Getting Ready For Growth

As we get ready to head into the big Memorial Day weekend, also known as the planting weekend around here, we have been putting the final preparations into getting the garden ready to plant.

 Last weekend Josh went with our friend (he has the truck and we have the trailer) to pick up the yearly trailer load of compost for the garden.  After that he had to hoe each row and then mix in the compost.  What a hard worker Josh is.  He would come home and do a row or two each evening until finally it was all ready.  Last night he worked on the small area off to the side where the peas get planted, with that each area of the garden was mixed and ready for planting.

 Meanwhile the starts are eager to get put in the ground.  I don’t have pictures so I can tell you that earlier this week I did plant my carrot, radish and lettuce seeds.  Inside the bean and pea seeds were soaked for a day and then were all planted in a million little starter containers (when the plants are just seeds I tend to go a little crazy thus we are going to have a lot of plants this year!).  When beans come up they come up big, unlike celery that looks like grass, and Abigail loves it.  Each day we ohh and ahh at all the beans and pea sprouts we see coming out of the soil.  This girl is getting plenty of botany lessons this year for sure.

And where is our girl during all this garden prep and planting?  Oh, the yard is such a playground she is right out in it.  The sandbox is working out great and she loves to play there when I am in the greenhouse or around the garden.  When I am in the garden itself she often stands at the fence and complains but I am not ready for her to start “weeding” my starts just yet so the actual garden is off limits until the plants are big enough in a few weeks not to be trampled or pulled by eager little hands.  Good thing our driveway is all gravel, the rocks this girl collects, and tastes, keeps her busy for hours everyday. 

As you head into your long weekend I hope that you find great joy outside and maybe with a little planting as well!

Sure Signs of Summer

I know that those of you who read this blog in the “lower-48” just might have already been experiencing summer for a long time so far this year.  Up here in Alaska summer has really just shown its face to us in the past week.

There are a lot of signs around our house that confirm to me that yes, summer has finally arrived.  A few for instance:  the mosquitoes have shown up, the snow next to the road just melted, when I wake with my pregnancy insomnia at 2 am it is still light outside, it is warm enough I can open windows most days before 1pm, Abigail’s sun shirt has become the number one worn item in her wardrobe, and the mud of break-up season has dried and thus the cars can finally be washed. 

And the number one reason I am sure summer has arrived is that my mother has arrived.  This lovely lady is starting her first official work day of the summer at our local hospital today.  We have been so blessed that for a fourth summer in a row mother has worked as a travel nurse in the special procedures department right her in Fairbanks.  We have had so much fun in the few days leading up to the start of her work just being together.  On a walk last night I stated that to be able to just be together and not just talk on the phone is such an amazing thing that not one day goes by that we don’t thank the Lord she is here. 

I hope that wherever you are, and no matter how long your summer is, that the warm days bring you such wonderful blessings as well.

A Few Spuds

Last week found the evenings in Fairbanks still dropping below freezing.  

 But since our seed potatoes are going to be buried under the dirt for a while before they grew up above the surface it was safe to plant them.

 

 You have seen our beautiful garden and our new greenhouse but I haven’t had a chance to show you are lower garden.  This is an area south of our house (see our house in the background) that was leveled by people before we bought the property years ago.  Josh has been working this spring to clear the brush and overburden, put up a fence and lay black fabric to help against further weeds. 

 Abigail had a wonderful time helping us plant seeds.  She really got into throwing the seeds into each tires.  We had to watch her closely because at one point she had twice as many potato seeds in a tire than was needed.

After the seeds were in place Josh filled each tire with dirt and Abigail found that just as exciting and tasty as well.   We were down there yesterday to water the tires and Abigail loves that they are just at her height to play in the mud.  Oh the joys of gardening. 

And this face is one we see all the time and that I love getting to share with you.  This new face means I just heard something amazing.  For instance this picture was taken after a motorcycle had driven by but we also see this face for helicopters, airplanes and big trucks.  The amazement of loud noises is so fun and never ending.

Four Walls and A Door

I have to admit that I had a small hiccup in my life last week and thus have gotten a bit behind on sharing all of our news with all of you.

