Holiday weekend

Madison and Andrew have sent quite a few photos from their long weekend at Disney.  I think it’s safe to say the girls are living their best lives.  

I love how serious Evelyn looks in every single photo - I can just imagine all the questions she has for these princesses!

Quincy was home for a little bit.   She came in late Friday and then had to leave at noon Sunday due to having to work.  It was nice to see her, even if it wasn't for very long.  She reports that she is getting the hang of working at McDonalds, and she is doing good with her class schedule and school stuff.  She likes her roommates for the most part, although learning to share a room with strangers has had a bit of a learning curve (as we would expect).  She also told me she had talked to the roommates and that they sort of wanted to get some fish.  Now here is a thing I can help her with because I have fish running out my ears!  A couple weekends ago, I literally gave away 40 baby fish, came home and saw that I had both baby guppies and baby mollies that were born that very day!  :)  I put a post on facebook and ended up with a very nice free tank.  I actually ended up with 2 tanks.  I am excited about that because I have been wanting to do a micro-tank for my kitchen for  a while, and I am in the planning phases.  I was able to take the parts from the 2 free tanks, and some stuff I had laying around and built her a pretty nice little tank for zero dollars.  Of course, the filtration system I had didn't' work, so I had to do a Wal-Mart pick up for her and that didn't' cost me zero dollars!  :)  Its ok though, loving fish is something I have been doing for so long, I just assume that everyone should have a tank.  We even sent a bunch of jugs of pre-cycled water so she could take the babies with her!  I hope she and her fish are very happy!

Since she had to be back for work, we did Sunday brunch.  I should have taken some photos, but failed.  Cameron and Lauren were able to come down for a while.  I really, really enjoyed having some of the kids home.  I love chaos.  Is it a problem?  Maybe.  But it is true.  I am happiest when my house is full.  But I also had a bit of an epiphany moment yesterday.  We ate our brunch, it was fairly early in the day when everyone left to head back to their respective lives.  Of course, the 2 youngest girls were still here, but they like to hide out in their rooms.  It was quiet.  TOO quiet!  I was working on laundry, and cleaning up, and Jim was outside working.  I was sad.  Overwhelmed by the fact that my kids grew up and moved away, and I miss them all being here.  I miss having 1000 places to be, and 10,000 things to do, and I even miss the cooking and piles of laundry.  I sat outside for a long time, watching Jim and feeling gloomy.  I had some brats I wanted to cook on the grill, but was telling myself 'gee it is dumb to light the grill when I wasn't going to be cooking too much food because there are only 4 of us now,' and I was just really, really riding the pity pot.  Sometimes life is like that right?  You just get sad for no real reason, and think about how much better life was "back then" or something.  I don't know.  Partially feeling guilty for not really being able to help Jim with outside work, partially just being a general pity party thrower.  BUT then, I had this thought - like we did our jobs the way we were supposed to.  We have had 6 kids move out.  They have jobs, or are working toward degrees (while having jobs).  They don't really need us.  That was the assignment right?  They are independent, smart, educated, capable people living independently and making their own decisions.  They are doing that because we did our jobs.  Successfully.  And yes, I miss them, but I am also overwhelmingly proud of them.  All of them.  And because they went out in the world and made their own way, I now have Spencer, Lauren, Sunny, Andrew, Evelyn and Wrenley.  More people to love, which is a huge blessing.  I can not sit around here feeling bad when that is the outcome.    I lit the grill, cooked up the brats, and I had a second thought - when it was just me and Jim, when we were dating or first married, I never felt sad about cooking for 2 people.  I was happy that we were doing stuff together.  So now, I am just going to focus on that.  Mental health care, be damned.  (just kidding- soooo just kidding).  

When I say doing stuff together, maybe chopping a billion trees and having a constant fire going wasn't exactly what I had in mind.  Jim busts his hump to contain the yard.  The trees, brush and overwhelming amount of growth that happens here is real.  I haven't been able to help him much.  I just bring the drinks because he is overprotective and doesn't want me getting hurt worse.  I will be happy when this shoulder ordeal is over, as I like helping him (even when he excessively yells at the chainsaw).  I did spend some time plotting out the next steps in the patio project....and enjoying my new chair that my sister gave me.  I am on the hunt for a couple more just like it.  More on that soon!

