Harvest

With the summer (and two weeks in California) behind me, I've been learning how to can and use what I've started harvesting. A big shout out to Machelle and her sisters for teaching me the wonders of canned peaches (see below) and to Lindsay for letting me help make applesauce.


I've been gathering tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and the occasional pepper or strawberry. I have also kept some basil, rosemary, and dill alive; there's nothing better than thinking an herb would be perfect and then using a sprig I just cut.

And I just discovered a quince tree hidden behind our roses. I had no idea there was anything there until I cut the roses way back this year and the twigs behind it started producing squat apple-like fruit. Apparently, they were really popular when our house was built. So I'm going to learn how to make quince jelly!

Though many have learned the joys of planting, harvesting, and storing from their own garden, this is a new discovery for me and I'm loving it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In Memoriam: Arlene Mickelsen Waters 1936-2009

(Thanks to Lauren for the picture.)
My dear Aunt Arlene died yesterday after a short battle with cancer (she was diagnosed just over a month ago). I haven't yet written my post about my anchors in Christ, but Arlene was one of them. She is one of the most wonderful people I have ever known. She had the patience of Job in caring for my grandmother. Her marriage was long, deep, and truly unifying. Her love for her family and for the Savior was evident in everything she did. Nate and I have often said that Arlene and Ted are who we want to be like when we grow up. She blessed us with her hospitality, generosity, care, and devotion.

For her sake, I am glad that she did not have to suffer long and that she has returned to her Savior and loved ones. For myself, I am grateful to have had her in my life, and especially to have gotten to know her much better in the last few years. I will sorely miss her, but I hope to eventually become the kind of person that she was.

A week in the life

This is our most recent family photo (thanks for all your skill, Dan!).
I posted a lot of pictures in my Facebook album (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=281188&id=593110721&l=0cea2a5525), but I thought I'd also write a short blog about my crazy busy week last week.

Last Saturday, my beautiful niece, Mandy, was baptized.
It was wonderful, and it was such a great opportunity to feel our Savior's love and to remember those things that keep up us anchored in Christ. In addition to all the family meals on Saturday and Sunday, we also took family pictures (including the one above).

Monday, my mom went with me and the kids to Sundance to pick up tickets to the Utah Symphony concert on Friday night. Then we had a picnic lunch at Bridal Veil Falls.
In the evening, we took a FHE to Battle Creek Falls, which was very pleasant.

On Wednesday, we picked Joey, one of the young men from our Phoenix ward, up at the airport and took him to lunch before we dropped him off at the MTC. I loved getting to hear Nate share his mission stories with Joey and see how he has grown and how excited he is to serve a mission.
Thursday, bright and early, I went up to Camp Mia Shalom with a couple of other leaders. We got to Girls' Camp in time for the five mile hike.

We also participated in the humanitarian project and were there for the testimony meeting. I particularly liked the theme of this year's camp: Anchored in Christ (I'm going to post something about it later).

Friday morning the kids woke up in time to see some of the hot air balloons flying. We missed takeoff, but the sleep was necessary.

After a pancake breakfast, we went to Colonial Days and some of the other downtown festivities. Ryan even got to help Grandpa print out a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

That night we went to Sundance for the Utah Symphony. Ryan and Sofie loved the music (what's not to love? Star Wars, The Planets, swing and patriotic music). Ryan's absolute favorite, though,was Beethoven's Fifth. He could even sing a few bars of it (he recognized it from Little Einsteins).

I woke up with a bad sinus infection on the Fourth, so our activities were pretty low key, just hot dogs for dinner and a $7 pack of fireworks.

However, our neighbors down the street were having a huge fireworks program, so we got to enjoy that, and my mom enjoyed the kids watching fireworks so much that she went out and bought a lot of them for the 24th (which is truly a first in the Daynes family).

After a long week like that, I'm exhausted!! But I'm really looking forward to our trip to Cedar City starting tomorrow and Pioneer Day!

Welcome to the garden!

So after months of planning and weeks of work on the new sprinklers, I finally put my garden in last night. First I started with Klay's truck full of topsoil (Nate won 2 cubic yards of it in a contest). I shoveled most of it out by myself to add to the garden, which looked like this before I started:



Nate helped me put in the drip system, and I was able to plant most of it last night. Ryan helped me plant some seeds in the rain this morning.

I found these beautiful flowers along with some lemon mint that actually survived from last year (this is a real surprise since I thought I killed all the herbs I planted).

Here are the trellises. So far we've planted a few winter squashes, zucchini, crookneck squash, watermelon, pumpkin, sunflowers, spinach, tomatoes, basil, peppers, strawberries, dill, parsley, and summer savory.
I'm still preparing the side and flower gardens with extra soil we have from the project, currently housed under the carport. Great motivation to get it finished. Anyway, I hope to share our bounty later in the season. :D

To Zoo or Not to Zoo

Tuesday the kids and I met Keri and Sadie at the Hogle Zoo. The kids had a great time (my kids were there for five hours!), and we still didn't see everything. It reminded me of a discussion that I had with a coworker once who told me she hated zoos because it is unnatural to keep animals in captivity like that. I've thought a lot about it, and I respectfully disagree.


I mean, I've been to zoos that have made me extremely sad for the animals in chainlink cages and an environment that is totally unsuited for them. However, most of the zoos I have been to have genuinely tried to provide appropriate living conditions, participated in coordinated breeding efforts, and have tried to educate the public not only about the animals themselves but our impact on the world around us.

Because of zoos, my kids love animals and have developed concern for their world. There are other ways to develop that, I know: hiking, camping, etc. I love to spend time outdoors, but the zoo allows them to see the animals up close.

So now we're proud members of the Hogle Zoo, and the kids are really excited for our next trip (me too)!The kids try to show how big they are.

Getting a drink out of the lion's head.

Ryan, Sofia, and Sadie make friends with a little tiger.

Greeting the bald eagle after the World of Flight show. Sofie was fascinated and kept telling the keeper, "That's a bird!"

I'm still alive and grateful!

So it's been more than six weeks since my last post, so I thought I'd check in and say that despite the atrocious behavior of my kids of late, I have a lot to be thankful for.

1. We have sprinklers! Thanks to the efforts of a LOT of people (Matt, Dan, Dad, Mom, Ryan at times, and especially Nate, Ben, Warren, and Lindsey), we now have water at the touch of a button. The drip systems for the gardens will follow this week. :D
2. I have an amazing support system! I am surrounded by family members that love me, friends who lift me up and remind me I'm not insane, and ward members who are there to help.
3. We are out of debt! I know I've already said it before, but I can't tell you the peace I have not owing other people.
4. I'm surrounded by amazing mothers! This may sound like #2, but this is something that has meant a lot to me lately. I am inspired by the women who surround me.
5. I am going to plant my garden this week! Though it's been delayed because of the sprinkler project, I am finally going to get to plant at least some of what I planned this year. And my goal is to have at least 60% of it come up (last year, I got 30%).
6. I am married to my best friend and my best tether to sanity!
7. I have kids who usually try to behave and are usually extremely good (at least for other people).
8. We have a slide! Jen and Klay got a Little Tikes play structure from someone in their neighborhood and brought it over; it makes a HUGE difference when we're outside trying to get something done.

The Best Nine Years!

Nate and I have been married nine years today! As the years go by, we grow together more and more. So thank you to my best friend, the yang to my yin, the Bert to my Mary Poppins. You are my wailing wall, my consolation, my warm snuggly blanket. And you're my sanity, my everyday vacation, and my favorite pastime.

I'm a much better person for being married to you and can't wait to see what the next nine years bring!