What Is Wrong???

I don't know what the heck is going on with our garden this year! The squash are doing awesome (most of them volunteers) the potatoes seem to be doing awesome and the peas. But the tomatoes...ugh!!! They were doing good then they started to die back, then they did good for a bit grew some tomatoes but now they are dying back and the tomatoes are not growing, or ripening...
The beans are doing okay but they haven't started to blossom or anything yet. And the peppers...oh boy...they won't grow. The pumpkin plants look beautiful and huge but not one pumpkin yet. The onions did okay for a bit too but then they all tipped over and died. What am I supposed to do with such a retarded garden???
I've eaten quite a bit of squash already and it's very yummy with a bit of onion, cilantro, and sausage, topped with a touch of cheese. That's actually what I had for lunch, YUM! (Dangit, should've put some salsa on there)
We are getting very frustrated with our garden.

Life

Over the hills and through the valleys we trudge
Looking for that which will bring us joy
Giving obvious trouble a wide birth
And walking blindly into an ambush or two

There are many we pass on our journey
Some that offer help
Others that offer heartache
Some who just walk with us for a time

Sometimes we imagine the end is in sight
Then reality returns to our mind
There is no end
Only rest stops then we must continue

Remember, o remember
There is one who will walk with us
One who will carry us if needed
All we must do is believe and ask

No matter the trouble at hand
If we are struggling for right and truth
He is there, with His help truth will prevail
He is our friend, our brother

Not only in times of tribulation
In the still peaceful moments He is there
He wants to help us on our journey
To make is more meaningful, more productive

Though we may lose faith and quit believing
He will never lose faith in us
If we let it, life can be full of His love
That is the way the Master planned it

Be still and listen to your heart
He is speaking to you
Guiding you back to Him
Be still and feel his arms around you

Pictures

Tuesday we went to Manti to have pictures taken to update our profile for LDSFS. Allen's best-friends' sister is trying to start a photography business so this is who we had take them. I haven't seen any of them yet and won't for like a week since she was going out of town. I'm a little nervous but kind of excited to see them.
She was a lot of fun! So personable! As soon as we get the pictures I'll have to post some. We had some taken with the dogs too...I hope at least one of them worked out. But trying to get 3 little dogs to pose and hold still and have us looking at the right spot...that's tough.
I hate having my picture taken! I'm supposed to be behind the camera, not in front of it! Oh, well...I guess if it helps us build a family the discomfort, embarrassment and self-conciousness will be worth it.
I love our caseworker! She is the best one ever. She keeps us up to date on what we need to do to stay published and she has spent tons of time helping us with our profile. Funny thing is the caseworkers we have met and others in the office we have met say our profile doesn't do us justice...I wish I could fix that. I wish I knew better how to sell ourselves, it's hard though because we are just ordinary people... Maybe if I hire someone else to put it together...hmmm

Cute Little Stinker

We did a no-no. We spent money on a swimming pool for the short person who is living with us at present. Any of you who shop at WalMart know it was only $15 but when you're strapped for cash...really shouldn't be spending money on a pool. 

Anywho! He LOVES it! We emptied it the day after and he was so upset. Now anytime we go out and he sees it he points to it and says, "Waters". 

Allen helped him in.

The water was cold we had just barely filled it. He didn't know quite what to think.

He seemed a bit upset because the dogs were drinking his swimming water...heaven forbid.

 

I helped him get moving in the water instead of just standing there.

 After a few times around the pool...

He loved jumping and splashing. I just don't know for sure if he liked the splashing from jumping, or the adrenalin rush when he would fall down more.

After he started getting cold he thought it was pretty cool for me to hold him and just let him kick his feet.

Not real easy on the back...after all he weighs almost 40 lbs.

After his lips had turned purple we told him enough (he got real ticked about that) then we showed him how to lay on the warm concrete to dry off and warm up. We wrapped him up in a dark green towel so it would absorb as much heat as possible he liked the part where Allen laid on one side of him and me on the other the best though.

All Boy...For Sure

Allen was working on his truck tonight. Big J loves the truck too, it's rather adorable. Allen being the totally awesome guy he is let J help him with the work. These are just a few pictures during that experience.

He kept sticking the extension on the bolt and saying, "Fix it."

He watched everything Allen was doing very carefully.

Then did his best to imitate.

It was so stinkin' cute watching him fix the truck with upside down pliers.

Allen got up and left to go get something. When he came back the mini-mechanic was trading tools. Allen patiently waited for him to pick the tool that was just right for the job.

