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

Foster Cat

Our neighbor, Gary, came over today. He has an awesome garden (yard in general really... he clearly has a green thumb) and came by to give us some broccoli starts for ours... how nice right? He gave us high praises on the progress of our garden too which meant a lot since we are totally surprised that things are actually growing in it.

Anyway, Doug mentioned something about his cat that always spends time over at our house and he said "what cat? I don't own a cat." What? All this time the cat that we fondly call "foster cat" truly is our foster cat! He spends much of his time over here and has become more and more comfortable with all of us. Lately, he has been bringing us his "prizes" of birds and moles (ew).

So, it appears that the latest member of our family did not emerge from my loins, but over the fence to rest on the patio furniture. Now we have to think of a name for two new family members! Any suggestions?

Pears and Bunnies and Veggies, Oh My!

We had a busy holiday weekend! Saturday morning we were up early and off to the annual Pear Blossom Run. This is Doug's second year participating in the race. It was a lot of fun and he did an amazing job! Uncle Tom and Dallas also ran; both making it look like a piece of cake! What awesome athletes we have in the family. Everett will be running it in no time I'm sure!

Surprisingly no one looks like they are going to have a heart attack

Running Fast

Running Faster

We decided to skip the parade and street fair to head home and work in the garden. We planted our corn, carrots, radishes, green onion, and Walla Walla sweets, our lettuce, peas, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli! It is so nice to have the garden in and done! We have to wait a few more weeks for the tomatoes and peppers. Ev and I also got some egg dying in that evening.

Veggies are in!

Close up
Dying eggs! What a mess!

Easter Sunday we headed to early service at church then home for a nice long nap (Ev and mom were tired and cranky!) before heading over to Grammi and Papa's house for Easter dinner and egg hunting. Ev was not really into the egg hunting, but was fascinated by the actual eggs, and the candy that they held. Candy is his new favorite food group. He had so much fun running around after his cousins outside. Outside seems to be the only place he wants to be now!

Looking dapper in his Easter best!

Excited about his Easter "wheelbarrow" from Grammi and Papa

We all looked pretty so we decided to take some family pics!

Toddlers and Tiaras

I think we can bet that Everett will not have a pageant career. Saturday morning we trekked down to the Rogue Valley Mall to participate in the annual "Pear Blossom Baby Contest". I can't even think of something clever to write about our experience... I think I have PTS Syndrome. First we had to pick a category to enter him in. Since getting him to smile on demand is like herding cats "Quickest Smile" was out. Now, Everett has beautiful eyes, they look like little pieces of amber but they are not blue or brown so those were out too and he is lean and mean so chubbiest baby was a no go. Looks like prettiest hair wins out. This particular category happens to be the last to be judged. Thank God we had Grammi and Miss Dana with us to distract.

So after 4 hours and lots of waiting its was determined that Everett would not win anything. Ha ha! If only they had a category for biggest drooler! Oh well... I guess we won't be trying out for Toddlers and Tiara's anytime soon.

Grammi and Ev, Waiting...

Being Judged...at Nap Time

Now He Smiles!

Poser

How Does Your Garden Grow, Phase II...

This weekend we finally got dirt in our boxes and gravel in the walkway. We just need to set up the watering system and we'll be ready to plant, yay! I had an event with Everett to go to (blog coming soon) on Saturday morning so I left Doug and little bro Corey to the gardening... I would have just been in the way anyway. Earlier in the week I asked Doug what I could do to help and he said "make lunch" boy, are we in 1950 or what?! Unfortunately it was probably true, considering I move slow and usually am distracted by a 1 year old. By the time Ev and I returned the boxes were full of beautiful rich soil and the truck was full of gravel ready to dump. I have never seen two people work so fast! I am so glad I found myself a handy guy :-)

Ev helping unload the gravel (AKA playing with rocks)

Ev helping me water, and discovering mud

Drinkin from the hose is fun!