Summer Road Trip (a photo diary)

 

 

July 4th at Great Grandma's

The fourth was spent eating good food, catching up with cousins, and playing outside. Liberty in the summertime is a romantic and slower paced scene. I love seeing Ramona find joy in a place that shaped my childhood. I hope to bring the mountains and streams closer to her when we make the leap and buy a home. The annual firework show has become a lot bigger than it used to be, and Ramona kept pleading for more fireworks anytime there was a break in the show. After the finale we packed up and drove home, all of us exhausted but filled with gratitude for our country and the freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrifices made by many. God bless America.  

Family Garden

This year we managed to start the garden early enough to plant some cold weather veggies. I am praying these plants live longer than one week, and we get to reap the fruits of at least a couple. This is all so new for us, and the kind workers at the greenhouse were probably thinking, why didn't this lady do some research before coming here. Trust me, I did. Gardening is something I dream of being amazing at one day, but my lack of confidence renders endless questions. I keep reminding myself that I have to begin somewhere, and I have a pretty picture in my mind of what my garden will be 10 years from now. It keeps me motivated, and moves me to learn.

We also at some point decided our little backyard needed a makeover. Michael was immediately on board, and had sample ideas drawn up for me within hours of my proposal. I think I am most excited to have a small space for Ramona this summer, where I can keep an eye on her while I cook and she plays. We plan to put a few sensory areas out there for her. On the top of my list is a water table, because she has shown such an interest in water play. I also want a few areas where she can dig around in the dirt to find worms, fill up pails, and plant a few seeds of her own to watch grow. She is so full of wonder, and curiosity. I am afraid I will blink and she will be a teenager. I am trying harder these days to really enjoy her, and view her strong determination to be independent from a perspective that doesn't yield as much frustration.

Our backyard that has been stripped down to dirt. I took a few pictures of Ramona playing with her shovel and clay pot that she has clung to. I also captured her climbing on Michael's very old skate box project, that was put to rest a couple days ago. I am surprised he didn't sneak it out of the dumpster before trash day.  Letting go of things doesn't come easy for him, and this skate box has been a sore sight for the last year. With great sadness, comes great joy (from my end). I think his vision for our little space has helped move the grieving process along. I am proud of him.

I hope the warm weather is treating you well, and inspiring you to tackle a project or two!

Springtime

In a book that I am reading about writing, it says that the first few paragraphs you write are always the worst. Then the writer finally gets into a flow and can produce something worth reading. This thought gives me a little anxiety... which I am prone to (my mom blames genetics). Because my life basically revolves around a toddler, it is hard for me to justify any wasted free time. Considering that my free time is hardly productive lately, I decided to sit down and type out a few paragraphs, even if they aren't well written and worth reading.

Ramona has mastered the game of Easter. I say game, because after three egg hunts that may have actually been the highlight of her life, we now play "Easter." One of us hides empty eggs around the house, and Ramona eagerly finds each one. It hasn't gotten old yet, because Michael and I still find it adorable, but I give it a day or two until Ramona comes running with her basket and eggs only to find much less enthused parents. I must say though, with pretend play in full force, I am enjoying her imagination more with each passing day. Yesterday we caught her "trotting" her chips around the edge of her high chair as if they were animals, eventually making its way into her mouth. I enjoy being the silent observer when she will let me, it's my favorite form of entertainment lately.

I was looking forward to Easter this year, because it meant General Conference, and spring break. It was only a few years ago that Conference became something I looked forward to. Something inside of me shifted, my heart and testimony grew, and the words from our prophets and leaders felt so personal and applicable. I love the inspiration, and hope I feel at the close of each session. I also love the conversations with Michael that follow. With spring break following, we had every intention of setting goals, waking up early, and eating healthy. Which shortly after, failed. It was a humble reminder that we are human, and these things don't happen over night for us. With those expectations placed on the back burner for next week, we have decided to enjoy these last couple days, and allow more room for spontaneity, and chocolate.

Yesterday we took a hike, or as John Muir would prefer, a saunter through the woods. Today we had an "ultimate day of fun," as my brother in law Ben would call it. We swam in the morning, and played on blow up toys in the afternoon. Afterwards, we ate at my favorite Chinese restaurant, and talked about the big changes ahead of us this year. We closed the evening with our third redbox rental this week, because catching up on all the movies we wanted to see five months ago has managed to slip onto the high priority section of our daily to-do list. Tomorrow, we are thinking something a little more kid friendly, like "Ferdinand."


I hope your spring break has been good friends!! The countdown to summer has officially begun over here.

Easter Egg Hunt in the Valley