Cultivate My Plate

(Okay, so that only half makes sense.  Mostly, it just rhymes.  And I like rhymes.  They're catchy!)

So, Memorial Day weekend was quite the plethora of celebratory activities. Namely, barbecues.  At one of those barbecues, Dustin saw our neighbor's watermelon plant and began to have lust in his heart.  Maybe even his soul!  He needed a watermelon plant.  That next weekend, he was off to Lowes for a watermelon plant of his own.  Indeed, he got one.  He also got two varieties of tomatoes,summer squash and jalapenos.  He then went back for a more tomatoes and also came home with a mandarin orange tree.  Then, after a week or two, there was concern billowing within him that there just was not enough pollination taking place.  After a morning spent observing and attempting to pollinate the plants himself, we were off to Lowes once more for brightly colored flowers that would attract the pollinators.  Normal people would call these bees... but not Dustin.  This is serious business.  They are pollinators. But I digress.  While at Lowes, I decided to get in on this planting business and picked up some basil and dill plants.  All in all, that's a lot of plants.  And a lot of goodness to enjoy once it's time to harvest!!!  Got to love a man who lands his jet and comes home to tend his garden.  Here are a few photos of our burgeoning bounty!

sidenote:  Dustin has informed me that squash plants tend to give generously, so if you live in the hood, don't be surprised to find a squash or two on your doorstep! 

Quincy, Your Nest is Ready!

I sleep with my babies.  I got a crib for Lawson (because "that's what you do!") that he didn't use until he was a year old because it turned out, I wanted him right next to me at night!  I slept with Naomi, too.  Actually, at that time, we were renovating the upstairs of our house in Washington, so she was in the bed with me and Lawson's toddler bed was right next to our bed, so it was "family bedroom" more than a "master bedroom."  I loved it!  Dustin was a good sport.  Now Naomi and Lawson share a bedroom across the hall and still wake me up quite a bit at night between teething and bad dreams.  My guess is that as much as I'm going to want to snuggle Quincy up close at night, she may have to reside next to me in her own little nest, to keep from being disturbed every time I have to get up with the other kids. 

I already had a soft little bassinet that I used with Naomi, but I didn't just want her plopped down on the floor by the bed.  So, Dustin built a simple, perfect little piece of furniture to make the bassinet into a co-sleeper.  I love it!  It currently has four wheels on the bottom, but I'm thinking of switching one side to regular feet and adding a handle, so it's more of a "cart."  Right now, the kids think it's fun to push the "train" around and I'm not a fan of that.  A baby cart seems cool, anyway!  Mobile when I need it to be, stationary to keep the kids from driving down the hall with their sleeping sister!  Either way, I love that it's handmade with love by dad!  There's room for lots of baby items down below in the shelves and baskets and I envision that it will re purpose as toy storage easily later on. 

Thanks for making our little girl such a great, cozy nest, Dustin!  It turned out perfect!  And Quincy, I think we are officially all ready for you.  Your bunny is waiting for you to join her in your bed.  If you don't mind, though, feel free to leave her waiting a little while longer.  I've got a massage and haircut on Saturday that I'd hate to miss, your Mima will be here in just a week and a half and I'd really like her to be there for your arrival... and then we're only three days away from the 10th and THAT would be the perfect day for you to come!  Deal? 

Without further ado, here's it is, complete with Naomi's stamp of approval!

As good as it fits down at the bottom of the bed, she'll be up at the head of the bed with me at night!  Easy access is key for night-feedings!

Watching Daddy Fly By

It's hard to miss the rumble of the airplanes flying over our house each day, but Naomi has finally noticed them up in the sky! Yesterday as I was snapping some seven month photos of her in front of our big glass door, she heard the familiar bumble bee buzz of the P3 flying by. I called her over to look and as it flew by the house, she smiled and glued herself to the door as she caught her first real glimpse of her daddy up in the sky! Not too many people can say that their daddy flies over their house when he's at work. Well, neither can Naomi at this point, come to think of it. But, you know what I mean!

I'll Take a Renovated Kitchen With a Side of TRIM!

I did enough time with no kitchen at all that by the time we had our kitchen put back together, I hardly noticed the lack of trim around the window and door. I had a counter top and that was good enough for me. Well, those days are gone. Thanks to my handy husband, we now have gorgeous trim around the window and door and as of right this very moment, even the sliding door next to the kitchen!!! What a difference it makes! Something about finish work really makes all the details pop!

