was that it was so close to the airport that we could hear the planes over our heads at random intervals. Yay.
We decided to go play some mini-golf to settle once and for all that I do whoop his behind at it, but the rain had other plans. We decided instead to have dinner at Fudd.ruckers (tasty!) and watch The Exp.endables. The GPS on his phone led us all over the place trying to find the one theater so we missed that show time. We ended up looking for another one in the area and finally had to stop and ask for directions because the GPS was kooky on that one, too. Over all good movie! I especially liked the scene with Arnold and the use of the full auto shotgun.
The next morning, we met my ex and got the kiddos back. I'm insanely jealous of their tans. We had breakfast at I.HOP and started on our way back. We made good time again and stopped in Winchester at about 7 for dinner at Ch.ick-fil-A.
When we got home and unloaded the car, we decided to try out our new Net.flix subscription. I've decided I like the insta-que. The kiddos talked us into watching Home Alone 2. I remember the stunts being more funny when I was a kid... which explains why Tim and the kiddos laughed so hard. Am I getting old?
Wait, don't answer that.
Sunday we went to church *on time*, would you believe it? While Tim was in his meeting, I actually had time to enter the VT contacts I'd received reports on so far. Yay!
We spent a few hours at my parents' house so that they could see the munchkins and had Paninis for lunch. Mmmmm! After getting home and a short nap, my little helpers and I picked elderberries and cleaned them for making jam tonight after FHE. I've decided to give a jar of the finished jam to our missionaries because it is "Elder"berry jam... hahahaha! Sorry, I couldn't pass that up. I'll be sure to post pics of the jamming in a later post.
I've learned that Blogger + IPhone (Safari) + Erin's PC illiteracy = no posting during trip to Knoxville, TN.
I really tried on Friday, I promise! I could enter a title and tags at the bottom of the "New Post" screen, but I couldn't type anything in the body. Go figure. In any case, here's the events of the weekend:
Hubby and I drove to Knoxville, making good time, and arriving around 5pm. We checked into our hotel and started plans for the evening. Days.Inn was nice. We got the jacuzzi suite. You do the math! Our only issue was that it was so close to the airport that we could hear the planes over our heads at random intervals. Yay.
We decided to go play some mini-golf to settle once and for all that I do whoop his behind at it, but the rain had other plans. We decided instead to have dinner at Fudd.ruckers (tasty!) and watch The Exp.endables. The GPS on his phone led us all over the place trying to find the one theater so we missed that show time. We ended up looking for another one in the area and finally had to stop and ask for directions because the GPS was kooky on that one, too. Over all good movie! I especially liked the scene with Arnold and the use of the full auto shotgun.
The next morning, we met my ex and got the kiddos back. I'm insanely jealous of their tans. We had breakfast at I.HOP and started on our way back. We made good time again and stopped in Winchester at about 7 for dinner at Ch.ick-fil-A.
When we got home and unloaded the car, we decided to try out our new Net.flix subscription. I've decided I like the insta-que. The kiddos talked us into watching Home Alone 2. I remember the stunts being more funny when I was a kid... which explains why Tim and the kiddos laughed so hard. Am I getting old?
Wait, don't answer that.
Sunday we went to church *on time*, would you believe it? While Tim was in his meeting, I actually had time to enter the VT contacts I'd received reports on so far. Yay!
We spent a few hours at my parents' house so that they could see the munchkins and had Paninis for lunch. Mmmmm! After getting home and a short nap, my little helpers and I picked elderberries and cleaned them for making jam tonight after FHE. I've decided to give a jar of the finished jam to our missionaries because it is "Elder"berry jam... hahahaha! Sorry, I couldn't pass that up. I'll be sure to post pics of the jamming in a later post.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
My new little friend
Can you see him? He's on the rock.
I happened to be looking out the window at the wood pile and spotted him jumping around.
(if you missed him in this picture, he's on the end of the log)
I happened to be looking out the window at the wood pile and spotted him jumping around.
