Busy, Busy, Busy

This morning we worked outside in our front flower beds. Anna always loves being outdoors.

Grandmother and Mary are digging up the irises and making a hole for the new iron plants. These iron plants are very special to our family. Grandmother brought them back from her mother's house in the Mississippi Delta for us. We planted a bushel of them on each side of our front stoop, and they look really nice. Mary really likes to garden and get in the dirt. She has her own little trowel and rake. We read about seeds, plants, and roots last night in a book, so it was nice to actually show her what they are and let her touch them. She's soaking up so much all the time!

Anna's monthly index card picture. Happy 8 months, my hungry sweetie!

We have been sooooo busy around here the past couple of weeks. I celebrated my 30th birthday on Monday, Mary had her first picture day for our homeschool group's yearbook, and Anna turned 8 months old. Whew!

Turning 30 was no big deal; I'm glad to be out of my 20's. I feel like I'm starting a new chapter in a way. I feel more "settled." I like it. A big change from the last decade of my life to this one is food. I've really gotten into nutrition and trying to eat well. We started something in our home called Fish Friday. Every Friday we eat fish and chips (and salsa!). Last week we had ceviche, and it was the absolute BEST thing I've EVER made! Go here to see the video. It's a summer dish, so you have to make it quickly before the weather changes. You will NOT be disappointed! Even my two-year-old enjoyed it! My new online cooking class starts tomorrow night, and I'm soooo excited about it! The one I'm currently taking right now is about surf and turf, and it's great. I have no clue how to properly cook seafood, so I'm learning something with every lesson. The new one that starts tomorrow night is called Real Food for Rookies. That's totally me! It goes through the basics and helps you break out of the processed food mold. Can't wait!

Nothing new with the old house. We're under contract with the buyer, the house has been inspected, so now we're just waiting for our closing date in a couple weeks. Praise God that we have a buyer!

Puggles is going well. I've learned that two-year-old love anything you sing to the tune of Farmer in the Dell. Anything! They are so incredibly cute, and Stephen and I really enjoy our class. We have 8 to 9 Puggles every week, and not a single one cries anymore when they get dropped off (usually).

Need to go, but have a great rest of the week, and check out that ceviche recipe if you're looking for something new and delicious (and super healthy)!