But it wasn't all fun and games. There was work to be done and the mini-mechanic got to help.

I couldn't help myself...the pudgy little mini-mechanic's hands were so cute...it just had to be documented.

I love both my boys right to death! And watching them work on the truck together tonight is hopefully a preview of years to come.

Too Funny

Big J has learned how to "smile" for the camera.

 

There are one of two smiles.

 

Funny thing is when I tell him to smile he has to sit up. 

When I took this one he was laying down until I told him to smile.

What a freakin' cutie!

Goofy Dogs

This is not an unusual thing to see at our house.

 

Tank has become the heater for Skunk and Rio.

Skunk curls up on him.

 

 Rio climbs in behind him.

When Tank isn't available though, Rio can always find another source of heat.

I just love my little dogs! Don't know what I would do without them.

Weeked Fun

Over the weekend we took Jer and went to Cedar City to spend time with Keith and Karena. This trip we took Skunk with us...mistake...won't happen again.

First we went to the Discovery park. Jer LOVED it!

Climbing

 

Sliding

 

Allen enjoyed the slides too

 

more sliding

 

and swinging

He had so much fun! At one point Allen was standing in between Jer's swing and Aiden's swing pushing them both.

Monday when Keith wasn't working we went and found some dirt roads so the boys could go "wheelin". They had a blast it's been sooo long since they have been able to go "wheelin" together.

This how we do take out. Pack some food and take it out, usually in the mountains or hills, to eat it.

Aiden is such a sharer. Here he is trying to feed Karena.

 

It's hard for kids to go wheelin' having to stay buckled in and everything. So when lunch time came around Allen took Jer for a hike up the road we had just come down. And over to throw some rocks into the old iron mine that was right there.

 

Skunk didn't want to get left out of the eating. What a beggar.

Then it was off to find rocks to climb.

 

Who do you think has the better rig for this? lol

After the climbing had been done it was time for the big boys to catch a lizard or two so the little boys could see it and touch it.

I think it was more fun for the big boys to chase them than the little boys to see them.

 

Actually, while the big boys were chasing Jer got bored and found a mini-sand box and was content playing in the sand.

By the time we were done playing here Skunk was telling me it was time to go sittin' in Jer's seat.

I'm kind of thinking he was tired of getting bounced around and wanted to be strapped in.

I'm a bit of a geek. But while out "wheelin" I got a lot of pictures of pretty flowers.

My favorite find was the Sego Lily. How pretty!

There was so much Indian Paintbrush! I loved it! It was everywhere. This picture just doesn't do it justice.

Some of the cactus were starting to bloom. One of the prettiest desert flowers. Another few days and the yellow ones would've been in bloom. Too bad I have to miss it.

 

All in all it was a very fun trip! I think my favorite part though was seeing Allen so happy. Wheelin' with Keith is one thing that recharges him. He didn't know it until after but that was his birthday present...but I think he liked it better than anything I could buy. I love that man!

What IF? A Portrait of Infertility from Keiko Zoll on Vimeo.

Feild Trip to the Zoo

We went to the zoo last weekend with Keith and Karena and had a lot of fun! Man, the zoo sure has changed in the last 10 yrs or so...last time I was there. 

Jer loves to go for rides in the wagon so we took the wagon and it worked out great! It was easy to get him in and out to see the animals and he got his daily wagon ride in.

It was so cute when he would put his sunglasses on with the hat! He didn't usually have one or the other on. It was all or nothin', but that's kind of how he is with everything.

We saw lots of animals and Jer got to "ride" a rhino.

He seemed to really like the elephants, maybe because there was a baby one.

The Kangaroo was modeling.

This Giraffe seemed to be more than willing to make it easy to fit him in our picture.

Actually he was just working on laying down...what a process.

After the animals had been seen it was potty stop time.

 I think the adults were ready to go.

But yet carousel and train rides had been paid for sooo it was fun time! 

Jer loved the carousel!

He had the same expression the entire time! It was freakin' funny!

Jayson seemed to think it was...alright. And Keith seemed to be more interested in the mechanical workings, all the pics but this one he's looking up. I'm just assuming checking out how everything works. lol

Karena could only get him to turn around to face forward for one round. Look at the terror on his face. lol

Then it was off to the train! Jer's most favorite thing in the world...a train!

In this picture I'm not sure if he's falling asleep or just blinking. The wait for our turn on the train seemed to be an eternity!

I would believe falling asleep because he was asleep before we even made it out of the parking lot.