(if you missed him in this picture, he's on the end of the log)Monday, May 25, 2009
First Fruit
Nothing tastes better than fresh-picked, sun-ripened strawberries. True, there are blueberries and raspberries and elderberries, but strawberries by far are the tastiest. Perhaps it is because they are the first fruit to ripen. I'm still not sure. So far, we've gone out and picked every day and gotten at least 1/2 a basket like this:
We didn't pick on Saturday and ended up with a full basket on Sunday.
Today we worked in the garden. While Tim weeded the elderberry bushes and tried to figure out if the other gigantic bush was a weed or something important, the kids and I planted corn in the first two beds of the garden. My seedlings didn't last the potting phase, so I'm hoping that the in-ground will do better. I'm still trying to harden off the tomatoes in the hopes that I still might get some viable plants. I'm down to about 10 or so. Grrr! Weather permitting this week, in the afternoons I'd like to work more beds, maybe get the squash and peas into the ground and get some lettuce started. Next year I'm getting one of those calenders that tells you when to plant everything so I don't fall behind again. Oh, and I confirmed the gigantic bush(s) was/were the raspberry bush(s) later by finding pictures of the leaves online.
We didn't pick on Saturday and ended up with a full basket on Sunday.Today we worked in the garden. While Tim weeded the elderberry bushes and tried to figure out if the other gigantic bush was a weed or something important, the kids and I planted corn in the first two beds of the garden. My seedlings didn't last the potting phase, so I'm hoping that the in-ground will do better. I'm still trying to harden off the tomatoes in the hopes that I still might get some viable plants. I'm down to about 10 or so. Grrr! Weather permitting this week, in the afternoons I'd like to work more beds, maybe get the squash and peas into the ground and get some lettuce started. Next year I'm getting one of those calenders that tells you when to plant everything so I don't fall behind again. Oh, and I confirmed the gigantic bush(s) was/were the raspberry bush(s) later by finding pictures of the leaves online.
On a not-quite-gardening note but still related to the family, we're planning a trip to Washington D.C. this Saturday. First stop, the Temple at about 11am or so for a picnic lunch, a visit to the visitors' center, and a walk around the grounds. I can't wait until I can go inside. Next stop, the National Zoo for the afternoon to look at the animals. It's been a long time since I've been to the zoo, and I know the kids will enjoy it. This is the last two weeks of school, and this will also be the last weekend we will have the kids until they return from Arkansas with their father, so we're trying to fit some fun stuff in there before they go.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mommy!!! Come look at the Hawk!
We were sleeping peacefully Saturday morning, hoping to sleep later than usual after a long and late night of carving Styrofoam. I hear a commotion, a noise, that causes one eye to open warily. Quiet for the moment, and I'm up anyway, I decide to get up and use the bathroom. I can hear the kids talking excitedly through the walls. My curiosity piqued, I go to investigate.
"Mommy!!! Come look at the hawk!" comes the chorus from my children. What hawk? In the garden on the fence...
Um... that's not a hawk.
What is this ungainly bird preening himself on my fencepost?
I sent Audie to get the camera and quieted Chloie and Dougie so that we could open the window for better pictures. The vulture quietly shook, ruffled, and cleaned only once stopping to look uninterestedly at us at the window.
That is one big ugly bird. The kids were afraid that he was going to eat the plants in the garden, but I explained that he prefers animals that are already dead. A rather morbid start to the morning, but then again it worked well to get me in the mood for a vicious dragon required for this Saturday's wedding cake.
Apparently he didn't want to clean long, because shortly after I snapped these pictures, he flew away, leaving me unable to capture his full wingspan.
"Mommy!!! Come look at the hawk!" comes the chorus from my children. What hawk? In the garden on the fence...
Um... that's not a hawk.
