6 of 52-Santa Fe Reds

Here I am* with the kids at Santa Fe Reds. Being the "nabster" that I am, I stole this picture off my wonderful sisters site to share this week! Thanks Ninna!

I like this picture because I can see a physical resemblance in both of my oldest children to myself and I don't often see that. Behavioral resemblances are much more apparent!

Hosted by Forever in Blue Jeans

*52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

Two Little Monkeys

We don't have very many climbing trees on our property. I didn't think we had any but I was wrong.

I guess if there is a monkey who wants a tree to climb, he (or she) will find a tree to climb and you will magically have a climbing tree...

At least that's what happened last week here in this tree, our new climbing tree, on our property...

The monkeys climbed around for a while and Randy took pictures of them. Then he informed me that the monkeys were climbing trees!

"Oh good", I said...

Then I went out and joined the fun and told them to be careful and all...

and then we walked around the yard and ignored them up in the tree.

Soon Monkey #1, was down and onto something new.
Not Monkey #2... he stayed up there until we had to go and tell him to get down..

I think he's hooked.

But afterall, that's what monkey's are meant to do...

And now I have a question for you...

Do you like the first and last edited pictures better or the three middle unedited pictures better? Why?

Thanks for your help and could someone tell me where this climbing tree came from? It never worried me before. And were did the monkeys come from, for that matter?!?!

Yours truly,

Blue Bird Morning

Good morning! This picture was taken by Randy one morning last week. The Blue Birds are around but haven't made any of our houses their "home sweet home" yet.

Enjoy your day!

Starting Tomatoes

A week ago, Randy started tomato plants. Here is the "how-to" for you Keith N. and anyone else who is interested...

He used a plastic produce container we had on hand and placed 12 dirt pellets inside...

Here he poured warm water into the pellets to make them swell. These particular pellets took a while to swell up. We went on a little walk while we waited....;)

He planted 6 "early girl" and 6 "jelly bean" (small tomatoes)...

Using a toothpick to place seeds in dirt...

Then he placed the lid on top and put it up on the fridge. I have no idea why but I can ask him if anyone needs to know...

About 4 days later we had about half of the plants poking up...

Now it's time for lights. A little frame with two flourescent lights above in a COOL place will do it...

And now a week later...

This is the first installment of Randy's Garden Growing Guide. Go plant some seeds and look for more to come...


P.S. We do not claim to be expert gardeners. Follow along at your own risk...

5 of 52-In the Boat

Here I am* with the kiddos in Uncle Ryan's boat watching Daddy back the pickup and boat trailer up. Auntie Jeannie snapped this picture of us so I nabbed it off her site so I could have a Mommy picture this week. Thanks Jeannie-hope you don't mind.


*52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

Lake Pend Oreille

Last Saturday found us enjoying a boat ride on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille...

Pend Oreille is the 13th deepest lake in the world, 5th deepest in the United States with maximum depths at 1,150 feet.

It's amazing how these mountains just shoot right up out of the lake. No wonder it is such a deep lake if the mountains continue right down into the water!

These house give new meaning to the phrase "Home on the lake"! We saw lots of homes like this!

During World War 2, the south end of the lake was the second largest naval training ground in the world. Built as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the training station is now a state park. The lake is still used by the Navy's Acoustic Research Detachment to test large-scale submarine prototypes: the significant depth gives acoustic properties similar to the open ocean.*

Here we are cruising by a submarine launching area...
"US GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
NO TRESPASSING"

One happy passenger...

Uncle Randy and Lane...

Doing a little fishing...

Cousins...

A stop along the shore...

Looking for skipping rocks...

Deep in thought...

Headed back to the launch after a big day...

Thoroughly tired out!

Getting to drive!

Sweet Morgan...

Thank you Ryan, Jeannie and kids for the beautiful day!

*This information comes from Wikopedia

Daddy's Suprise!

Remember this note we left for Daddy before we left on our spring break trip? Well here is his surprise! No, we didn't buy him a new bike. His bike had gotten "broken" a couple years ago. The kids and I hauled the pieces out of the barn and brought it to the local bike shop. They fixed it up and called to say it was ready a couple hours before we were going to leave on our trip. We jumped in the van and ran to town to get it so we could surprise him when he got home from work. And now you know...the rest of the story.

To a 6 year old, bike rides with the family may be the greatest thing in the world!

Happy Riding!

Buds and Blooms

Thanks to all who participated in our suitcase poll. It's fun to see the results. Tonight I am again surrounded by suitcases that need unpacked... I think it will have to wait until tomorrow... or the next day... I'm beginning to wonder if we should start living out of our suitcases... ;)

We had a great weekend visiting Uncle Ryan, Aunt Jeannie and cousins Lane and Morgan. Pictures to come sometime soon. Until then, here are a couple pictures I took recently. I like how the bud above is wrapped in a soft blanket like a newborn baby. The blooms below look down on me from a plant I have on top of our desk.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Goodnight...

4 of 52-Shadow Shot

Here I am* with Maya! Guess what we did on this beautiful sunny evening...

*52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!