To answer your question, it's parsley. Exciting, right? Not so much?
I tore out the winter garden on Saturday, my mom helped us put it in last conference. Anyway, we needed room for the pumpkins (from mom's donated seeds). We probably planted 8 or 9 seeds in a 4 x 3 box. If they all survive we are going to have to find some friends to take a vine, we won't have enough room. But I am happy to have the vines spill out of the box and into that end of the yard anyway. So I filled 4 pots with parsley transplants, gave 2 pots away and dried what was left. Well, what I had patience to cut, wash and dry that is. All that work and I've got about 3/4 of my mason jar full of parsley smelling parsley. I'd say it is a success.
For those still reading . . . we also planted watermelon, sweet corn, 2 tomato plants and a red and a yellow pepper plant. I left some carrots and onions in the ground to use as we need them, which will need to be before the watermelon and pumpkins take over!
Grand success of this winter's garden: Snow peas. None really made it into the house, which was my intention, but we would frequently go out with the kids to munch on them as they were freshly picked.
My entire family plus Nona were able to come down for the weekend of Kai's blessing. Mike's parents had just returned from Colorado so they didn't come back but we felt their love and support. This was the first time since my mom's cancer diagnosis that we were all together. Everyone else had been home at Christmas, but I was too close to my due date to travel. We made the most of being together by taking family pictures, celebrating Jeremiah, (my nephew's), 2nd birthday and of course Kai's blessing.
Nona and Kai getting in a little snuggle time.
Our Eternal Family of 5
Annabelle, a cute and sassy big sis
Asa, a little unsure
Kai, snugged up & sleeping
The original plan was for some family members to share a hotel and some to sleep here. As the special weekend got closer and closer everyone said that they would rather sleep at our house. No one wanted to miss out on the fun! So we slept all 14 of us at our house and it was fun, so long as privacy wasn't a priority.
With Jeremiah and Asa both loving trains we had to take a trip to Desert Breeze park. They have a carousel and a train to ride. It was the perfect thing for little boys!
Don't be fooled by their expressions, they really liked it.
Trudy made the train pieces of cake at home and then frosted them here. As you can tell, Jeremiah was thrilled!
It was really fun to see Jeremiah and Asa together. They are only 4 months apart in age and I am hoping that they will be good buddies. Every now and then we'd catch them doing something silly like this and we'd laugh.
My mom stuck around for the rest of the week after everyone else had to head home. We didn't actually take any pictures of her stay, the kids had colds, so she just helped me take care of them. We made chicken noodle soup, lots of smoothies and went for long walks in the neighborhood each afternoon for fresh air. I kinda wished we had been able to do some fun things but maybe a low key week (while keeping Annabelle home from school) was just was we needed. I just wish we hadn't sent her home with our sickie germs.
We have made it to Arizona, unpacked and moved right in. We are renting an apartment here in the greater Phoenix area and really really appreciating the air conditioning! It has been such an easy move with no real hiccups. Our movers delivered the goods, everything was in the same condition as went we saw it last (except our dvd player, which was quitting on us in Utah and seems to be rejuvenated by the Arizona sun). I have really appreciated having Mike around to help us settle in. We are now exploring the idea of some little day jaunts to help us soak up the rest of the time before Mike begins his job. Most of these will need to be indoors however because it is over 100 degrees a good portion of the day and we haven't quite adapted to the heat.
These are some of my favorite little pieces of our new home:
Fancy bathroom fixtures, fancy blinds, cute night lights and a washer and dryer
Before the movers came we lived in the apartment for a few days and Annabelle helped me with our first loads of laundry. She then proceeded to 'play laundry' for the next few days. I did laundry again yesterday and Annabelle forgot about this little in-home-luxury, so when I asked her to help me with the laundry she ran to the door and put on her shoes . . . I think we'll eventually get used to it!
Here are some of my favorite spaces:
Craft Corner in the Master Bedroom (thank you Mike). TWO bathrooms, I don't know what to do with all the space. New kitchen counters, fixtures, appliances, floors and cupboard faces! A dinning area that is NOT over carpet. And finally and an area I owe to Keri Anne (my good friend who lived below me in Provo) who came up with the idea, a reading nook! Now I just need to start a new book, any suggestions?
We have met a few of our neighbors and attended our new ward twice. Our new ward is very welcoming just like any regular family ward except that there seems to be several more young couples than usual, which is great for us! Annabelle thoroughly enjoyed attending nursery our first week (she hadn't really seen toys in a week) and she gave her version of her life history to the nursery leader, when I picked her up the nursery leader told me: which states all of our relatives lived in, that pineapple gives Anna diaper rash and what kids attended nursery in our previous ward.
We're excited to be here "in the real world" and are grateful with how smoothly the whole process has gone.
IF you don't really want to read what we have been up to, I made and abreviated version in a slide show. You can simply skip down and watch that - it won't hurt my feelings.
