Farming Friday

One of the most popular questions we hear at the Farmer's Market is "How do you freeze the corn?"  Truth be told, we generally repeat the method the person before had just finished telling us about.  We don't have much personal experience freezing our corn, which is a shame and something we have set out to rectify this year.

Because Bill is super picky about his corn (spoiled by Shelby corn, I suppose) :), we basically don't eat corn outside of corn season.  If the flavor or texture are not just right, there's no chance he's eating it.  So, in order for this momma to have another veggie side for her family, I really need to figure out how to preserve the "good stuff".

"Putin' Up Corn" (that's the official country way of saying it) 

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Shuck the ears and remove the silks.  Put 4-5 ears in at a time, being careful to not overcrowd the pot.  Leave the ears in for only 2-3 minutes.  Remove them and immediately place them in a large bowl filled with ice water.  This will stop the cooking and cool the ear before freezing.

Once the ears are cool (3-5 minutes), remove them from the water and pat dry.  At this point, we used two different techniques that we'll have to report on as we actually eat the ears this winter.

Technique A:
Use Ziploc Vacuum seal bags.  I bought these when they were brand new and they had coupons all over for them.  They're actually really great.  You use a little plastic hand pump to remove air from the bag.  No sucking through a straw or anything to remove air (bleh).

Technique B:
This approach was mentioned by a customer our last corn market.  They said they do the same process as above, and then wrap each individual ear in foil, then put them in a freezer bag.  Basically, we ran out of Ziploc vacuum bags so decided it was a great opportunity to test out another approach.

For some reason, the smell of the corn was making me sick, so I had to leave the kitchen while Bill finished it up.  So, unfortunately, I don't have any "in the process" pictures, only "end result" pics.  :)

If you use a different method and approve of the results, please share!  I suspect sometime this winter I'll end up sharing if we think it's worth the effort.  :)

Hope you're having a great Friday!

Love!

Almost 96

For the past several months, I have been running at the church after I drop Eli off at the church's daycare twice a week.  When I first started, I couldn't get through a mile without stopping.  I did this for several weeks before telling Bill about how horrible of a runner I really was.

He told me it was all in my head!  The AUDACITY!!  ;)

Actually, it was exactly what I needed to hear.  Now, I'm working up to 2.5 miles without stopping.  :)  Some of you reading this might very well be seasoned runners and think 2.5 miles isn't impressive.  Clearly, I am not a "runner" and find myself shocked - still - that I can do it!  Let me have my moment, Ok?  ;)

Well, I've been plagued with some serious fatigue these past few weeks (more on that later).  One day I fell asleep stretching in the locker room before running!  And, today was another one of those days where I just couldn't bring my body to do it.  So, I turned my iPod up louder (I listen to sermons from FBC Tulsa Pastor Deron Spoo when I run -- they're soo good!) and headed for the track to walk instead.

You know how something just touches you and you can't really explain why?  Perhaps I'm a tad emotional these days, too (more on that later).  But, I feel like the Lord had a sweet little blessing intended for me on that track.

His name is Charlie.  He's 95, "almost 96", years old.  He came onto the track as I was almost finished with 1.5 miles, so I took the last few laps extra slow and just chatted with this sweet man.  He told me about moving to our town when he was in grade school, then moving to Indiana for dental school, where he also stayed and worked as an instructor for several years.  Then, he was called back into the armed forces and was sent to Europe during WWII.  He told me about a night where the Germans almost found him (he was building landing strips during the day) when he and a fellow soldier were in a tent by the strip one night when they heard the Germans walking close by.  They could hear them talking!  He said they moved their tent into the trench that night and barely slept for several nights to come.  

He said he used to run the track, but in his old age, he just tries to walk it several times a week.  Remember, he's 95!!  I hope I can get out of bed when I'm that age!

He said his dad died when he was 3, but that he had the sweetest, most caring stepfather.  And, he had the most precious mom -- he still thanked God for her every day.

Something about our conversation just really touched me.  I think I cried three times after that talk before I got home.  He was just such a sweet, gentle spirit... and the fact that he had 95 years of living under his belt was really blowing my mind.  I'm 28, and in a way it's like life is really just getting started... so, it's hard for me to fathom another 70 years!! 