 But as this month of May is flying by I have to go back a week and show you that Josh finished the end walls and doors on the greenhouse.

 He built each end around windows we got from a friend who remodeled a house.  The windows are great for helping us control the temperature in the greenhouse since we can open them in the heat of an afternoon and have wonderful cross breeze.

Josh has also custom built the front and back doors.  The front door is in the middle of the front of the greenhouse and provides access directly to the garden.  The back door is a little bigger and fits a wheelbarrow as needed.  It is in the back on to the west side of the greenhouse, the two white cabinets are on the east side.  I even got to work in my greenhouse yesterday for a while and I can’t wait to share those pictures soon.  Hope you are all enjoying your start to summer and the warm and friendly places in your life.

Playing In The Sand

As we have mentioned in the past, Abigail is a lover of rocks, sand, dirt and all things outdoors.

 Josh took that love and created for her a perfect little place in the yard, a sand box.  It is situated right outside the greenhouse and garden so that maybe, not this year but next, she can play while I work with some of the plants.

She was a little tentative at first at being allowed to completely enjoy the sand since it had previously been in buckets and was more off limits.   (Off limits simply because her number one joy was just emptying the sand onto the driveway) 

But it didn’t take long at all and she was in having fun.  Abigail loves trucks, cars, motorcycles, helicopters and airplanes these days.  So, out of all this sandbox play has come a lot of vroom vroom noises.  And yes, the sand has been tasted aplenty.  Nothing like a good solid helping of sand each day to balance out her diet.  Oh our little outdoor girl, we love that you enjoy the wind, sun and freshness of life just like your parents do too.  

Parenting

The other day, Kathleen had her appointment to get the 'official' ultrasound on BK jr.  Much to my happiness, we are having a boy.  This got me thinking how things will be different.  I do realize all kids are different and Abigail's unique qualities and traits may not show up in #2.

Abigail is quit a charmer. She loves to laugh and play and already loves moving fast and climbing high.  She is also very creative, I'm excited for the day when she starts drawing with crayons instead of eating them.   

But having another child is somewhat frightening.  I'm worried that we may never sleep again.  There are a few nights scattered through the last 17 months that Abigail has slept the whole night through.  But on the whole she wakes up two or three times a night and is up and ready to go at 5:30 to 6:00 AM.  Last night was no exception...

However, no amount of fretting will keep us from enjoying our growing family.  

Research

Around our house there is a lot of talk about the changes coming this fall and our new little baby, BK Junior.

 While cleaning a closet the other day I found this old Martha Stewart baby magazine.  Since Abigail loves all thing “baby” I passed it on to her to enjoy.  Well, since that day our little girl has been serious about studying all that Martha has to say about baby. 

 

If the amount of time she spends with this magazine is any indication our girl likes what she sees.  Hopefully all of this “research” and studying will give her a heads up about just what might be coming into our home in just a few months.  Chances are not but it is fun to see her enjoying it all now, hopefully she is as happy about our real life baby in September.

Mother’s Day 2012

On Sunday I got to celebrate something so very special, I was able to celebrate the chance to be this little girl’s and her future sibling’s mother.

 To make this day stand out from the rest and to have time together we headed up north to the White Mountains.  Yes, this picture was taken on Sunday, snow and all.  Ahh, springtime in Alaska means that even if the snow has melted from our yard doesn’t mean that the snow is gone for the year just yet.

  Throughout this pregnancy my number one craving has been turkey wraps with tomato so that is what Josh make for us to enjoy, what a special treat.  The fresh air and the fact that I was even able to walk this short walk made it taste so much better.  Even when my leg hurt on the walk I kept thinking about the fact that two weeks ago I couldn’t even crawl to the bathroom.  I thank the Lord for slow and steady steps towards recovery and physical therapy that is helping to give us my life back just a little as we work through the rest of this pregnancy.

 I am so thankful for my little girl, this fact hasn’t changed at all, but this injury or struggle I am currently going through has made me realize just how much I love being a mother to my girl.  The weeks that I was on the couch watching other people nurture Abigail when I couldn’t reminded me of just how precious each and every day with her is.  Through all the ups and downs I am thankful for this chance to refocus.  This mother’s day and each day of this year is one that I am thankful for my chance to be a mother.  What an important job it is!