Starbucks: An older event, Matt is a good friend and he and Annabelle really do get along. He'll be a great dad (THIS FALL) Congrats again Matt and Jordyn. We took a little day trip with them and I never got around to posting these pictures but don't worry - Annabelle was really having hot chocolate. Best Hair Day: I have no idea what happened, I just washed her hair and brushed it out and look it turned out in gorgeous little golden ringlets! So for any of you who know Annabelle only as 'that Sherwood kid with bed head' . . . hair miracles do happen :) Rex Lee Run: Well for our walking group it was the Rex Lee WALK, but a brisk pace at that. We aimed at finishing the 5 k in under an hour and ended up just over 54 mins. Woo HOo!(And yes it was freezing cold). Thanks for pushing me to try something new Keri-Anne! Happy Birthday Mike: Mike turned 25 last month. To celebrate we went up in the mountains and he made some delicious dutch oven goodness. We set up his new tent, ate cheesecake and even longboarded around a bit. A fun night for sure! Easter: We dyed eggs, ate deviled eggs, tried to get Annabelle to pose in her new Easter dress. Girls Week in Colorado: The Sherwood girls (My mother-in-law, Jessi, Kristin and I) and all the grandkids spent a week together in Colorado. We had a blast with the kids and enjoyed scrapbooking when they were all asleep. Annica, Annabelle and Isaac are all within 5 months of each other in age and they seemed to get along really well. Thanks to Shauna for flying us out and spending the whole week playing with us! Tantrums: Between the week long trip away from Daddy followed 4 days later by a house hunting trip to Arizona, Annabelle's 'Italian' temper seemed make it's presence known on a regular basis. I thought we were hitting a new phase and had a few breakdowns myself. Luckily it has dissipated and we are back to 'normal'. House Hunting: We traveled to Arizona for a few days to find an apartment. After 2 days of looking we were really excited about several places but we narrowed it down, signed a lease and feel good about our decision. We'll be in Phoenix, the neighborhood seems really safe, we are excited about the ward (A family ward, that'll be a new experience for us) swimming pools, playgrounds, shopping within walking distance, IKEA not to far away . . . newly remodled, TWICE the space we are living in now - Come visit! Mike says he'd love to have all our friends and family down for a big 4th of July celebration! Hiking the Y: Couldn't leave Provo without doing this! We enjoyed hiking with a few families from our ward. We made it up, caught our breath and headed down so that the husbands could return to finals! Another great idea of Keri-Anne's. THANKS! END OF SEMESTER: Mike will be done here in just 2 more days! We've been looking forward to this for a while now. He has done an exceptional job balancing school, work, callings, crazy daughter, demanding wife and has done it all LOVING LIFE. He's done great and to me seems confident and ready to start working. Congrats to graduate Mike (who is now asleep on the couch since this post is taking so long). Our friend's the Lee's threw a suprise "Going Away/Graduation" Party for Mike and another friend of ours this last weekend. I wish I had taken some better pictures to post. It was a fun suprise and great to catch up. THANKS SARA!
Looking Forward: We have several weeks to play before we move. We have decided there is a lot here in Utah we haven't seen/done yet. We want to go to Zion's and Arches and maybe Dinosaur Land. We'll visit Mike's Grandparents in Arkansas and our families in Colorado. Any suggestions?
Sorry again for the long update, but as you can see . . . I have been running around a bit more than usual.
Yes this announcement is a little late but we wanted to fill in all the details. Mike is graduating this April in Manufacturing Engineering Technology ('finally' he says) and we have accepted a job with Honeywell. Mike will be working on aerospace manufacturing projects. He is really excited about the work and thinks that he is going to enjoy it. I am excited (and a little scared) about the move. I am excited and grateful because we both feel that it was the right decision, the job seems to suit Mike, it is a great offer with benefits (I have lots of cavities) and we get to stay in the west. But I feel scared because I have gotten so comfortable in my apartment, with my neighbors and I rarely get lost in Utah Valley anymore! I know, it'll be fine. I actually lived about 1 1/2 hours north of Phoenix from about age 2 to 4. All I really remember about Phoenix is that once a month we went to Phoenix to make a commissary run and that it was HOT. My mom says that it was always about 20 degrees hotter there. A friend of mine shared that she had been to Mesa on the 4th of July and that in the shade it was 118 degrees! Luckily I like heat - but frying alive I'm not too sure about. I think we'll be swimming a lot.
Right now we are concentrating on where to live. Mike will work the 1st 6 months in Deer Valley (North/Central Phoenix) and then he'll work in Tempe (just east of Phoenix). So far we think we would like to live in the East Valley.
If you ask Annabelle about the move she'll inform you that we are moving to Arizona and there will be a big swimming pool, and snakes and dogs. Hopefully the animals won't be in the pool!
Please share if you have any suggestions! We'd love a second opinion.