What is this ungainly bird preening himself on my fencepost? I sent Audie to get the camera and quieted Chloie and Dougie so that we could open the window for better pictures. The vulture quietly shook, ruffled, and cleaned only once stopping to look uninterestedly at us at the window.That is one big ugly bird. The kids were afraid that he was going to eat the plants in the garden, but I explained that he prefers animals that are already dead. A rather morbid start to the morning, but then again it worked well to get me in the mood for a vicious dragon required for this Saturday's wedding cake.
Apparently he didn't want to clean long, because shortly after I snapped these pictures, he flew away, leaving me unable to capture his full wingspan.Monday, May 04, 2009
You won't belive what we found in the garden!
The kids were helping me work in the garden last week before it started on this week-long raining streak. Tim managed to get the beds tilled, and we cleared out the puff balls on day one.
On day two, my munchkins helped me plant the green beans in the bed by the compost, and we decided to clear out some leaves and brush that had accumulated along the fence. As I'm moving the leaves, I see a scurry of red...
Um... I really hope that was not a spider. It looked awful big. One deep breath later, I still see a hint of red, so I dig it up, move the leaves, and smile...
Isn't it cute?!?! They tell me it is a salamander.
Audie and I decided to take pictures and show Tim (he was in the back chopping wood). And finally, here is Audie and his new friend. 
Would you believe I even picked it up? I think it was a little scared because all of a sudden my hand was wet... Praise the Lord and pass the sanitizer! We put him on the rocks behind the house where the rain water trickles down the mountain before we went inside for the night.
On day two, my munchkins helped me plant the green beans in the bed by the compost, and we decided to clear out some leaves and brush that had accumulated along the fence. As I'm moving the leaves, I see a scurry of red...
Um... I really hope that was not a spider. It looked awful big. One deep breath later, I still see a hint of red, so I dig it up, move the leaves, and smile...
Isn't it cute?!?! They tell me it is a salamander.Audie and I decided to take pictures and show Tim (he was in the back chopping wood). And finally, here is Audie and his new friend. Would you believe I even picked it up? I think it was a little scared because all of a sudden my hand was wet... Praise the Lord and pass the sanitizer! We put him on the rocks behind the house where the rain water trickles down the mountain before we went inside for the night.
Friday, April 10, 2009
That sounds a little corny...
You know, I took some pictures of my newest sprouts early this week... Monday or so. I thought 'Wow, these little guys are something. I wonder how fast they'll grow...'
I also thought my peas, green beans (both varieties), zucchini, and pumpkin were cute little things when they started sprouting Monday... 
Everybody together now, "Awww!"
Now I'm starting to wonder if there wasn't some kind of super manure in this soil...
I'm hoping that the frost disappears pronto because pretty soon they'll be overgrowing the house! I did read that I can plant my beans and peas in the same beds as the corn. Neither crop will harm the other, and the corn will support the peas and beans without the need for trellises, cages, or poles. I'm tempted to start some more corn after I transplant this batch and give away the crop harvested from the extra plants just so I can get away without the extra hardware.
Oh, and on a side note for Mom and Dad Whitcomb... Yes, the daffodils are growing... Yes, they are blooming, and so far there are 69 daffodils in one stage or another of growth (sprouting to blooming). Take a look...
I think that after I rid the garden of the puffball infestation, I'm going to mulch these poor things to soften the bed a little.
Let's start with corn. They started as little green spikes poking up through the dirt... OK. I can handle that. Picture #1 here is shortly after the leaves came up.
I also thought my peas, green beans (both varieties), zucchini, and pumpkin were cute little things when they started sprouting Monday... Everybody together now, "Awww!"Now I'm starting to wonder if there wasn't some kind of super manure in this soil...
I'm hoping that the frost disappears pronto because pretty soon they'll be overgrowing the house! I did read that I can plant my beans and peas in the same beds as the corn. Neither crop will harm the other, and the corn will support the peas and beans without the need for trellises, cages, or poles. I'm tempted to start some more corn after I transplant this batch and give away the crop harvested from the extra plants just so I can get away without the extra hardware.
I think that after I rid the garden of the puffball infestation, I'm going to mulch these poor things to soften the bed a little.
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