A House to Match Our Thumbs

We were determined to avoid the typical long cold spring of the Pacific northwest this year so we invested in a little greenhouse.

Everyone was very excited to plant their seeds and watch them sprout.

Look at them grow!

I can almost taste the cucumbers now.

Now who will help me weed the garden?

Hired Hands

So long, farewell to the old cedar shake roof, and all the moss that was growing beautifully over the top of it! We finally got a new roof. And although we did not demand a discount for all the labor Grant put into the job, his contribution was not small.
For literally hours, Grant kept filling his little wheelbarrow with the shake, and took it around front, unloading it all with his bare hands....
always careful to lift it up and empty every tiny piece into the contractor's trailer. (I at least made him wear his helmet to avoid falling debris on his noggin.)
The guys doing our roof were both impressed and perplexed at his dedication. So were we.
While posting this, I said, "hey Grant - come look at the pictures of you working!" He said, "Mom, I really did like doing that." Cool kid. I don't think he'll be on the parental "dole" for long with that attitude.

2009 Summer Spectacular - Part 3: Homestead

A few more vignettes from our time at our beloved Homestead:

Swinging with Grandpa
Playing in the sandbox with cousins Speaking of cousins, here's all of them:
Bathing in the sink
Eating s'mores
Climbing the circular stairs
Trying out new hairstyles
Helping Grandpa make a new driveway
Making friends with reptiles
And, of course, the family photo

Day of Rest or Day of STRESS?

Sundays are a lot of work. I'm too tired to talk about it.

As you can see, I'm not alone.

So, if Sunday is a day of rest, then Monday is a day of recovery from that "rest."

When Evan leaves for work on Monday morning, he has this certain smirk and he says, "well, I gotta go to work" ... trying to hide his utter joy that he gets to go to his sane, quiet, predictable work place.

okay - i'm gonna go collapse, now.

Labors and Fruits

The Crunchers finally got their act together and got their seeds planted. We did the math on our water bill/expenses involved with our garden last year, and I'm pretty sure we could have saved money by just buying produce at Costco. So why do it? Because I LOVE IT! Also, our Stake Pres. challenged everyone to do a garden of SOME kind this year AS A FAMILY. I love it when they give a challenge you're already doing!! I mean, call me unmotivated, but I was just grateful there was at least one thing mentioned during Stake Conference yesterday that I could just sit back and say, "okay - we are so righteous!" And you know why he made the challenge, right? Give the video games a rest, put the cell phones down, help prevent carpel texting tunnel in teens, and teach kids what "fruits of your labors" refers to. Of course, it's always good to learn a few skills that might save your life, someday.


So here's a Cruncher tutorial on gardening:
1. Choose seeds
2. Label cups full of dirt, with drain whole in the bottom. (I like to say "dirt" because it enrages fussy pants horticulturists, who call it "soil." I did, after all, work in the business my entire employed life.)
3. Add seeds. (Hopefully not a whole pack of carrots between two cups. I also can't wait to see the new garden that will be sprouting under our deck, soon, in the lawn.)
4. Pour dirt on top, and pat down lightly. (TIP: Costco grape containers make great greenhouses.)
5. Check with supervisor to make sure everything was done properly. She approved.

KidFest!!

In my pre-kid life, I used to set up for trade shows all the time. In fact, I am no stranger to this very venue - the Oregon Convention Center. But back then, it was all pesticides and stuff. So killing bugs and weeds vs helping kids love the outdoors (and FIND bugs and weeds)....duh. Kid shows are MUCH more entertaining!


Everyone helped. Evan said his job of building a frame out of pvc pipe was just like playing with giant tinker toys. And in case anyone out there doesn't already know - he's a very, VERY smart guy! He's my best employee. I also appreciate how he pays for all these projects.
All our hard work was rewarded with a peaceful ride home.




Grant and Cole helped by staying out of the booth, and loving the other attractions at KidFest - like reptiles, face painting, bouncy houses.....you get the idea. It's not like they suffered through the show.
Here's our booth, and the two heaven sent angels (Mona and Kelly) who helped with the boys and Bryn, and made it possible for me to do what I absolutely love: Sell outdoor gear for kids! And sell, we did!

Kelly (standing) is a programmer/engineer who works with Evan, and has been a huge blessing to our family. I'm not really sure what we do to deserve these amazing people in our lives, but we LOVE 'EM!

The Incredible Mom

Here's my mom holding Brynie:
Here's my mom cleaning out our garden:
Here are two completely occupied and happy boys, outside with my mom:
Here's my mom raking up all the leaves: (and they were not a few - 7 lrg yard bags full.)
And here's my mom teaching the boys how to work:
Moooooooom!!! Come baaaaaack!!!

Muscle Man

Grant loves hard labor. (Especially if there is mention of his "strong muscles" from the side lines.) I raked up the grass from our last (hopefully) mowing of the season.
I was loading up the clippings, and he just took over. And ya know, I don't bend over quite so easily these days, so I got the camera, and let him finish up. (How do you like our house number painted in blood red horror style on the side?)
It must be packed down every time.
Fuzzy kitty helped, too.
Just look at the intensity! If only there was a mere spark of that intensity when it comes to cleaning up toys and messes in the house. Evidently, he's overqualified for those jobs.
He dragged this heavy thing all around the driveway like a trophy, and WOULD NOT let Cole touch it.

The Virtues of Hard Labor

For Easter, we decided to give Grant (in the red) his dream come true: An entire trailer full of wood to unload. Cole really got into it, too, but he sort of has fun with it. You know, goofs off half the time. Grant has a particular ability to focus on the labor at hand, especially when it comes to wood.*





It was a wonder filled morning for both boys. And once the last piece was unloaded, Grant did the most logical thing; started loading the wood back in. That's my boy!

*The second to last picture is worth clicking on to get the full "tongue out" intensified effect.