The gorgeous craftsman style trim around our kitchen window!

He dropped the top piece down a bit to hide the hardware of the shade. Details, I tell you!
(Speaking of details, you'd never know I just cleaned the windows two days ago. Sanding is awful.)

Finishing up the trim around the door.

Can I change my order? On second thought, I'll have a trimmed out kitchen with a side of HIM!

Dustin's Take on "Simply Tumbling Down"

Dustin does not mess around. As Ming Ming the duck would say, "This is serious!!!!". If you have NO idea what that means, it's because you either don't have young children or don't turn on your tv... and that's okay. Dustin is very, very good at making things tumble down. The demolition is the easy part and it's the putting back together again that takes....


a while.


A good while.


A very, very good while.


I've gotten a little bit better at patience as I've lived in a house that is always torn apart to some degree. Now, as we find ourselves just 3 months away from moving, the downstairs is being torn to pieces. The flood in October kicked things off in grand style! Now that we're back, Dustin has begun the continuation of the demolition of this house I call my home. One night last week, he disappeared down stairs for a while. I didn't think much of it, but soon he returned and led me down to our "master bedroom." And, no, this is not going where you think it is. A little background to start with: this bedroom started out with textured wallpaper painted a horrible tone of blue, so my mom and I removed it to reveal the equally hideous seventies wood paneling. After the flood, the carpet was removed and we were left with some nasty cement for a floor. All around ugly. That's what I expected to see. But, to my shock, horror and excitement, it was even more disgusting than I ever could have imagined. Did I mention that Dustin is really good at the "tumbling down" part?

Shock and horror.

Exposed beams. Kind of cabin-chic, right??

Our new firewood. We're burning down the house, one piece at a time.

See the lovely blue color still hanging out in the closet?

Our stained concrete floors... this is popular now, isn't it??
(Just so you know, that isn't mold... it's some substance leftover from a previous asbestos abatement)

The good news is that this is actually a step in the right direction, as much as I want to throw up looking at it. But, there are no walls, no ceiling and no floors. I can live with no bathroom door (and have for three years), but I do need some walls. I'm obviously high maintenance. Now, if all goes as planned, this version of "simply tumbling down" will be "simply put back together again" pronto and once again, there will be walls.

Perspective

This picture was only taken two months ago, but it already feels like an old picture. They've changed so much since then. Especially Miss Num Num! It's strange how children make time feel different. A photo of myself taken two months ago would be considered recent, but this photo is already outdated. It puts things into perspective for me.


I woke up a few mornings ago with a strong sensation that moments are fleeting. This time spent at my mom's house is half over already and the holidays will be but a memory sooner than I'd like. This time next year we will have been in Texas up to eight months already! That blows my mind. I know I sound like a broken record going on and on constantly about how quickly time is going, but it never ceases to amaze me. I also find myself being reminded, in so many ways, to slow down and enjoy the kids while they are little. To enjoy this time of staying with my mom, even with Dustin away. To enjoy the process. It isn't a race to the finish or to the next step. This is life and it doesn't slow down and wait for you. Days happen, events happen. If I am not prepared to take it all in, then I miss out. And it isn't just me that misses out. The kids miss out, as well, if I'm too caught up in my mind to enjoy their little triumphs each day.

The quote I put below the picture is so fitting for them. They adore each other. They like to play and snuggle and laugh together. They even like to cry together. Lawson wants to go "nigh nigh" as soon as he wakes up in the morning just so he can hang out under the covers with Num Num. They are each others' world. But, I am also their world. Especially when Dustin is away. And that truly puts it into perspective. We may not be home as a whole family, but we are family and because we are together, we are home.

Sunishine in a Vase

During lunch today, a rogue vehicle turned into my drive and left me guessing what the deal was. What day is it? Am I expecting anyone or anything? The more I wondered, the more curious I was. Finally, the driver got out of her car and got something out of her backseat. I was holding my breath, wondering what it could be. She turned around and it was flowers! My sweet, thoughtful husband sent me a gorgeous vase full of beautiful flowers just. because. JUST BECAUSE! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now. Not because I got flowers, but because he was thoughtful enough to have a sweet thought about me on the other side of the world, and send it to me in a vase for me to smile at every time I see it. That is happiness. Thank you, Dustin. I love you, too.