getting my feet wet

hopefully there comes a moment in your life where you think all of a sudden "i finally feel like a fish in water" everything thing seems to come together and you finally feel like you've found your place, calling or something along those lines.

this week i was able to say that.

for pumpkinland i was able to make friends with a neighbor and managed to borrow a baby calf for the month. i'm tickled pink with excitement. he's a little holstein calf, a week old and i get to bottle feed him until he can be weened and fed grain and hay. never in a million years would i have thought the farm life was for me. gratefully, i have a generous grandpa who indulges me and is letting me try on the farm girl boots.

a farmers market to mark my last day of freedom this fall

saturday was my last day of freedom this fall.
pumpkinland is only 4 weeks away and i needed to escape the store and enjoy one last day out and about.
we invited faith to stay over with us friday night and join us saturday in slc
and we also went to see the city of bones movie in the afternoon. {it's our guilty pleasure}

joe, alyson, mom and dad dayley, ashley and kennady joined in our morning adventure at the farmers market.
there were a few things that i was determined to acquire
heirloom tomatoes for next growing season,
the best dog treats we've come across
hot sauce and jellies.
and naturally there were many other items calling to me.

after the farmer's market we attempted some antique hunting.
kudos to alyson and ashley for their hidden treasure.
mitch and i haven't quite found the thrill of it yet.

for lunch we went to the copper onion.
it was delightful!
mitch and i are determined to go to dinner there sometime.
their brunch was superb and we can only imagine the dinner menu.

i'm so grateful for our friends and family.
especially being able to create wonderful memories together.

a perfect afternoon

wednesday we did a session at the washington DC LDS temple 

it'd been far too long since mitch and i went to the temple together.

i had the privilege of being alyson's escort.

the day was beautiful

but the time spent inside was memorable, perfect and peaceful.

my golden year

25 has been so good to me.
it happened to be everything i needed
i don't know if everyone can say this, but i think i really came into my own.

my health finally seemed to balance out.

i worked on conquering my fears. i can confidently say i've mastered my fear of snakes. my heart no longer races when i come across them, i don't even run away. the true test of accomplishment was when we went hiking up grove creek and cezar happened to walk right over a very large snake and my foot was next in line.  we both held our ground and even turned around to get a better look at it and make sure it wasn't a rattler. i'm no longer baby stepping it... i'm taking giant strides. {i will say that holding them will never be on the docket... at least i'm no longer living in fear of them}

i never would have thought that my family roots/heritage would surface to the extent of it this past year. my grandpa is a farmer. i grew up around it. we even had chickens in the backyard of our house in springville. a small orchard and large garden. harvest season was spent with my momma in the kitchen canning and putting up goods for the coming months. preserving the wonderful bounty of the season. we would visit the garden center, occasionally join grandpa in the field for melon picking, or early morning raspberry picking with mom hoping to beat the heat. {we never escaped the mosquitoes though}. we played in the fields, climbed mountains of dirt and loved the animals grandpa keeps around for pumpkinland. i have incredible memories of those years.... but boldly declared that would never be anything i'd want to follow footsteps in. oh the endless amount of 'nevers' that i've eaten.... my heart is in the farm, the garden and everything that i enjoyed as a child but never thought would be my love in adulthood. my dream now is to live on the outskirts, have a couple acres of land, chickens, livestock, gardens... my own little homestead.

until then i'm making my little corner lot my little mini homestead. fruit trees, gardens, sustainable landscaping. and i'll spend the summer months bottling up the harvest season.




a few things that remind me that i'm turning into an 'old fart' --
comfort wins over style. our hybrid takes the cake over mitchel's past sports cars.
early bedtimes and waking up early to enjoy some of the day that isn't spent at work.
days off turn into catch up days at home
fire works are fabulous in the right setup otherwise i'm my father's daughter and they make me nervous
i may be the neighbor who also calls the cops on other neighbors for lighting fireworks off in june....
country music wins on the radio. the hip hop, rap, and what ever popular songs are just noise to me.

tomorrow brings another year. another year of discovery, challenges 

and learning a little bit more about myself. i don't find getting older daunting.

