reading camp!

Since Brent now has THREE JOBS, (Yes, it's true. He is helping our friend, Nate, with his remodeling company) I figured I should pick up my pace and add something to my summer other than taking photos, sunbathing and traveling cross-country. I've set up a few "reading camps" to help kiddos out with their literacy needs. We work Monday-Thursday for a couple hours each day. The last 20 minutes of our session is spent in the garden! Check out what my little gardeners are up to! I've partially solved my worm problem :) Kids love to kill bugs!

The Hungry Caterpillar

gathering green beans

hands on experience- life cycle of a sunflower!

doing a little math with our seeds

snack time. fresh mint water and tomatoes!

3 months later

Here are a few June photos of our garden. Brent took great care of it while I was gone and we have tomatoes ripening like crazy. The sunflowers have reached the top of the fence and are so pretty as well!

five little tomatoes sittin' on a brick

I'll hunt those worms for you, Mom

basil and carrots

sunflowers

I think the squirrels crushed this one, but I saved it!

dis·gust·ing [dis-guhs-ting]

I only thought I was disgusted when I returned home from CA to find something chomping away at my bell pepper plants. I was really grossed out when I found the culprit. After screaming and nearly throwing up, Brent saved the day as always. I am still contemplating this whole gardening thing. If I have anymore encounters like this, I may have to toss in my gloves. ;) Just kidding, Mom. But seriously...don't look if you don't like really huge, nasty, green HORNED worms. s.i.c.k.

why are the stems half gone?

who's been here?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

gag, gag, BRENT!!!!!

could have shed a tear...don't know how I took photos

anyone ever seen the size of Brent's hands? not small

Sorry TOMATO HORNWORM, don't mess with my garden! (sorry for the over dramatization, just letting you know how I feel about these things) Also, Brent didn't squeeze him. He took it around the corner and threw a rock on it!

garden- sixth week mark

sunflowers starting to stretch

tomatoes

jalapenos

baby bell pepper

ah! a cat! how did we grow this!?!

Prince really wishing we planted him some cat nip!

garden fresh!

We are starting to have garden fresh meals each night! It's pretty cool to walk ten yards out the back door and pick your evening meal. We can't wait for the tomatoes to be ready for pickin' and the zucchini will be here soon as well.

lettuce headed for a bath

yellow squash

yummy

Garden at 4 weeks exactly!

crazy how fast things grow

sunflowers. About 11 more feet to grow!

squash explosion!

hard to believe this only had about 4 leaves when I bought it

morning glories climbing away

garden update

Things are getting mighty green in the backyard. We have blooms opening up everywhere! Here are just a few pictures and they are already about a week old! More to come soon, we promise!

sweet pea vines in an old feed trough from the farm!

summer squash coming just in time!

too bad the blooms only last a few hours

bell peppers

zucchini and lettuce

a few garden pictures!

Brent's latest Max's purchase. Really! He wanted it!

pretty tomatoes

take two...after the disaster

who says you can't decorate the garden?

gotta love old bricks that came with the house!

we love our collard greens!

cute box from max's

dream little plants

cute little lettuce