Conquering #3

Number 3 on my 30 before 30 list is:
3. Find and take a trip to a Sunflower field.
Well do you know how hard it is to find a Sunflower field!?!? I know they exist. We actually found a small "field" right down the road from us. Problem is, the field is in the front of someones house....The more I thought about it, I'm just not too sure how they would feel about my rolling up into their front yard to take pictures. That's when I put myself up to the challenge and decided to grow my own. This spring I planted 24 sunflower seeds in a very small patch of my yard. I think in total about 14 came up and as of right now we have about 6 that have bloomed. I am just so excited that I am beside myself. This sunflowers are HUGE! I believe they were supposed to get between 9-12 feet and I believe we have just about reached that.

Look how perfect and beautiful!!

Nature at it's finest!

and last but not least.....my teeny weeny sunflower field! I conquered # 3 on my list!! :)

Garden Journal-June 10

Our garden is growing leaps and bounds. It's amazing to look back at the pictures from May 1st and May 15th and see the growth from then and now.

Our goal was to have enough food to not just enjoy throughout the summer but to also be able to eat some homegrown organic veggies throughout the rest of the year. Above is a picture of our harvest from last night. So far we've been able to put away about 350 sugar snap pea pods, about 25 zucchini and 15 squash, we've eaten fresh from the garden several cucumbers and peppers (I can't wait to make some pickles), and just last night we picked about 55 pole beans. I was chopping them up to prepare them for blanching and freezing.

The sunflowers are just UNREAL! I remember a month ago thinking they were so tall when they had almost reached K's height. Now they have surpassed the whole family and our privacy fence. I can't wait until they actually bloom!

The watermelon are one of my favorite things to look at daily. They have taken over their area of the garden and looking for them is like playing hide & seek. We have about 8 on the vines. The one pictured above is our biggest. It's about the size of a small football already.

We have probably close to 40-50 tomatoes. Wowzers....And to think I don't even eat tomatoes. The rest of my family does though. I'm going to have to get with my friend over at Mallard Cove Mommy to find out the best way to can them.

The rest of the garden is doing just as well. Here is a small peek of some bell peppers, eggplant, and squash. We have little baby okra on our okra plants as well.

Before I left the garden for the morning I also had to take a picture of our little visitor we had last night. I  must say that I am quite honored to have his visit considering it'll be another 13 years before we are graced with his presence again. :)

Green

I noticed over at Live Every Moment's blog today she was having a Green theme and I couldn't help but to grab my camera and head on out to snap some pictures of my garden. Green is absolutely my most favorite color. Green is not Green with envy to me....Green is new beginnings. Green is life. Green is full of energy and resources. I love Green.
I decided my subject for the green theme would be my peas. They are out of this world! They have officially grown taller than me. It just goes to show what a little TLC can do for any living thing. We are going to have our hands full of quite a few fresh peas and not only are they great to eat but they are beautiful to watch in the growing process.

1. The Gorgeous Flower

2. The Emerging of the pea:

3. A Glimpse into both stages:

Garden On My Mind

How does the song go? Georgia Garden on my mind?? I like my words better. :) It seems with spring coming a bit early in our area that gardening is all that I'm thinking about. We've started our seeds in the mini greenhouse. We've planted the sweet peas outside and we're even trying a little experiment and planted a few potatoes to see what they do this time of year.
We've got big plans for our garden and backyard this year. We normally work out of 3 raised beds but we've decided to till up the whole backside of our backyard along the fence and make the garden even bigger. Our hope is to grow enough veggies throughout the growing season and maybe...just maybe we can continue to eat on them in the winter months. And...if you really want to dig deep into our dreams you'll find that we're hoping to be able to save enough money throughout the summer months that maybe come winter we can purchase a larger outdoor greenhouse. This little mini indoor one we have just isn't cutting it.
With all this being said-of course my macro photos for Friday go hand and hand with this post.
I'm posting this one for it's sheer beauty. I love these colors together and having these fresh flowers in the house have given the living room a wonderful aroma.

And this marco picture is of one of our our sweet baby tomato plants. I love it's prickly little baby hair. I also love watching it grow knowing that in a few short months it will provide us with more tomatoes then we probably know what to do with.

Homework! Oh, Homework!

Homework! Oh, Homework,
I hate you, you stink!

I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
If only a bomb would explode you to bits,
Homework! Oh, Homework, you're giving me fits

I'd rather take baths with a man eating shark....

Or wrestle a lion alone in the dark....
Eat spinach and liver,
pet 10 porcupines....

than tackle the homework my teacher assigns.....

Homework! Oh, Homework!
You're last on my list....
I simple can't see why you even exist.
If you'd just disappear,
It'd tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, Homework....
I hate you, you stink!

Yes, this is the poem I think of every Wednesday when my son brings home his homework. I remember when he started Pre4 I was so excited to start helping him with homework.... It has turned into everything but fun! I must remember I have two boys who may not get quite so excited as I used to when it was time to shop for school supplies and do my homework.

Chopping Wood the Old Fashioned Way

Who needs a big fancy expensive wood chopper?? Who needs a man on the side of the road selling already chopped wood?? Who needs to go to Publix to purchase their wood when you can get it for free!? How nice it is to have a husband who enjoys roaming the woods searching for down trees. A husband who enjoys showing up at your kids daycare to clear a tree that has fallen. And a husband who enjoys relieving stress by going out back alone and chopping wood until his little heart is content....All the while it helps provide a nice warm home...