summer life

i have been out of the blogging mindset for a while. maybe i just needed a break. i spent a little time just trying to escape reality. but eventually, you just have to man up and face it. i have had no lack of funny events and stories. my life runs like a sitcom. i love it. but i guess i just struggled to put my thoughts together. and frankly, i want to enjoy summer.

summer is the best. there are very few bad things about summer. i remember the excitement with which i used to greet summers as a child. and now i get to see my son enjoy those same feelings. school's out! no more teachers, no more books….. pool time. slurpees. fun with friends. that's more like it! it's a refreshing break. as a mom, i still enjoy those fun times. i probably enjoy them more since i get to watch my kids enjoying them. (did that make sense? it's late. perhaps i should save the blogging for after coffee times.)

as an adult, i think there are a few things about summer that i never took advantage of during my younger years. GARDENS! can i tell you how much fun it is to eat something you grew in your own backyard? it's super fun! my mom always had (and still has) amazing floral gardens. i'm learning, but there are many many things to learn. and i've killed my fair share of plants along the way. :) last year i tried my first veggie garden. i couldn't believe how much fun it was! i started with three small plants. one green pepper, one cucumber, and one tomato. i wanted to see if they would survive under my care. then this year nathan built me a raised garden box. (i think i overdid it.) the crazy things have taken over. but i have loved eating the fresh veggies straight out of my backyard. of course, i am the only one eating most of my goodies. but once my tomatoes ripen up, i'll have more feedback from the fam. i made tons of salsa last year. that was the biggest hit. this year i tried my hand at pickles. DELISH. i used a simple spice pack from the canning aisle at meijers, and i think they turned out great. i'm going to try a dill recipe from nathan's aunt next. this one is a little more professional, so i'm nervous.

i'm finding tons of great recipes from the cooking channel. my new favorite is ingrid hoffmann on simply delicioso. check her out. she makes some great fresh mexican recipes.

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i don't remember when i started that top portion, but it had to be within the last few weeks. since then i've enjoyed a pool week… that's right. a solid week hanging out at my uncle's pool with my kids and my cousin. i watched my tomatoes deteriorate right before my eyes and learned about blossom end rot. then, we spent a weekend at the cabin and came home to a garden overcome by storms. poor little thing. it was fun while it lasted, but i am pretty sure my cucumbers are toast. i still hold out hope for my tomatoes. they really are resilient this year. at least they seem so to me, and i've decided to fight for them. in other words, i learned a lot about gardens yet again this year.

today i am feeling a bit "noah-ish". we've had two minor floods. the first was because connor left the water running after he brushed his teeth this morning. a delightful little waterfall cascaded through the bathroom floor and into the basement. connor learned how to wield a mop today.

the second flood was not quite… delightful. it was all kinds of nasty. the floor drain in my basement started spewing forth all it's contents….. garbage disposal style contents.

one plumber later and we are clog free…. of course, now we are mopping again.

summer is fabulous. hopefully, i will be getting back into my routine sooner than later. school is just around the corner.