Life On the Farm

I just wanted to add a few pictures of our garden this year.  One, because we have managed not to kill most of the things we’ve planted (a huge feat!) and two, because some things are actually doing really well.  I think it’s important to note that many times I find myself thinking, wow, look at what a great job we’re doing this year and how well some of the things are growing.  We worked really hard and it’s all because of us that our garden is growing, but then I remind myself that it is God who is good to us and ultimately gives us the harvest, or in years past, doesn’t :).  He has used our hard work this year in bringing about some actual fruits from our labor.  And I have to say, it feels good.

Vine Ripe Tomatoes, mmmmmm

Gracie Mae and our corn

Juicy blackberries waiting to ripen

The strawberries are unruly so they are jailed. Not really, if we don't jail them, the squirrels get them and the eyesore is definately worth getting a ripe, red strawberry!

Having put in much more work this year into our garden I have so much more respect for those who have great gardens.  It is so much work!  There is always something to do in the garden.  It is such a good feeling though to put in that hard work and be rewarded with the things you grow.  I love being able to eat things that we have grown.  For lack of better words, it’s just cool!  My plan next year though is to get about eight to ten strawberry plants so we can have more than one to split three ways at a time :).

Who does this man look like to you and can you guess who he is?

Well, I have time to blog this morning because I’ve been up since four. It was one of those times where you just lay there and lay there and lay there and can’t sleep no matter how long you close your eyes even though you’re tired. I think that’s probably what insomnia is like and boy I’m glad it goes away when the baby gets here! At the risk of sounding like a whiner, I’ll stop there. I should have seen it coming though because Matt and I had drifted off to sleep for not very long only to be awakened by the sound of the fire alarm. Talk about giving you a heart attack. We just turned our heater on and I guess the dust was burning off, you know that horrible smell you get after waiting 10 months to use your heater? I had so much adrenaline pumping through my body I could have run a marathon, so needless to say Jackson woke up and did a few flips for me. Did Gracie Mae budge? Nope, sure didn’t. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, haha. I guess I’ll be taking a nap with Gracie Mae today :).

Yesterday when I went to pick GM up I had to make a stop to get gas on the way. Knowing it was cheaper pretty much everywhere else than here I made a pit stop about five minutes from Mawmaw’s house. I walked in to prepay and noticed the lady behind the counter was also with child and she of course knew I was pregnant and our interaction went a little something like this…

Behind the counter pregnant lady: So, when are you due?
Me: November 2nd, what about yourself?
BTCPL: December 15
BTCPL to the other lady behind the counter: (Pointing at me) Look how much bigger she is than me! Although I guess I am a little wide.
Instead of saying, yes, you are a lot wider than me, thanks for noticing, I just smiled the same smile my mom smiled at me with my first when I said “There’s no way I’ll ever get THAT big!”
If it’s one thing I know life sure has a way of humbling you.

Well, with Gracie Mae gone to Mawmaw’s I thought I would sit down and post a few things. I’m going to have to just sit Matt down with me to help me figure out how to get a picture up because I tried and failed this morning and I know blogs are so much more interesting with pictures! Things have been going well on the Lee homestead lately. We actually have potatoes growing like gangbusters this year and I’ve managed to keep one tomato plant alive out of four and harvested one nickel sized tomato over a span of four or five months. I know, I know, but Matt and I usually kill any kind of plant we come in contact with, or try to grow, so this is a step up in our world! And on another note, to those who care at all I finally won my co-sleeper off of ebay!! Woohoo!!! And this one even had lots of extra goodies with it, so needless to say I am quite happy. Now Jackson can sleep next to me without taking up precious bed space :).

So my next random thought is really a funny story that our friend William told us about his son, Issac (of Plotts fame, not Brunone 🙂 ), whom I’m sure most of you know who are reading my blog, but it’s just too funny not to retell. William explained that when this happened they had really been talking to Issac more about church and what that entails, so one day William had taken Issac with him to visit a nursing home in town on some business and needless to say he was quite a hit with the crowd there. Well, one little lady was asking him a bunch of questions, but then came the question “Are you a good boy?” to which Issac replied “No, I’m Presbyterian.” He must be listening to Pastor Coleman more closely than we thought!

