Thursday, June 27, 2013

{pretty, happy, funny, real} An afternoon in the garden

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Brought to you by Like Mother, Like Daughter

Today is a "grainy" day, as we like to say (gray and rainy), but these photos were taken last week "in a golden afternoon" in the garden.

"You can learn a lot of things from the flowers, especially in the month of June. . ."

{pretty}




I just love pansies by the back door! They give such a happy welcome.

I am not a bug person, but I discovered this little spider among the blossoms and actually thought he was quite cute!

 Arden and I planted Nasturtiums and they are growing!







But of course, the prettiest flower of all. . .








. . . Arden in the garden!

{happy}

This is the first year I am attempting a vegetable garden! It's all new to me, so I decided to start out small with two little plots, about 4 x 8 each, toward the sunny back of the yard. The kids and I have been enjoying our little garden so far, and yes, things are starting to grow!




There is the view to the garden, with the kids dirt pile in the background. That table came from one of the old sheds and has been put to use as a gardening workstation. (The big cupboard thing is another shed find that needs to be disinfected of raccoon dirt, but I am planning to put it in the kitchen! The sink is going to the chicken shed.) It's hard to see the apple trees, but they are behind the garden as well.





I planted rutabagas, carrots, green onions and chives in the left plot, and cucumbers, swiss chard and lettuce in the right plot. (I now have two tomato plants in the right plot as well.)

Everything has sprouted that I planted! Every day that something new came up it was like another little miracle. Right now the biggest things growing are the rutabagas.





I have happy garden helpers, too!



Jack is my dirt-taster!


{funny}

As we were pottering about the garden, I suddenly heard a rustle in the evergreens. I turned around and expected to see the cats. . .




The hens had escaped the coop again! Boots, the wandering silkie rooster, must have called them out. :)

They were eager to check out the garden! Right now we have seven hens, belonging to friends, which are living with us for the summer. We've enjoyed having them so much we are planning on getting our own.





The cats were out, and came over to investigate. This is where it got funny. Millie and Pickwick didn't know what to think!








When the ladies started getting a little too interested in the garden, we herded them back into the woods toward their coop. Arden shooed them with a little stick, gently, but seriously! 



{real}

This old shed is now home to the ninety-or-so chicks we are raising (with our neighbours) for meat this summer.






The guys have done a great job with the shed! There is a little window that opens out to the river.



So these will be organic, free range, waterfront view chickens!



Thanks for stopping by! Hope you are enjoying the contentment of early summer!

round button chicken


~lg

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Jack's 1st Birthday!

Jack celebrated his first birthday on April 17th!

We had a small family affair on his actual birthday, but saved the party till Grandma and Aunty Hilary joined us from the Northwest Territories!

Good morning, birthday boy!

Arden showing Jack how to work his new toy.

Figuring it out!

Concentration.

Swing time

Smiling boy almost walking

Walking with some help from Mommy

A new tradition! Birthday ice cream with a candle in it, since we weren't having his cake on his actual birthday.  (We ended up doing this for Arden's birthday and my birthday too! Arden thought it was great fun.)

This guy likes to feed himself and now gets quite upset if I hold the spoon.

I'm one! I can do it myself!

Of course, I can always revert to eating ice cream with my hands. 

Proud mommy!

Happy daddy.


And now the party! With all the people!

We had a bit of a boat theme

Arden and I made this little model sailboat for Jack's cake!

Lighting the candle

Our little sea captain!

We didn't get a posed picture of all the kids (note to self for next party), but almost all of them are in this picture!  Jack loved his cake and dug right in with both hands. 

So nice to have Grandma here! And this red balloon was THE HIT of the day.
Once we handed it to him it was like magic, and he was in love. 

Fun with balloons.

He wouldn't let go.

Aunty Hilary leading the balloon games!

Lots of laughter

Lost in wonder!
Happy first birthday to our boy! He is bright, observant, quick to learn, determined, cuddly, mischievous, and generally good-natured, and we love him to bits!

~lg
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