As we headed home from our fun family outing I thought of all these thoughts and how blessed I truly am.  I hope that this mother’s day was a special one for each of you as well as a mother or as you celebrated those mother’s in your lives.  I think this is becoming my favorite day of the year.

Year 6

Yesterday was a very special day at our house.  Yes, it was mother’s day but it was something much more as well.  Yesterday was a day that Josh and I celebrated the start of our “official” life together six years ago.

 Sometimes we stop and think, man the day to day is not all that exciting but in reality the past six years has brought so very much to both of us.  We have had a lot of adventures in Alaska and elsewhere.

 We found our land and bought it on our 11-month anniversary that first year of marriage.  Since then we have worked for the past five years to build our home.

And even with the work of the house, different jobs, ups and downs we have grown closer and closer together. 

I can honestly say that I am closer to my best friend today than I was even six years ago.  Not every day is great but the years have been amazing. 

At four and a half years we stepped away from just our relationship and added Abigail to our mix.  As we stepped into this new role of parenthood I worried about how it might harm the marriage we had.  But God is good, through all the ups and downs of being parents we have grown not apart but all the closer. 

And so here we are, in the first day of our seventh year.  Yesterday was a special day that didn’t have fireworks or big parties but was time that we spent as a family celebrating where the past six years have brought us.  We are so thankful to the Lord for each day of the past six years and all that are before us as a couple, parents, and best friends.

Moving In

After the roof and front walls were in place in the greenhouse it was time to start moving in a few things.  No not the plants but soon.

 Do you remember my “temporary” kitchen in the house when we were building?  Well, when my real kitchen went into place in the fall of 2010 those two white cabinets were moved to the shed. (Picture taken of my mother and the original cabinets in 2009)

Since our basement is being emptied right now in preparation of a remodel Josh’s tools are being moved to the shed, and let me tell you this shed is getting full.  So with the cabinets kind of in the way we came up with the idea that Josh would leave room in the greenhouse to move the cabinets in there.  

 So even though the ends aren’t in place just yet it was time for those multi-purposed cabinets to be moved in.  They are in the back left and sit side by side.  Some might say that it is silly to use the space in a greenhouse for cabinets but I am so excited and thrilled with this idea.

You see they are perfect for storing all of the garden/yard things like starter containers, hose parts, gardening tools, fertilizer and such.  These things are now also out of the shed giving Josh room he needs and they are all in one place where I can get to them.  By having the cabinets side-by-side I have plenty of working room as well.  The idea is that I can use the space for starts in the spring and harvesting in the fall.  It is also a great setting for potted plants that need a little greenhouse love without being put in the permanent planter boxes.  

Egg Water

Two years ago my mother bought me this gerber daisy plant.  In those two years I have almost completely killed this plant twice and Josh has almost killed it every time I have gone out of town by forgetting to water it.  Due to our poor care of this plant (I have mentioned that I am much more of a vegetable person instead of a flower person) this plant hasn’t had a single gerber daisy flower bloom since the day it arrived at my house.  Well, last fall when my mother was at my house she set me up with a container of egg water.  Simply put it is a washed ½ gallon carton from milk that I put used eggshells in the bottom of and filled with water.  I let this eggshell mixture set for a month or so and then started watering my plant every other watering with the egg water.  Wow, what an amazing difference.  I have beautiful orange flowers and more growing everyday on this used to be poor pitiful plant.  I have taken to using my egg water on my vegetable starts every other watering as well, they are loving it.  You should try it.  

Dance Party

Most evenings after dinner we spend time as a family exhausting Abigail before bed.  At times there is a needed diaper change about a ½ hour before bed, thus Abigail’s lack of a full outfit.  But regardless of what she is wearing this is most frequently when we will videotape her.  She is usually running on adrenaline and the energy level is high making what she does so very funny. 

Hope you enjoy this little dance party; maybe it will even make you want to cut loose and dance yourself.