For my third random thought, I’m going to invite you into my head (scary, I know). On the way too and from town there is a lot of time to think, so one day I started thinking about what stores would actually stay in business if everyone shopped like Matt and me. It was kind of fun to think about, so I’ve come up with a running list in my head. First on our list would be HEB, without a doubt. If everyone shopped like I do there they would have no lack of business. I’m sorry to say that malls and Wal-mart would be non-existent. Then of course Sevcik’s Service Center would be booming, just from the amount of oil changes we get there and having my formerly flooded, 10 year old car having to be taken care of all of the time. Ah, then there is Sweet Eugene’s, who would fare well, although not as well as when I lived in town. Oh sweet snicker’s lattes. And of course on the list would be Target, although they, too, would sometimes be at a loss. Oh yes, and I can’t forget Uncle Norvie’s feed store. He would be good to go as well. Birds gotta eat. I promise I do actually think of more pertinent topics to and from town, but this is what you get today.

Now I’m off to be productive and go through bags of clothing for Jackson that my cousin so graciously gave us. Yay! He won’t go naked! And if I ever figure out the picture thing I will post pics of the wonderful baby shower Jamison and Kierstyn planned for Sarah and me this weekend. I love my church family! I don’t know where I’d be without them!

Well, I know I haven’t written in a while, so this is a quick update for all those who can’t keep up with my fast paced life. First of all, the chickens are out of the house! Hallelujah!! woohoo!! Only because we acquired another house guest, haha. Matt’s cousin’s wife is a student at Galveston A&M, so she was one of the lucky ones to have to move up here for a little while. Gracie Mae just thinks it is the coolest thing ever that someone else is staying in our house and she wanted to wear her purple shorts, shirt, and a necklace like Mrs. Vanessa had on this morning. Then Mrs. Vanessa spent a little while reading to her which scored even more points! Little did Vanessa know she signed up as toddler entertainment for her stay. She only will be staying with us a couple nights out of the week for a while, which I am sure she is probably happy about :). Even though we are enjoying our houseguest I know she would rather be at home with her own husband.

Let’s see, Tuesday night, Gracie Mae pulled a new one while she was staying with the Anderson’s and stuck a lego up her nose. (You know I just had to write about it, Rachel :)). But thankfully Jon and Rachel managed to get it out, although I forgot to ask how. I assume wrestling her to the ground while the other dug up her nose, thanks by the way :). But Rachel said it was a bonding experience because she talked to her more after it came out than she ever has before. Nothing like a little lego up the nose to bring you a little closer.

And let’s see my car broke down yesterday and after fearing the eletrical system was really shot it turned out only to be the alternator. Another expensive, but much less expensive car repair. I think we might just start saving up for another :).

Well, that’s about all that has been going on around here. I finally got my camera back, so later I’ll try and figure out how to post some pictures. It’s been too long!

Just posting that I have two new articles on Associated Content. One’s not really an article, just the MSC Opas schedule this year, but visit it anyway so I can get some hits! 🙂

Hope everyone is having fun today riding the storm out. We just saw on the news a picture of a old brick building in Iola that completely crumbled to the ground. Granted, it was VERY old, but still, pretty impressive looking. I think we might have to float out of here by the end of the day.

I think that having bizarre, weird dreams is a normal part of pregnancy, or at least mine because I had weird dreams with Gracie Mae, but I think last night beats any of the ones I had with her. Last night I dreamt I gave birth to Jackson and he was a cyclops, yeah, he had one big ol’ eye in the middle of his face. It was frightening let me tell you. The thing I hate is how dreams seem so real when you’re dreaming them, so I was figuring out how we were going to live with cyclops last night.

I just thought I’d post the new article I had published with Associated Content about attractions in Grimes County. I hear all of you snickering out there, but there are some pretty neat things to go do if you dig. Anywho, go check it out because that helps me out and you just might learn something! Just scroll down until you see the articles listed.