And since I had an ooops moment - where I asked Harper to put the hose in the pool so I could back flush, and told her I would shut it off in a little bit, but then forgot, I decided I better swim.  I know it is September now, and the water isn't quite as warm as I like it, and the nights are chilly now, so those warm days don't tend to help the water temperature, but I am still enjoying my pool.  I know the end is near.  We might get another 2 weeks or possibly 3, and then it will be time to close.  I hate that part....I have been in this thing almost daily since the first of June.  Missing only a couple of rainy/cold days.  I have been doing some water aerobics routines that I found online.  I feel like the sun makes me feel healthier, and I definitely like sitting outside with a cold drink, and a pool float.  When it is closed, I have more free time that is not spent keeping the dang thing clean, but I also have less sunshine on my skin.  If someone asks me if they should get a pool, I would tell them 10000% yes.  Someday, when we have more expendable cash, I am going to beg Jim to put in an in-ground pool.  I know it will probably never happen, but you know. goals.  :) 

Haven't updated on the garden progress lately.  The strawberry patch is a learning type project.  Grandma made it seem easy!  Some of the plants have spread, and I am reading that this is the time of year to propagate and transplant.  I am probably being over cautious, and worried about killing these plants that I have worked so hard to keep alive this summer, so I propagated and transplanted 2.  If they look like they are doing ok, I have about 25 more to move, but if I kill them, I sure didn't want to kill them all!  So 2 were the sacrificial experiment of yesterday.  Jim told me it would be easy to add on to the raised bed, so I have plans to get him to help me with that- probably over the late fall.  My maintenance man at work has ordered way too many fall plants, so he told me when he gets done planting in his yard, I can have the leftovers.  I can already taste the rewards of this work.  I hope!  I hope next June to be making jelly, and having berries running out my ears - enough the granddaughters who love strawberries can eat them to their little hearts content!

I am not sure what I do wrong with tomatoes, but mine never ripen up in the summer.  It is probably because I planted them later than you are supposed to.  My plants are now loaded with green tomatoes, and I am happy about it.  I have just frozen all of the peppers, and I will freeze the tomatoes as they ripen, and then when my shoulder is back in working order, I will make salsa.  And spaghetti sauce.  And can tomatoes for chili and soups.  I am sure they will all ripen as I am healing from surgery, and not able to do much.  I read that if you freeze them whole, when you thaw them out, the skins peel right off (no blanching).  This is, I hope true!  I also planted some stuff in the bed where I had zucchini, as a fall garden experiment.  It was weird to have to put stuff in with one arm, and my rows are not straight, but I was pleased to see some of it poking its little heads out yesterday.  I have cucumbers, some fast growing peppers, and carrots.  I hope to be able to make some pickles for Jim and the girls before winter.  I have never done a 'fall garden' before, so I guess we shall see how it goes.  Next year, I have much larger plans going on, we shall see what Mr. Jim thinks about it.  

I have been absolutely blown away by these pullets.  I got them from a different hatchery this time.  They have been so healthy, and have grown up into beautiful birds.  Every time I go down to feed them, I have to stare at them, because they are so pretty.  We combined the old birds in with the young ones, so that we have less chores to do in the mornings.  I am getting a few eggs from the pullets.  I can't explain it, but I love these birds.  I wish I could let them out to eat bugs, but we have a critter and dog problem.  They love eating our vegetable scraps and come running to see what treats we have for them.  They are awesome. 

Since I used all the jugs I had accumulated to send fish water to Wichita, I had to resort to watering my flowers (and my new rose bushes) with 5 gallon buckets.  I have a hard time lifting them around with 1 arm (heck I have a hard time lifting them around with 2 arms), and I had to make Jim help me.  He happily did so, but we had to take the dogs along, because he likes to ask them if they "want to go for a ride?" and they all jump in the truck  - except Norma, she doesn't seem to get it yet!  She has to be lifted in.  

I can't wait til next summer, when these knock out roses bloom!  They should add a nice pop of color to the front of the driveway.  I planted some hostas that my mom gave me, but the squirrels have eaten 2 or 3 of them.  (Stupid squirrels).  My prized possession is this galardia though. and I am sincerely hoping it comes back next year.  My mom says it will.  Fingers crossed.  I would be happy if it took over down there!  I also planted morning glories that I hope will climb the rock wall.  I am loving this area!

I didn't plant this, but I just love how pretty it is.  Jim missed it with the mower!  :)  

After we watered, we did indeed have to go down the road for the dogs to get their ride in.  Blitz LOVES to ride in the truck.  The rest?  I am not convinced.  Ollie hides.  Norma has to be lifted into the truck.  Carlos goes crazy looking for food crumbs he can eat.  But it makes Jim and Blitz happy.  And it is so cute to see Jim with these dang dogs....he really acts like they are his babies.  It just makes me love him more.  Who doesn't love a big old bear of a man who is really just a big old softie?  

Today, is one of my favorite things - paid day off.  I love paid holidays.  Seriously, whose idea was it to give people a day off and pay them for it?  Genius level thinking!  I accomplished enough yesterday, that today I am just going to do stuff I like doing.  You know, things like sleeping in a little bit (check), reading a little bit (check).  Petting kittens (check).  Maybe baking something (zucchini cake?) and I might venture into the farmer's market -- if I decide to get dressed.  That one is up in the air, although I hear there is a lady coming with some house plants, so that is pretty enticing.  (Although because of the cats, the plants either have to be kept outside or at my office - they are bad, bad kitties!)

I hope everyone enjoys the day off as much as I plan to!