Finding Krissi

Every morning this summer I can be found in my garden. There is something about being in the garden, hands in the dirt, and laboring that gives me peace. It is almost like the more dirt I have on my hands the better I feel. Also, all the physical labor of gardening seems to open my mind and clear out the cob webs. I guess it is easier for me to see God's big picture when I am working in the garden. All of the details it takes to garden, to nurture, and  to make my yard beautiful relate easily to Heavenly Father's plan. For example, this morning I was thinking about weeds. Any gardner knows you spend the majority of time in your garden controlling weeds. No matter how much you mulch, pluck, and spray weeds are determined to return. I have a system for weeding. Everyday I walk down each flower bed and pluck out 25 weeds. You would think after almost a month of weeding I would eventually run out of weeds. I never run out! There is always 25 weeds for me to pluck in each flow...

It is Sunday night at 9:43 and a small part of me does not want to start at post at 9:43. Because starting a post at 9:43 might mean staying up later than 10:00. I must be in bed my head nestled on my pillow and headed to dream land by 10:00. Tomorrow is Monday a long week of work, parenting, teaching, leading, and ect... is in front of me. 10:00 is mandatory for me to function. That is what I tell myself, "If I get to bed by 10:00 my week will be perfect."  The truth is I don't really have a lot to post. Well, okay I could tell you that my baby is now driving. The weather here in Utah is crazy, icy, snowy, and foggy bad. The fact that I have to let her drive practically kills me. I don't want her driving.  I don't want her driving in this horrible weather. However, I have to let her grow up. Yah..yah.. yah.. blah.. blah... blah.... I could tell you that January has been a challenging month. 2013 did not start off with a bang. More like a...

I'm not even going to look to see when I last posted. I know it has been awhile. A long while. I have no excuses. Well I have a few. For example: We went to Cali for Easter. Spent some much needed time with family and friends. Celebrated the holiday  with a little frosting. After Easter I started applying and interviewing for jobs. Then.... Yup... So excited to be a third grade teacher next year at Quest Academy. Big smiles and grins! A few days after accepting the job it was my big day. It was an awesome day shared with my family, parents, in-laws, and the great people I travelled the road to my degree with. I still can't believe how fun it was to wear that silly hat. Before graduation Al performed in her last elementary school play. She played the part of Colonel Hathi in Jungle book. She was awesome of course. While watching Al's last performance my very cool friends gave me a graduation gift. A necklace that I wore on the day of gr...

Things to do today! Soccer (of Course it is Saturday what else could I possibly have planned!) Plant Garden. Yes! Plant garden, the weather is finally giving us a break and we are going to plant the garden. Which I know is my faithful reader(s) favorite time of year. I feel it is important to start off a Saturday of hard labor with as much humor as possible. Last night I made ( MADE ) the kids help clean up a few of the flower beds and get things ready for planting. Two thumbs up for the boys who did an awesome job helping without any eye rolls. Two Oscars for the girls who did a wonderful acting job of being tortured. One of these days those eyes are going to roll so far back into their heads and stick. By the end of the day all the planting should be done and then I will be able to enjoy fusing over my plants and of course torturing my blog readers with flowers and a vegetable or two. Aren't you excited I get to plant today. Warm Sunny Hugs and Prayers

The garden post have been on the light side this summer. I bet your disappointed. I bet every time you have logged on to this blog you have hoped for a garden post. I bet the lack of garden post has saddened you. Well don't fret. I'm not one to disappoint, sadden or dash hopes. In response to your many, many emails I am posting garden picks. (Ok, I haven't received even one email, but I'm pretty sure you have been meaning to email, I'm pretty sure you have just been busy, I'm pretty sure that you were going to do it today.) (right?) This year I tried a few new flowers and overall I have been pretty happy. One of my favorites has been the Dahlia. Very frilly and feminine. Makes me feel like a girl just looking at it. A very close second is this cute little flower. This is a 4 o'clock. The blooms open up in the late afternoon and stay open until the sun hits them the next day. Sunflower. Not exactly a new flower to our yard but this was a little different t...

