Our garden

Okay, so this year we decided that we were going to try and start our own little ( and I mean little) garden.  So we started to try and till the dirt.  Man is this Ohio clay, I mean dirt hard!  So we did the best we could without any real tools, planted the seeds with the help of the kids, watered it a bit and crossed our fingers.  Right after we planted it we headed to Utah for three weeks, so I was really hoping that it would work.  When we got home from Utah there were little green sprouts sticking up!  I was so proud!  So then for the next week or two I watched as our peas slowly got bigger, our broccoli started pocking it's head out of the dirt, and our lettuce started growing.  Then last week I was thinking to myself, "I swear I thought those pea plants were bigger yesterday, oh well."  So I didn't think much of it.  Then a little while later they were almost 3 inches tall!  I know, but that was great for me.  Then the next day I went out to water them and they were back down to about a half an inch!  I was so sad!  At first I thought that maybe the ducks were eating them.  Dumb ducks!  So I built up a little pile of wood chips around the garden hoping that they couldn't walk over them.  And hey, for the next few days they were growing good.  Nice, I had fixed that problem easy enough.  Nope!  A few days later, down they were again.  So I was determined this time.  I went to Home Depot and bought some netting stuff to keep them out.  And yes, I am cheap so I didn't want to buy the stakes that they said to buy to set it up with.  So I just used some twigs that we had and hooked one side up to the lattice work under the deck.  Come to find out, our neighbors actually said that they had seen some rabbits living under their deck.  So I thought maybe it was them, but it was still weird to me that they hadn't touched the lettuce.  I had even seen about three of them running around in our front yard that night and thought, "Oh how cute!"  And I figured that yeah, it probably was them and hoped that the net would keep them out.  Success!  I went out yesterday and it was all still in place and nothing was eaten (so I thought, but I did have a little doubt with about one or two plants).  So I kind of checked them this morning and it all looked good accept for the few that I had wondered about last night.  I was happy with myself.  So then tonight I go out to water them.  THOSE MEAN RABBITS!  No, they aren't cute anymore.  Look at the picture, they had chewed a perfect little hole through the wooden lattice and eaten some of my plants.  But they were sneaky about it, they only ate a few that were close.  Man, I never would have thought that they would chew through wood.  Those must be some yummy peas!  So now I pulled it off the lattice and put it over some sticks.  Hopefully that will work, but if they were willing to chew through wood, I am kind of doubting that it will.  Maybe we won't have a garden after all.  How sad!

See the lettuce in front, not touched at all, so I guess at least we will have lettuce to eat.

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Look at the perfectly round, custom fit hole.

April Fool's!

Yes, I am finally adding to my blog, I know it has been awhile, but a lot has been happening.  I was in Utah for three weeks so that also didn't help me add anything.  But it did give me stuff to add...anyway.

On April 1st my sister, Sharon, and I decided to make a fun April Fools dinner.  So we made dessert for dinner and dinner for dessert.  

For dinner we had a cake that was made out of hamburger, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, cheese and mashed potatoes.  The blue writing is just blue food coloring in the mashed potatoes.  

Oh yeah, and for the drink we had put jello in their cups and let it set-up then added straws so it looked like just normal punch.  

Then for dessert we had meat loaf made out of brownies with frosting katsup and mustard, green beans made out of chewy jolly ranchers, peas made out of laffy taffy, and mashed potatoes and gravy made out of vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge.  It was so much fun! 

The kids loved it as you can see.  I also had a lot of fun making it with my sister.  It was a lot of work, mostly the beans and peas, but it was so worth it.  We will have to try something again for next year! 

My parents

My mom sent me these pictures the other day.  They were taken on my parents wedding day at the Salt Lake Temple.  I love these pictures, they look so in love!  Today I was talking to my sister Sharon and she told me some things that helped me to remember that my parents still feel the same way about each other now as they did back on this day.  If not even more in love now.

I also wanted to say again what a great man my dad is.  My mom said that the other day he said to her that he felt bad.  So she asked him why.  And he said "because I feel a little bit sorry for myself."  Can you imagine!  Feeling bad because you feel a little bit sorry for yourself that you had a stroke and half of your body doesn't work and you are stuck in bed when you had been such an active person.  Wow!  Also my dad loves my mom so much.  It is really hard on him to see my mom having to struggle to take care of him.  She is getting up there in years too and isn't quite the spring chicken she used to be, although I am sure that in their minds they are both still 20.  So knowing that it is hard on my dad seeing my mom take care of him reaffirms how much he loves her.  I can't wait until I can go out to Utah to see them.  I know that it will be hard for me to see my dad not like I remember him, but I am still itching to get out there.  Hopefully time will go fast until we get to get out there and my dad will just keep getting better and better.

My Dad

Well, on Wednesday I got a call from my sister saying that my Dad had had a stroke the night before.  My mom wasn't sure if that is what it was, so she called my brother, Matt and brother-in-law, Sean to come over and give him a blessing.  Then that morning she took him into the ER because his doctor couldn't see him that day.  Which is a good thing I would think.  Anyway, so they kept him over night last night, and I am thinking that he will be there again tonight.  They did a lot of tests on him and said that it was only a very minor stroke.  So we got blessed.  His face on his left side is drooping, so he talks a little funny.  His left arm isn't working right.  And his left leg isn't working either so he can't walk.  But my Mom did say that he was already doing some better today.  He was talking a bit better, and could actually kind of move and feel his leg a little.  So I am thankful for that.  There was a little brain damage, but we aren't sure to what extent.  It seems like it was a part of his brain that had to do with technical stuff.  When it was happening he couldn't figure out how to turn the bathroom light on that was the turn knob and not just the flip switch.  So that was pretty hard on me because my Dad has always been so smart with technical stuff and could figure pretty much anything out.

