This Week's Menu

After some weeks with no menu plan, I am once again experiencing the freedom of being prepared for dinner.  There is a lot of preparation that happens for our homemade meals, and it's so nice to know what I need to do today for dinner tomorrow.

Sunday: Sloppy Joes, grapes
Monday: Baked potato soup,salad
Tuesday: Turkey spaghetti casserole made with carrots, spinach (based on this)
Wednesday: pressure cooked Roast experiment
Thursday: Layered enchilada casserole made with left over beef
Friday: Camping fare - burgers, brats, beans etc
Saturday: Dinner out for birthdays

The Garden

This year I finally received the harvest from my garden I've been waiting for.  Nothing huge, but very encouraging.  All it took was moving the garden to a sunny location.  Oh, that and engineering a fence to keep the dog and all other usual garden pests out. I might be getting in my garden groove.

So I've spent time the past several days planning and drawing a garden for 2014.  Digging a new bed to the east of our house.  Gathering long sticks for the pole beans.  Paying attention to seed varieties.  Planting a winter cover crop.  I am very excited!

Just today I ran across this inspiring blog!  Wow, to have a garden that provides us with most of our meals.  Meals of plates full of colorful, tasty veggies.  My dream ... and a very achievable dream if I continue to put all this planning into action.

On the list for 2014 garden: tomatoes, peppers, peas, green beans, pickling cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash, lettuce, spinach, beets, herbs and maybe other greens.
 

Right Now - July

Feeling: Worn out.  Fun day with crazy kids
On the to-do list: Fold diapers
My guilty pleasure:Quiet time alone each day.  You know, when I go upstairs and tell Caleb I'll be right back, then come back in 10 minutes.
Favorites: Vacation
Dreaming about: 20 acres of land
Thankful for: the lessons my husband has taught me.  Among them: Keep it simple.  Go with the flow.  Be content with the situation.

Read and dream

It's not a secret on this blog that I love to read. I definitely prefer reading over writing.  I spend about an hour each night after the kids go to bed reading books.  Usually novels ... for a bit of an escape.  Sometimes non-fiction to make Jenny proud learn about new or favorite topics. 

Lately, I've been enjoying reading for inspiration.  I go through seasons of finding lots of inspiration from other bloggers.  My current favorite is SouleMama.  She has a garden I dream of and is, in general, living the homestead life I think would be fun.  Think might be the key word.  Would I actually enjoy the work if I had a homestead.  SouleMama sure makes it look fun.

Toward this dream, print books to read include the Homemade Living series.  Checking these all out from the library.  Any other suggestions?

Just what I needed to hear

My family is getting ready to go on vacation. I love vacations! (Really, who doesn't). I even love the anticipation that comes with the preparation, packing and cleaning.  Ryan is off work now for a couple days before we leave, so we're in complete pre-vacation mode.

This morning I was being a downer - getting a little frustrated, overwhelmed and emotional.  Here's our conversation:

Ryan: Well don't get me down.  I'm off work now for three weeks and intend to enjoy it!
Me: There's just so many things to do...
Ryan: I'm just going to keep doing what I think needs to be done to get ready to go.
Me: [frustrations escalating] Yea, that's what I want to but there's these two kids that are demanding ... (There, I said it.  The unfortunate real source of my frustration.)
Ryan: No they are not. They are just living their lives, too.

Stop. Quiet.  Peace.  I have no comeback.  Ryan is so right.  Those kids - that I sadly point at as the problem - are simply living their lives too.  The lives of a two year old and nine month old just happen to look quite a bit different than adults.  Especially when getting ready for vacation.

And now the fun has returned to our preparations.  It takes a bit longer these days, but I can be okay with that.  I can even enjoy it! 

 

Garden Update

I may be the only one that reads back through my old blog posts. And since I did that yesterday, I thought it about time for a little update.

First.  Compost.  Trial #2 was an error.  Too heavy to turn and the frame wasn't stable enough.  So Trial #3 began.  A fenced in area, to keep the dog out with a gate for easy turning.  Though I really don't turn it often, so we'll see if this pile of scraps turns into compost on it's own.

Next: we moved the garden to a sunnier location.  It's still a work in progress as we try to kill the grass and use the ground rather than raised beds.  But, as always, the most difficult part has been outsmarting the dog by engineering the proper fencing to keep him out.  You can see here the orange snow fence with added wood strips, tomato cages and finally our chairs.  Each item added as Camden somehow made it over the previous.

I'm so excited about the success of the spinach and lettuce this year.  Ready for the peppers and squash!  We keep improving the garden - little by little.

A Journal

I'm coming to realize through experience just how exhausting this "I have young kids" phase of life can be.  We get together with friends and I'm constantly correcting my two and a half year old's behaviors (pushing, hitting, throwing, not obeying).  Upon leaving I wonder, "Did I really have a meaningful conversation with those wonderful friends?"

Or I put two kids in bed for a nap, thinking they are quite tired after a late night and will probably sleep at least two hours.  Forty minutes later an eight month old wakes up, not to return to sleep.  And, yes, she is exhausted and doesn't want to be put down from my arms.  There goes a relaxing hour alone.

I watch closely the parents of teens, grown children and even ten year olds.  What freedom they have to:

• simply sit in a chair and read in the eveing
• host a brunch with lots of homemade goodies
• stay up late, go to bed early and otherwise sleep as needed
• enjoy road trips
• eat dinner while it's warm

Even as I sit and write, I get a beautiful, toothless smile from my sweet happy baby girl and remember (as I do daily) I want to enjoy ALL the moments and phases of life.  To not only wish for the freedom to read on my own, but to run and laugh when I hear "Mommy, et's wun."

To the friend who said "I remember leaving friend's house thinking "What did we just talk about?"  The Lord knew how I needed to hear that.  And her boy is six - only six.  This exhausting phase will, of course, not last forever.  So I will soak up the memories and all the sleep I can get.

Good night.