Showing posts with label Easter 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter 2012. Show all posts

Saturday, April 21, 2012

An Easter Garden

We got back from Gigi and Papa's late Saturday afternoon.

Easter Sunday dawned bright and sunny. After a relaxing morning and quiet time together as a family we loaded up and took the kids to our favorite park. While we were there TG and I discussed our plans for the rest of the day. He mentioned that he would like to get a bird feeder since our kids loved Gigi and Papa's so much. We made plans to go to Home Depot and buy one when they were done playing.

Except we left with much more than a bird feeder which is what I assume happens to many people who visit Home Depot's garden section in the spring. We might have actually made it out with just a bird feeder and some flowers, but while searching the aisles for those particular items I spied a raised garden bed. I read a lot about them on the blogs last year and really wanted one. Lucky for me TG was game.

So we bought it.  And lots of different types of dirt. And some veggies. And fruit.  And lots of mulch.  And something called a shepherds hook.  And TWO bird feeders.  And some flowers.  And a few bushes too.  Score 1(hundred plus) for Home Depot.

While the kids napped, TG headed outside to clean up the area we call a back yard. It's kind of shameful because we keep our front ("yard") patch fairly nice and well the back yard not so much. On either side of us the neighbors boast lush green grass and ours is mostly brown. It was also filled with a random assortment of kid things and two grills. One of which was broken and sinking into the mud. TG did a lot of hard work organizing and cleaning before we tackled our little garden.

The raised bed advertisement was right. Assembly was easy - just snap the cedar planks and corner pieces together - and (almost) tool free!




Little man was all about tool time.  Sassy was too busy playing pretend to help.

Taking our order for food. "What would you like ma'am?" (Can you tell it had gotten windy by then???)

And catchin' some rays.


Cam was for serious about our work. Especially when Daddy broke out the big tools.

After all the hard labor was done Riley wanted in on the action.  Then a fight broke out over the rake and they were banished to the hill to play.


While TG and I planted our crop.


We started off slow this year with three strawberry, two basil, a chocolate mint, a cucumber, two zucchini, and two cherry tomato plants.  We've already had some unwanted visitors eating our strawberries so we're looking into protection options now.  Can you tell we're new to this?  Still we're optimistically excited for our first harvest and if we can do this, you can too!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Down The Shore and Over The Ocean

We left Chincoteague and our lovely bayside rental early on Thursday morning. It was a bittersweet goodbye because we were sad to leave, but excited to head to Gigi and Papa's house.

Riley and Camden love their Gigi, Papa and Lolo. In the car on the way there Riley said, "When we get there I am going to run up to my Gigi and give her the biggest hugs ever."  As usual Cam played shy guy at first, but after about 2.2 seconds he was all about them.

Gigi and Papa's house is quite a bit larger than ours and Riley and Camden love having all the extra space to run and explore. This visit watching the birds at the new bird feeder in the front yard became a favorite activity. Camden would stand there watching the birds and every time a blackbird came in he would yell "GET! OUTTA! DERE! BIRDS!" at them.


On Thursday night TG and I snuck away to see Hunger Games.  Friday we visited the renovated children's museum and on Saturday morning before we left for home Gigi made a delicious Easter brunch for us. Brunch is my favorite meal and Gigi's cooking never disappoints.

After our bellies were full we convinced the kiddos to pose for some much needed family photos.




It was a quick visit, but it was so worth the detour down the shore and over the ocean.  We love you!