Another Year Better

My friend,

Another year of life has passed and you have continued to get better. I hope that instead of dreading this day each year you celebrate not only that you are alive and well but you get a whole new year to enjoy this blessed life you have been given. This year you have an opportunity to stand up and conquer each new challenge. You have the benefit of new wisdom, and lessons learned to perceive the world differently than before.

Because you were born I get to see my sons grow up, I get to spend MY life with the person that I love and admire most in this world. Because you gain another year, I gain another year with my partner and best friend. Take advantage of each moment. Do not be selfish and run through this year without living. Enjoy our little boy's laugh, the things that are now growing in our yard, the experience of growing our family, cherish each moment.

I am looking forward to celebrating many, many more birthdays with you, I love you and am so glad you were born!

Garden Harvest

So tonight after Everett went to bed at 6pm (because he didn't nap and was acting like a schitzo on crack) I went into the garden and dared to "harvest" some of our veggies! I can't believe it was only one month ago that we planted everything! Vegetables grow much faster than other things... oh, like babies? Although we would probably have a LOT more people in the world if it only took a month to grow a kid, so never mind.

Anyway, tonight I went for it. I ripped leaves off our butter lettuce (anyone need lettuce? We have a TON!) and "thinned" the radishes. This weekend we are finally going to plant the rest of our starts, yipee! Hopefully in another month we'll have tomatoes, peppers, and squash to look forward to!

Here are some pics of the progress of the Striley family garden and our harvest. If you want to compare you can go here and see when we started.

Cauliflower

Corn

Radishes and Walla Walla Sweet Onion

Lettuce

The Harvest

May is The Month For Growing

May is getting started with a bang. We have been busy with bike races, swim lessons, endless doctor appointments, gardening and general chaos! Everett is truly growing into such a little boy, it seems like everyday he loses more and more babyness (yes its a word, even if its a word I just made up). My belly is also growing, accommodating little brother's 4+ pound body now. I cant believe in a short time he will be with us! I'm starting to get very excited. We are still having a hard time deciding on a name. We even tried to get Ev in on the action but "AAAAHHIEEE!" was not an option. Here are some fun pics from our month so far.

Mudslinger Race, Corvallis, OR

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Getting ready for our first swim lesson

Practicing jumping in the pool!

Wanting to be just like daddy

General goofiness