Sep 30, 2012

Two hours to plant two trees

"Hey Dad, why don't you want to put it over there?"
We bought a couple of trees and shrubs recently, which will add to my daily watering chores.  I promised Shawn I will not buy any more plants this season.  (He rolled his eyes).  I just am addicted to putting things in the ground.  I also feel like I have to do it this fall so that next year it will all be ready to grow as soon as spring arrives.

"well, I guess this spot is ok, but can't I help?"



Escaping Baby photo:

"what's Cash doing?"


Dog-water sloppy baby photo:




Sep 28, 2012

I Surrender

UPDATE:  Cash has slept through the night for two nights now!   All my stressing and being upset obviously worked.  OR he is just feeling better than he had been.
Today, I admit defeat. 
I am barely keeping my eyes open and holding it together. 
I'm not going to try and be supermom anymore.
We have had a rough go these last couple of weeks. 
Cash is in one of his "moods"
He cried for 2 straight hours last night, from 1am until 3am.  That's when I got up with him for the second time and rocked him until his eyes fluttered shut.  I don't know how any living thing can yell at the top of their lungs for 2 hours and not get tired, hoarse, or bored.  We have tried every sleep method possible--I read books, researched sleep training on the internet, and tried everything I could think of but he Will Not sleep through the night (except on a fluke).  And some nights, like the last few, he would rather lay wide-eyed and look around and chatter.  Maybe it is teeth, but we can't find any new ones swelling up.
Parents who have babies who sleep well should feel very lucky that they do not have the boys I do.  I would like to think maybe I am so warm, caring, nurturing, and fun that they would rather be with me than sleep.
HA!
 
This sleep deprivation gets to all of us, and some days there is more snapping and yelling than laughing.  Someday soon I'm sure this will all be a bad memory, but we've been saying that for 8 months now. 
So until this stage of life passes, I will not try to get everything done. 
I will not try and make perfectly healthy from scratch dinners.
I will not try to keep the counters clean and clothes put away.
I will try to be more compassionate towards Tyler, who finds my last nerve hourly.
And I will try to realize that Cash is not trying to punish me, and that he really and truly loves me.
I cried for too many months trying and failing to get pregnant with him, and I will remember how I felt when the miraculous + sign finally showed up.
I will feel lucky he is mine.
 

Sep 26, 2012

Tractor+baby=dirtball

We've been out working on the fences in the yard, tearing things down and trying to figure out what to do with our small property. 
Cash is always right there "helping."
He kicks and screams when he has to come inside, and when I insist on trying to scrape the grease off his hands and from under his nails.


Hey Big Guy!!

Sep 21, 2012

My Tomato Story

Growing up with my parents, you'd think I would have a big background in gardens.  I don't remember very much from those vegetable gardens, other than pulling weeds, snapping beans, shucking corn, and all the other chores that kids are required to do. 
In high school, it wasn't trendy or cool to have a big garden, or at least I didn't think so.
I moved out and went to college and lived in dorms and apartments that had no dirt to plant in.
Then when a roommate planted tomatoes outside of our apartment in Missoula I kind of thought it was fun to go out and pick cherry tomatoes off the plants.  And she told me a few hints from when she grew up tending tomatoes....beer in the dirt, pruning the crotches, tying the vines.
After that little plot was just a memory, I moved to Arizona where a neighbor gave me a bunch of extra plants he had started.  I basically had to dig a hole, stick in the plant and then water them every other day.  Arizona is MADE for tomatoes and peppers!  I remember calling my dad and asking about putting sawdust on the plants, or what wimpy, curled leaves meant.  Those tomatoes were incredible and I had too many!  So I dried most of them and ate some, and let some drop and do whatever rotting tomatoes do.
In the next big move, I had a little house to myself in South Dakota, with a weedy yard, but room for some plants.  A friend gave me her leftover starts, and once again I plopped them in the soil with no major planning or thoughts.  Later that summer Shawn and I would come to joke about the "tomato hedge" I had grown.  He took fresh tomatoes to his grandmother in the nursing home, and once again I shared a bunch with co-workers and froze some.
Early Girl and Celebrities this year, next year I will plant more varieties
Then came my move back to Montana, where getting a tomato to grow was a miracle.  God basically had to reach down and shelter those plants in order for me to get any sort of tomato crop.  Shawn built me a hobby greenhouse and I utilized every sort of season-extending method there was.  I was defeated.
Now we once again live where tomatoes can be grown outside without a whole lot of thought.  Hooray!  And here I am, back to drying, freezing, and canning tomatoes.  I'm glad I finally discovered why gardeners get so excited for tomatoes, there is something about them that cannot be found in any other vegetable.


too bad not everyone loves tomatoes



Sep 18, 2012

Sunshine Hiking

While my mom and dad were here, we went for a hike in the Bighorns.  It was so sunny and perfect weather.  Just a little dry though.  Luckily we followed a stream which kept us cool.






Miniature hiking boots



Sep 11, 2012

Bucking Mule Falls


 
We took a little hike (4 miles roundtrip and Tyler almost hiked the whole way!) to an overlook.  The trail was so great, and we had a wonderful time.

Teepee creek.  Nice to dip our hands into and cool off.
 We kept having to hold on to Tyler.  He seemed to think he was invincible and would not trip or fall off the cliff.  The waterfall is in the lower right side of the picture.

Woo-wee you could see forever!  It was kind of scary being so close to the edge.

This kid had an easy ride.  He got out for our lunch break and crawled all over the place because he had so much energy.

This is looking north-ish I think.  The canyon eventually goes into Bighorn Lake and the country is so rugged.  There are trails that go all around here but they were much longer and we are in no shape to carry kids that far.  It is a little hazy from the smoke but a perfect day otherwise. 

O Wyoming!

Sep 4, 2012

Happy, sad, and everything in between

We decided to use this long weekend to wrap up some things at our old house, and while in MT, get together with family.
It was tough to go back to the place where we started so many things...living together, marrying each other, changing jobs, finding friends, bringing home babies....
But it wasn't the same without all of our things, so that made it a little easier to know we were no longer supposed to be there.  Cash and Tyler thought the empty house was wonderful.  They were in and out of cabinets and rooms like it was a playground.  I was glad that Cash was able to go back and crawl around.  Shawn and I both thought the place looked VeRy SmALL.  How did we survive these 5 rooms?
 
 Then the boys and I stayed a night with a friend and her kiddos.  Look at the Trees!  How I miss trees.

Courtnay, Beau, and Tyler attempted to play Farkle.  Not an easy game for two antsy kids.

We left Lincoln in a rush.  Digging up plants to transplant in Wyoming, loading firewood on the trailer, dealing with busy children, and making sure we were all done with the house and property kind of stressed us out.  It took longer than we thought.
 
When we got to the cabin, it was nice to be able to relax.  Laura, Hailey, and I walked down to the creek so Laura could wash her hair and feel refreshed.

Oh, what the heck, I needed to feel refreshed also.

cabin life is pretty simple

We'd better go fishing!


Fish on!
 Tyler helped reel in a whitefish.  He really likes to tag along when Shawn goes fishing.

The air was warm, but the water pretty cool!

Baby Tristen even stuck her toes in
 On the last night of our trip we were able to celebrate Hailey and Trevor's birthdays.  Yummy cake and pie! 
It was a busy weekend with some ups and downs but I will only remember the good things, and not the whining, bleeding browbones, sleep deprivation, long drive, or stinky diapers.