"another year older and wiser too.... happy birthday to me." 

half way through the year

june has slipped away and this morning it's july
once again it's crazy how fast time flies

celebrating mitchel's birthday
a trip to zions
backyard fires
snuggles with the boys
good mail days
work is slowing down but filled with weeding, chickens and the occasional spider
dr visits
starting my gherkins... better late than never
welcomed our beautiful niece into our lives and kissing her goodbye as abby moves her family to AZ

dreams of the future
desires of my own little farm

my birthday just around the corner
25 was so good to me.

birthday adventures

yesterday we spent the day celebrating Mitchel's birthday.
sleeping in
presents
breakfast at kneaders
4-wheeling up hobble creek
meeting my grandpa on the trail during his 50 mile endurance race
a trip to costco
revenge on netflix
tri tip steak and mash-potatoes with mom and dad dayley
back yard camp fire
birthday cake
star-bursts over the fire
puppy loves

it was a magical day for sure.
i'm glad 27 years ago Mitch was born.
he is the best thing ever.
i'm beyond grateful that he is mine!!

baby plants with a healthy dose of caffeine

personality is a gift

character is a victory

hello wednesday

waking up this morning was a minor challenge.

i'm exhausted but know this is just the beginning of the spring busy season

laying in bed earlier i realized all the plants that will be arriving this week...

more than i originally recalled.

honestly it's just fine.

this truly is my most favorite season 

especially with receiving all my baby plants

grateful for the sunshine and some caffeine to get me going...

my dreams have been rather vivid the past few nights

perhaps that is contributing to my sleepiness

last night i attended a training dinner put on by our garden wise distributors.

i  was excited to see my staff all attend. 

hopefully they learned some things that will benefit our customers 

and i won't be the only one answering questions 

this season really will be awesome

peacocks and easter eggs

one of the many reasons i love my job.... i never know what the day will bring.
i started my day out rounding up some peacock hens that managed to wander out of their run.
{i have a feeling grandpa forgot to latch it sunday afternoon.}
a fact about peacocks: they are incredibly strong! it took most of my strength to keep them in my arms once i caught them.
while i was playing the role of the peacock whisperer....
i checked on chickens and noticed a few of our hens started laying!
hip hip hooray, happy dance.

mitch still hasn't jumped on board with my desire for backyard chickens...
until then i'll have to enjoy the eggs from our hens at work.

seedlings and sandwiches

our primary children are turning eight this year and will be getting baptized. they truly are my most favorite children and teaching them is my favorite calling yet. as an example for teaching we planting a tomato seed with them and will show them the progress of growth as time passes. we are trying to help them grasp the concept of 'planting a seed of faith and watching it grow'. it has been very exciting for them to see the growth of the seedling so far. they even asked to help plant it once it's ready to transplant outside. i'm thinking their plant will make it's home in the front yard, that way they can walk by and see the progress during the summer.

my seedlings are growing. i absolutely love checking in on them throughout the day and seeing their progress. i can't wait til every one makes their presence seen. saturday my second batch of seeds arrived from baker creek heirloom seeds.  hopefully i'll get them planted in the next day or two. i'm trying two new plants - ground husk tomatoes and litchi tomatoes.

one of the best parts of bed time is the snowball sandwich. without fail jake and cezar will curl up on either side of me for snuggles before bed.

on another exciting note.... we bought me a darling bike this weekend!! i picked out a cruiser with a big comfy seat, a basket on the front and i can't wait to take it out for a ride! alyson {joe's finance} has one too and we are eager for the spring weather so we can go on bike riding adventures. the guys will most likely spend their time playing video games... {lame}. i really am super excited to finally have a bike.

welcoming March with open arms

i never thought it'd come.... but today is finally March!
my day wouldn't have been complete without a happy dance and sunshine.
no worries though i got both

this morning for work i attended a seminar at thanksgiving point.
i miss the learning atmosphere....
afterwards i managed to get a few things taken care of on the internet for work,
a box from amazon full of office supplies arrived!
{i don't know why.... but i love office supplies. yay for colorful sharpies and post it notes...}
i made it into work by 2 and was greeted with two plant shipments
the sun was still shining and everything seemed to be working out.
thank you March 1st for being fabulous.

on another exciting note... my tomato seeds i planted tuesday morning and are growing at home decided to poke their heads up this morning. it's incredibly rewarding plant and seed and watch it grow. this year all of the vegetables i'm growing in my garden will be heirloom. and with success i'll harvest and save the seeds for my seed collection.

celebrating 60

last night we spent time with family celebrating my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary.
all the grandchildren in the valley came and we gathered in grandma and grandpas kitchen.
there was something magical about the evening.
this spring they are celebrating their 81 and 82 birthday and 60 years of marriage.