Stuff like this really makes you realize how fragile life is and how much we take each other for granted.  And makes me think how much I don't really like living so far away from Utah.  I wish that I could have just hopped in the car and gone to my parents.  Or that I could even be there right now to be with my mom.  And to help them out.  

It also makes me reflect on what an amazing man my Dad is.  He is such a great example to me. He has taught me so much and put up with so much from me.  You know that he has to be a great man to have raised all 10 of us and have us all sealed in the temple.  He is so smart and so spiritual.  I love him so much!  I am so grateful that this wasn't a worse stroke.  

It also helps me realize what wonderful friends I have that care.  Thanks everyone!

Happy 3rd Birthday Tyler!

It is about time!  Tyler is so tall and everything that it has been hard to realize that he was only two. But now, he is finally three!  I am so grateful that he is part of our family.  He is always so funny! He can always make us laugh.  Even when he is being a booger we have to try not to laugh at him.  His new thing is when we ask him if he wants something he says "Why of course I do!".  I don't know where he comes up with some of this stuff.  To me, he seems like he is just a little miniature Mike.  But I guess Mike's parents would have to tell me if that is true or not.  He is just so smart too.  He is always trying to figure out how things work and how he can get into everything.  When he was taking a nap the other day, he took his garbage can, turned it upside down and climbed up his closet to get to the top.  This was after we had taken the little table out of their room because he was putting a chair on it to get to the top of the closet.  That kid can do anything.  We all love him so much!

He loves Wallie, so I made him a Walli cake for his birthday.  He also loves everything that Zach likes.  He just wants to be so much like his big brother.  He was always getting Zach's comforter from his bed and carrying it around, so we got him a Walli one of his own.  He has also been praying for the past few weeks for Bakugans (some little ball toy that pops up, that Zach got some of for Christmas).  So he got some of those.  He got the Cars book and outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Urry.  

             

I am sure that he cannot wait until Henry is old enough to play with him.  To Mike's dismay, for now he just has Alyssa to play with.  As you can see, they like to play dress up sometimes.  I think it is pretty funny.  But even the other day when I was babysitting one of Alyssas friends, they were playing dress-up and Tyler put a dress on and the little girl came and told on him and said "boys don't wear dresses, they are for girls."  It was funny.

Our Tyler

A couple hours old (and man, was I glad when he finally came, he scared us for a little while there.  They almost had to take him C-section because of his hear rate kept dipping.)

Here Tyler is on his blessing day in March 2006

This was Tylers first birthday.  As you can tell, he liked those blueberry muffins his "Aunt" Eliza made.

And here Tyler is on his second birthday.  He really doesn't look a lot different this year, just bigger.
We love you Tyler, Happy 3rd Birthday!

Our first big snow

The other day (two days ago) it finally snowed.  Still nothing like everyone had been warning us about . But I found some snow clothes and let Alyssa and Zach go out and play.  They had a blast!  As you can tell the snow clothes didn't exactly fit them.  Mike is buying some boots and new pants while I am typing this.  Of course today the real snow storm hit.  It has been snowing non-stop all day!  They canceled mutual and who knows if they are going to have school tomorrow.  Now I just have to stress while Mike tries driving home in it.

Alyssas first snowball.  She was so proud!

Do we need new snow  clothes or what?!

Christmas

So I just realized that I didn't really take a whole lot of Christmas pictures because we had the camcorder on.  Oh well, here are a few of what we got.  And yes, I know.  Way too much stuff!!

Our Christmas tree

Decorating  the tree

Christmas morning!  Look what I got!

Christmas frogs

During the summer when we went to Utah my mom and I made these frog pillows for the kids for my mom and dad to give the kids for Christmas.  They were so excited when they got them.  They loved playing with them. This first one is Henry today playing with his.  He sat there for like 5 minutes straight talking to his.  It was so cute! 

 

My Christmas present

For my big Christmas present Mike and his dad re-did the kitchen floor.  It needed it so bad!  And I love it!  They did a great job and it looks so much better than it did.  Of course after they were done I realized that I never took a before picture.  But I did find these lovely ones with Tyler in them.  This first one is one he took himself while playing with my camera.  The second was one day after he got into my mascara.  

 

BEFORE

And here is the nice new floor... notice the part in the top left hand side of the last picture.  That is by the back door and used to be all carpet.  It was not good having white carpet right by the back door.  So they put that little landing there too.  It is so much better.

  

AFTER

I wish I had better before pictures, but oh well.  I love it!  Thanks Mike and Dad!

Henry's first tooth...

Henry's first tooth broke through today. Two days before he turns 7 months old.  I was actually really surprised because he hasn't been that fussy. He has

been chewing on EVERYTHING, so I knew that it was going to be coming soon, but I couldn't really feel anything. But then all the sudden it was there today. I noticed it after church. It is a little funny because my other kids all got thier teeth a lot earlier then this, so he is my little late one. But that is okay with me, I won't complain. My little one is growing up too fast.... hopefully he won't like to bite!  

Merry Christmas!