A couple of weeks ago we had a few days of rain, thunder, and lightening. I happen to be a very big fan of summer storms. During a lull in the storm me, my favorite crocs and my camera took a stroll through the garden. Yes, these are my favorite shoes I would wear them year round every where I went if I could. However, last time I tried to wear them to church my mother's voice was so loud in my head that I knew I wouldn't make it out of the house. This is a pic of our garden. Again we have let a few random sunflowers sprout up. We love how they make our garden feel and look. Not to mention they attract birds who eat the bugs out of the garden. Here is a couple pics of the roses. It has gotten to hot for them lately but on this day they were enjoying the rain. We had beautiful flowers all June because of the cooler temps. Here are my Zinnias this is the first year I have planted Zinnias and they are quickly becoming a favorite of both Brent and I. Currently they are about two ...

You know how all winter I curse Mother Nature? I make all kinds of threats and let the whole world know how much I despise Mother Nature. Just thought you should know that there are times that she is pretty much my favorite person. Her and I have a real love hate relationship.

Before I am done writing this post the most recent garden pictures should be uploaded to flikr. With all the bike business going on around here I have not been very faithful with the garden post. Don't let that fool you. Brent and I tend over our little garden with the vigilance of new parents. The gardens are our babies. Being as all our actual babies are all big and do things like this when I try to take their pictures. She is such a bugger. Soon I am going to post a post on the boy craziness taking place in this house. That will show her not to hide from my lens. Lucky me I still have this one. He likes to calls all her boys, "goobers" I really like him. Notice anything different between the first and second pic. Yup the braces are off. He still has some pretty funky contraptions inside his mouth but for now the braces are off. What do you think? Are those pearlie whites worth the billion and three dollars that they cost? It it any wonder that Brent and I retreat...

Bearded iris, Iris germanica. Two years ago a friend thinned out her Irises and asked if I would like the bulbs. At the time we had just added 300sq feet of planting beds and had nothing to plant in them. I took her up on the bulbs and this spring had the most beautiful display of Irises. Ironically, I now need to thin out the Irises and will be handing several of them off to a neighbor. Lesson learned: Gardening is a neighbor hood sport! Share the blooms. I also wanted to mention my growing resentment towards the bugs in my garden. They are certainly a good news bad news bug. Good news, the bug that is eating all my little flowers are the same ones that cultivate the dirt and give you nice loose soil. Also, they stop eating the flowers once they become established. Their taste runs towards the baby plants. Bad news, THEY ARE EATING MY PLANTS AND THEY AREN'T STOPPING!!! GRRRRR......

I think I have done really well not boring you with every detail of our garden. I haven't said one word about the two additional planting beds Brent has made. I haven't said one word about the many, many flats of flowers I planted. I have not bored you with every new leaf that formed on our little plants. I have not given you a list of every vegetable planted. I didn't even tell you about the Chocolate pepper we planted. In fact I think I have been a Saint. Stop laughing! :) Humph... I have however have decided to start boring you with pictures. Yes, this feature on my blog is called, "What is Blooming!" Giving me an excuse to take pictures, play with pictures in photo shop and justify the shrinking space on our hard drive. win... Win... WIN!!!

We have buds. Our first flowers have budded. It is with much sadness that I snipped the buds. In order for the plants to get bigger and bushier we have to remove the buds. However, right before I removed them I took these pictures. I am getting so excited to start planting! I want to do a happy flower dance!

I have decided to take mercy on you and not detail every detail about our garden plants.  Really! There is no need to cheer that loudly. I have however created another blog where if you are just dying to partake of all our garden info you may visit.  Your still here aren't you?  Well obviously I don't think the masses are going to be lining up to read the blog but it is there if your curious. However, you are not clean off the hook.  You still have to look at pictures.  I will just save the words for the other blog.