as i stood there observing everyone, i couldn't help but think how wonderful the scene was.
marriage wasn't always easy for grandma and grandpa
he baptized her on his mission and then proposed to her before heading back home to vineyard.
she was brave and made the train ride out west to marry my grandpa a few weeks later.
they had 5 children
grandma had numerous health challenges
grandpa has worked from before sunrise well into the evening his entire life
they have 14 grandchildren
one great grandchild on the way
and the love and memories we all share with them is worth more than gold.
i've also had the privileged to work side by side with my grandpa for 10 years
grandma and grandpa have taught me many many lessons through out my life
the most wonderful lesson is being committed to the gospel and each other.

someday mitch and i will celebrate 60 years of marriage
and the evening will be full of family and joy
just as last night was.

a little bit of february

february is almost over and it seems like yesterday was the first.
it's been a wonderful and full month so far.
i spend every day at work and barely squeeze an hour or two off right now.
on the bright side i truly love my job.

we are attempting to get into a solid work out routine and improve our nutrition.
p90x is quiet the program and we'll need to work into it {that's for sure}
it does feel good getting into healthier habits.
however we have had quiet the week of indulgence....
who could resist with valentine's day and brunch with close friends
and meeting up for dinner with them before a chick flick last night.
alyson and i decided we need to 'practice' girl's night... because the boys tagged along.
i suppose that might be the case for the rest of our lives.... partly because mitch and joe are like brothers.

spring is starting to tease us.
and my flower beds at home are showing signs of life.
i seriously can't wait for the days to lengthen and for it to gradually get warmer.
my life needs more color and the garden is the ultimate source

we said goodbye to the jeep
{what a nightmare of a story}
and i now inherit the hybrid and mitch is driving his {current} dream vehicle - a big bad truck.
{oddly enough} i already love it.
comfortable, smooth ride and huge cab - with plenty of room for the boys.
i strongly believe that dogs should never ride in a truck bed!

next friday is the first of March
and it's the beginning of my most favorite month.
{i'm crossing my fingers the snakes stay out of my greenhouse}
the greenhouse will quickly fill with all my 'baby' plants and my soul will be happy.
and my body will be tired.... in a good way.

mister blue skies

yesterday was probably the best day of january

sunshine

brilliant blue skies

little peaks of green showing through the snow

it was perfect reminder that winter doesn't last forever

and spring is just around the corner

green passion

one of my wishes for this year is to minimize caffeine.... i haven't made any progress {yet}
and it's even more challenging since i have lots of lemons ready to pick and they are screaming to be squeezed into a ice cold pepsi. it was the perfect treat yesterday! {and will be today and tomorrow and... you get the idea} i have never had a better lemon too. they are on the small size but the amount of juice that erupts from one when i cut it open.... amazing!!!

for the past two years i've always had the 'pleasure' of listening to mitch talk stock market with both fathers.... it goes straight over my head. my eyes even glaze over on occasion. gratefully i don't have to worry about finances since mitch is my financial guru. but i do come alive whenever i get the opportunity to talk plants. yesterday one of my favorite customers came in and i spent a good 30 mins plus chatting gardening and homesteading with her. {perhaps mitch feels similar to gardening as i do to financial chat...} i'm quickly realizing though that i could spend hours talking about plants. there is something magical that happens when you are passionate about something and my passion for everything green is growing in leaps and bounds it seems.

towards the end of december i started some ghost peppers and it seemed to trigger some interest in mitch. over the last few weeks he has been browsing seeds online and getting excited to try growing hot peppers along side me. he wanted to compete growing... or least seed starting with me. so we started a couple hot peppers last week together. last night i went in to check on them and his first sprout made an appearance. i love seeing him get excited about plants! hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg for him. i'd love to include him in all things gardening. he also wants to have a cook off with salsa making this summer.... this will be a fabulous growing season... i can feel it!

thanks for the memories 2012

2012 was quite the year for us. i had high expectations and gratefully the year did not disappoint. it really was my year.

january started out a bit rough.... mitch and i stayed home and rung in the new year playing games and spending time together. cezar injured his leg somehow new years eve and wouldn't use it. actually he could barely walk. a trip to the vet on monday showed no serious injury and seems to have sprained it somehow.  the jetta died on us at the car show mid january and we got lucky with an incredible deal on the Z. i also found out that i had mono on top of being hypothyroid.

