Month: May 2010

You know how when you are about to get married you look at your fiance’s parents to kind of gauge how they will be as you grow old together? One day, sitting at my future in-law’s dinner table, Greg’s mom looked across the room at her husband then back at me. “Are you ready?” she asked, “For what?” I replied. She tipped her head in Russell’s direction, “someday he is going to behave and sound a lot like his father.”

!!!!!

Okay, yes, we become our parents. Makes sense doesn’t it? I watched Greg’s dad more closely after that. Preparation maybe? I don’t know. While I was watching Russell and measuring Greg up to the ‘timeline’ his mother went under the radar. Her crazy baking skills (which have already surfaced in Greg, just look at my waist-line) and her phenomenal gardening ability. Penny had/has a *huge* garden with everything in it. Corn, carrots, potatoes, tomoatoes, kale, strawberries, peas, and anything else you can think of. Extremely impressive. I remember chickens out there in the garden. There were chickens, weren’t there? Anywho, look what Greg has been up to since we’ve moved into our new house. Please, hold all laughter until the end.

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Greg is his mother after all . . .

From top to bottom: Greg’s ‘cloche’ with tomatoes in them. Tomoates need warmer weather than what we have so he made a greenhouse for them. He is going to do another one for peppers. Salsa is our family’s favorite. we need peppers. Then the kids’ garden with flowers etc. The front bed has lettuces, peas, carrots, beets, leeks, and a couple of other things I’m forgetting. It’s overloaded. In front of that are 72 strawberry plants our neighbor wanted to get rid of then 2 blueberry bushes and a rhubarb plant.

Okay, this one is in our front yard. This one is more me. Hostas, geraniums, iris, and pansies. But I digress, let’s get back to Greg . . .

Our peach tree. Along with 2 apple trees, 2 plum trees, a pomeranate tree, and a pear tree, we have our own mini-orchard. We also have 3 varieties of grapes.

Don’t get me wrong, I *love* the fact Greg has the energy and forsight to do all of this. It saves us money and we eat fresh produce. He says it is theraputic as well so that has to save us some money from the “shrink bank”. (the shrink bank is for the kids anyway, who knows what therapy they’ll need after we’re done with them.) He says that *this* is his Farmville (without the big bucks and opportuniy for experience points)
I raise my glass to my husband! May we reap the benefits of your labor. 🙂 And to Penny, thank you for being such a great example. Just to ease minds, Russell, I have no fear of him becoming like you either. I welcome it.

The not so fun part of our week. Poor Griffin. Stomach Flu/dehydration is horrible! 3 bags of fluid later and he is on the mend. Whew!

We went and saw my Grandma Conlin (and Grandpa too) It was heart warming to see so many flowers throughout the cemetary. Happy Mother’s Day Grandma!

My crew at Cougar Mt. Park on Mother’s Day. I love that place. It’s where Greg proposed to me. We spent a lot of time there before we were married!

Atalie and me at the Mom & Me Breakfast that she planned with her awesome Activity Days group.

Lots of other things happened as well. We got our rock wall in the front yard done, now we just need to get plants in it. Colleen made first cut for Color Guard, last cut is this coming Wednesday. Keegan and Cameron conquered the MSP, we got to talk to our moms on Sunday and we went to visit my foster parents. The first time in many years. It was . . .well, I can’t put in to words exactly how amazing it was to be with them again.

Ain’t life good?

This is our pear tree. We planted it about a month ago. We can see it while we sit on the couch in our family room. Did you know that there is evidence that pear trees have been around since preshitoric times? Some have been cultivated in China for over 3000 years. Pears are native to countries such as China, Italy, the US, Spain, Argentina, South Korea, Turkey, Japan, South Africa, and the Netherlands. Pears will ripen faster if placed in a bowl next to bananas. Pears are excellent produers of fiber and Vitamin C. Pears are less allergenic than other fruits so are usually the first fruits introduced to infants. Pears can also be useful to treat the inflammation of mucus membranes, colitis, chronic gallbladder disorders, arthritis and gout. They are also beneficial in lowering high blood pressure and controling cholesterol levels. In ancient Greece pears were also used to treat nausea. The FDA have determined that eating an average sized pear will only cost you 100 calories and will provide you with 190 mg. of potassium, 6 g of fiber, 1 g of protein, and 2% of your daily calcium. Pear tree wood is the preferred material in making woodwind instruments and furniture.

Pear trees, in some countries, are also evergreens.

Amazing. All of this from something that started out looking like what we have in our yard.

But what has amazed me the most about our pear tree is it’s strength. It’s endurance and fight to survive. Yesterday we had gusts of wind up to 50mph. Some of the smaller cedar trees in our backyard looked like they were going to snap in the wind. Branches were flying everywhere, and my dog barked incessantly. But this pear tree stood it’s ground. The leaves were ruffled, but it stood still. Considering it’s root system is only 6-24 inches below the surface, and still building their foundation, I find this little tree to be quite inspiring. It’s roots will not go deeper than the 6-24 inches, but they will grow horizontally as far as the tree is high. Entwining with other shrub roots, roocks, and other things in the ground. It is this foundation that the tree depends on for it’s growth and success.

I am like this pear tree in one way that I can think of. I need to make sure that my roots are firm in a foundation that will help me grow and be successful too. One that will guarantee that after the ‘hail and mighty storm shall beat upon me, that it will have no power over me nor drag me down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which I have been built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if I build, I cannot fall.’ After everything is said and done, if I have built a relationship with my Father in Heaven, He will not let me snap in the wind. He will help me stand tall and firm.

How’s your root system?