around the garden

 I haven't shared as many photos of the growing garden this year as I did last year, but it's still going strong!  I was excited to try growing flowers from seed this year & even more excited that it worked!  I had lots of poppies, cosmos, sunflowers & zinnias to use in flower arrangements + echinacea, dahlias, russian sage that grow perennially in our backyard.  Flower gardening is so fun!  I just need to learn more about landscaping...

 Herbs, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots & flowers.

 Corn & tomatoes.

 Colorful flowers.  Colorless sky.  :\  

We had a very cool, slow to start summer this year.  So far, my first two years of gardening have ended up being during unusually cool or rainy summers.  Hopefully, next summer will be more typical! 

 Love the poppies the most!!

 Kenton bought me a portable green house for my birthday!  He set it up with "help" from Finn.

Set up & ready for action, in our side yard near the raspberries.  I'm hoping to start of lot of plants from seed for next year's garden!  :)

#4

 Thursday, August 11th marked the graduation of my 4th class of kids at the Early Education Program.  I brought my boys to the classroom while we got ready for the graduation party & we found some fun things to keep us busy!  Kenton came to pick them up before it started because Finley had a performance for our church's Vacation Bible School that same night.  This was the first time I had to miss a performance of his, but Kenton took some videos for me.  :)

Blowing bubbles...

 ...& playing on the playground.  Gotta love Cedar's crazy, slide static hair! :P

 Georgia, the director of our program, dressed up as Twiggle, a character from the curriculum we use to teach about feelings.  :P  The kids LOVE having Twiggle at their special events!

 Goodbye hugs for Stu.

 Goodbye hugs for Jacque.

We have such cute kids but, as always, due to confidentiality, I have to keep their photos to myself.  ;)

Our wonderful teaching team!

Becca, Jacque, Stu, Angie M, Angie T, & me

(Just missing Tina, who worked with us over the summer.)

I know I look like I'm towering over everyone.  I just happen to work with a bunch of shorties.  :P  And I'm wearing heels, so that doesn't help.  To be fair, Stu is actually taller than me.  ;)  (Just had to leave a disclaimer, so that no one is confused by the Amazon woman standing next to Angie!)

#9

 On Wednesday, August 10th, Kenton & I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary!  We helped the kids eat a quick picnic dinner before dropping them off at Memaw's house, so that we could go on a date.

 Sneaking in some cuddles, in between bites.  :)

 My mom gave me a passion flower blossom from the plants that we used as decoration at our wedding, 9 years ago.  Still going strong!  I wore it behind my ear, until I realized ants were crawling all over it & on me!  :\   It sure is pretty though!

 We placed an order at a Thai food cart & while our food was being made, we walked to Sweet Life & picked up some desserts, to go.

 So many delicious choices!

 Walking back to pick up our dinners.

 Then we drove to the Owen Rose Garden for a picnic date.

 Kenton always chooses Pad Thai when we eat Thai food.  And neither of us can resist the Thai Iced Tea!  So good!

 I can't remember the name of my dish, but it was some sort of chicken & vegetable coconut curry.  Yum yum!

 Chocolate chip cookie Sandwich & Coconut Cream Pie!  We couldn't finish anything that we ordered, but we were full & happy!  ;)

 Enjoying the Summer weather with my best friend.

Lovely place for a picnic.

Thanks to Memaw for giving us a child-free evening!  

Thanks to Kenton for 9 amazing, quiet, adventurous, peaceful, lovely, busy, exciting, crazy, happy, loud, funny, loving years.  I wouldn't want to face this world without you by my side.  I am so thankful for the two wonderful creatures we are attempting to civilize & doubly thankful that we're in it together!  I love you!

#36

 The next day (Saturday, August 6th), we played & ate yummy food in the Chase's backyard, in celebration of Becca's birthday!  :)

 Our kids just love going to their cousins' houses!

 The yummy spread!

 Aaron & the birthday girl.

 The boys got chalk & started drawing levels from the game, Plants Vs. Zombies.

 Finley with his drawing of a zombie.

 Mom & Papa with Becca, their first-born.  :)

 Cedar's latest smile-for-the-camera face.

 Busy Finn can't sit still for too long before he wants to be on the move again.  :P

 Griffin, Cohen & Cedar watching Becca open gifts.

 Decorative hooks for Becca's garden, from us.

Another piece of garden "decor" from us. 

#30

 On Wednesday, August 3rd, Kenton turned 30!  He did not have nearly as much difficulty adjusting to this new decade as I did.  :P

 As usual, we couldn't wait to give Kenton (Dad) his gifts, so we let him open them before work!  I didn't remember to get gift wrap & tape, so I improvised with fabric.  (I'd love to make some reusable, fabric gift wrap like these, but I'll have to tackle that project another time!)  ;)

 Excited boys with the birthday Dad!

 A new game "from" Finley!

 A bike helmet "from" Cedar.

 And bike paniers from me!  ;)

*****

 On Friday evening, we did some more celebrating with dinner, dessert & games & invited family & friends to join us!  I also enlisted help from our parents to bring the meal together: lasagna, garlic bread, salads & chocolate chip cookies for dessert!

 We grouped our tables together & made a make-shift table out of saw horses & an old door so that we could all sit together.  :)

 Playing before dinner...

 Gretchen & Malia with their sweet babies, Genevieve & Tate.  :)

 Kevin, Kenton & Brian.

 One half of the table.

Frank, Katie, Justin & Malia.

 Us.

 Time for gifts!  Kenton's parents got him a pulaski.  A sign that Kenton is growing up: tools are exciting to receive as a gift!  ;)

 Family & friends.

 Cool money bag from the Bank of Alaska from my parents.  Not sure how they got their hands on one of those...  ;)

 A sign that Kenton will always be a boy at heart: Legos are exciting to receive as a gift!  ;)  Kenton wasn't the only one excited about new Legos! 

 Never a shortage of little helpers.  :)

The only thing Kenton asked to do for his 30th birthday was play board games with family & friends.  I was happy that he got what he wanted!  After opening gifts, Kenton brought out Wits & Wagers & got a game going.

Ronan, Griffin & Sadie were able to team up with grown ups & play along.  We also had a game of Kids of Carcassonne going with Cedar & Ava & video games going inside for the rest of the kids.  After it got dark, we moved inside where some more game playing took place!  I think it was a good night for Kenton.  He seemed quite pleased to be playing games all evening with his favorite people!  Thanks to all who helped make Kenton's 30th birthday a special one!  :)