february things started to swing upwards for me. i was still feeling the effects of mono and was learning how to deal with my health limits. we celebrated valentines and i managed to surprise mitch with a car full of ballons and a few gift cards to the car wash and his favorite smoothie place. work was showing all the signs of spring. which is undoubtedly my favorite time of year there. grandma holdaway was struggling with her health and we thought we were going to lose her. i was able to extend myself and help out at the house with her and grow to love her in a whole new capacity. i also started practicing yoga and it brought a new balance and happiness to my life.

march. all my spring shipments started arriving. i was feeling a bit better health wise. i located some darling baby silkie chicks which started my desire to have chickens. mitch and i finally conquered our main wall and painted over the not so lovely nutmeg color.

april i tackled more than i could handle. i was busy in the greenhouse trying to keep on top of everything. amy texted me to see if i'd be interested in helping her out again with the boys. i absolutely wanted to do so and figured out a way to squeeze her into my schedule. mitch was hesitant and i felt like i could be superwoman...... i quickly realized that 50+ hour weeks weren't going to be in my favor and that the garden center needed my full attention. not to mention i felt like i was taking way too many steps backwards in my health.

may. the busiest month of the year for me. april showers bring may flowers... and mother's day brings out all our customers. i managed to get my garden started and spent as much time with the boys as i could.

june. we celebrated mitch's birthday. spent time with friends and family. i was finally feeling on top of the world health wise {as much a possible} i was started to enjoy the first of my garden harvest. we squeezed a few hikes in with the boys. abby had my take her and russell's engagement photos too.

july was a busy month for us. we started out celebrating my birthday and having an adventure down in zion's subway. nanna joined us on our vacation along with mom and dad dayley and ashley and brendon. abby and russell got married on the 14th. plus we survived all the smoke in the air from the many many wildfires.

august i was thrilled with being able to harvest lots of goodies from my garden. we added a few new toys to the household - mitch got his fourwheeler and i in turn got a camera upgrade :) we attended the salt lake city farmers market. i got to being the 'photographer' for my cousins wedding. plus we managed to fit in a boating trip with joe and his girlfriend. on top of everything... i seemed to be the only employee that was able to work that month. everyone one had vacations and previous engagements.

september we celebrated cezar's 2nd birthday. made a day trip to idaho to surprise grandpa hatch for his 80th birthday and visit my grandpa taylor. harvest season was in full swing and i finally got to taste the joy of digging in the garden for the potato harvest. it's like a treasure hunt. finally manged to get back into the swing of yard work. the summer heat had taken it's toll on me and the yard. plus we had a overnight camp trip to the dunes with joe and alyson. it was quite the adventure sleeping under the stars, joe burning his hand on the camp ring and a fox sneaking into camp. it was the perfect little getaway.

october came and so did pumpkinland. the 2nd busiest season for me. {a double dose of birth control} our theme was alice in pumpkinland which was by far the most favorite from all the years. we also made an unexpected trip to idaho to be with family with grandma dayleys passing. we were grateful we made it in time to say goodbye. mitch was also studying for his 66 license exam. gratefully he passed even with all the current challenges. we also celebrated our 3rd anniversary. worked on conquering my fears of snakes and scary movies and haunted houses.... i'm better than i was. and we also traded in the Z for a hybrid. the Z was allergic to snow and we are old people now and enjoy the comfort of a full sized car ;)

november brought new changes to work. sanna left and i became the manager. there was a lot of clean up from pumpkinland to be done and getting ready for the holiday season. yay poinsettias. we went shooting with abby, russell and nanna. i got to try out my new gun. and it was a perfect way to dispose of some excess pumpkins. and of course we celebrated thanksgiving with the people we love the most.

and last but not least december. we had beautiful weather for most of the month. i managed to plant garlic around the 7th. i also got to take abby and russell's christmas photos/we are having a baby pictures. after 3 years of marriage we finally made it to temple square with the dayley family. enjoyed a wonderful dinner and mom dayley said we should offically adopt nanna into the family since she is always joining in on our fun. plus i am tickled to say that we had the best poinsettias sells in the past many many years. at least in the 10 years i've been working. it feels good to see so few at the end of the holiday. we also enjoyed a very wonderful and blessed christmas with each other and our families. and i've finished the year out with the week off and enjoying time with the boys!

2012 had some ups and downs and some health challenges. but i'm so blessed and have truly felt like i have come into my own self. i have to declare that it is the best year yet!! i am sure that 2013 will be filled with it's own challenges and good moments but 2012 has been very good to me. i may just be a tiny bit sad to say good bye to it. thanks for all the memories this year... and here's to the next. may you be just as wonderful and fulfilling!