In a recent sermon that I haven't been able to forget, Deron talked about an imprisoned woman whose prayer was, "Lord, show me who I can love for you today."  That has been my prayer for the past couple of months since I heard it.  I love how it forces me to take my mind off ME.  Anyway, today I think I was supposed to love Charlie.  Of course, that was only around 10 am, so the rest of the day is open for more loving.  ;)

It also touched me how much he adored his mom, and I was left with this overwhelming desire to be so caring to Eli.  He is so precious to me!  In college, both Bill and I were involved in so much.  I had pretty high expectations of myself upon graduation, particularly in terms of my career.  Well, now I find that my only real goal these days is to love Eli and Bill to the best of my ability and to be an example of Christ in their lives.  Career, shmareer.  ;) 70 years from now, I sure hope I'm not talking about my time with IBM.  I want to talk about my wonderful family, and great-grandkids, and all the fantastic adventures I've had along the way!!

As I was leaving, his wife (who was walking much faster than him with a friend of hers -- she looked to be in her young 70s), said, "Honey, you just made his day."  All I could do without crying (see?  emotional) was turn and say a quick, "No, he's made mine!"

I challenge you to add that quick line to your prayers... and pray you are touched by the love of Christ daily!

Love!

Farming (ahem) Friday

Shhh.

It's really Sunday, but let's pretend it's Friday. 

K?  K.  Thanks.

We had our last corn market on Saturday.  !!!  We still sell watermelons and cantaloupes, but they're not quite ready yet.  I'm secretly praying for a Saturday off next week, but we'll see about that!  :)

Check out our sweet little sweet corn model. 

Look at that grin!  That's an "I love my daddy!" smile!  :)

mid-"Cheese!"... he says it the moment he sees the camera.  I just need to work on getting an actual smile from him now.  :)

He's such a goof ball!

Knock, knock. Anyone home???

Sorry for the absence from the blog lately.... it's ironic to me that I can't even manage to post a Farming Friday post when we're in the throes of produce season.  It's definitely not for lack of material.  :)

I'll have several posts coming up, and I think I might even go so far as actually writing my Farming Friday posts and scheduling them to publish on Friday.  Gasp!  Me, an IT Specialist, actually using technology??  So, we'll see about that.

Today I am going to share with you my recent obsession.  Chocolate Caramel Cookies.

Oh my.

So, I used to say I didn't like chocolate.  That all changed during our time living in Sydney.  Their chocolate was sooo good.  It was part of the 4 Cs that I blamed for my weight gain while we were there. 

Cappuccino (totally unlike anything we've had in OK.  we can only find it in the odd coffee shop.) 
Chocolate (Lindt with Hazelnuts.  yummmmm)
Cheese (how had I lived to 22 without eating Gouda or Edam before??!!)
Cabernet (really, it was just all the beautiful wine)  :)

Yes.  Seeing that list, it should come as no surprise that this newly married (and physically fit) woman settled in to a lifestyle of enjoying the finer things and ignoring the flabbier things.  hahahaha.  It was all part of making that time so special, so no regrets here!  :)

Ok, so while I still say I don't much like chocolate, I think I need to amend that.  I like only milk chocolate, and in small amounts.  I prefer for there to be nuts if I'm going to be eating it plain, specifically almonds or hazelnuts.  I do like brownies (I am American, after all) and love hot fudge sauce.  Chocolate cake?  No thanks.  Chocolate cookies.  No way. 

Until today.

This cookie dough is enough to convert me.  And, slip in some caramel and I'm hooked.  I'm going to just straight up copy and paste the recipe here, and link to the blog where the recipe originated.  It's so yummy.  I'm not a huge Rolo fan, so I'm considering alternate fillings.  Please let me know if you have ideas!

How can you resist that beautiful picture?

Chocolate Caramel Cookies
recipe makes about 3 dozen
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (3.2 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 package Rolo’s Chocolate Candies

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the pudding mix and mix until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop equal balls of dough and place one rolo in the center of the dough. Cover and roll into a smooth ball. Place cookie dough balls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Don’t overbake.

That time of year again...

Alright.  My life is currently CRAZY!!!

1.  We have added on to our back patio.  I'm going to wait to show you pictures -- do a sort of before and after.  :)  You know what it still needs?  Furniture.  Lighting.  Stain on the pergola.  A little counter section against the back wall and a little counter section that will house the grill.  I've ordered Adirondack chairs to go around the fire pit that still needs to be purchased.  We've also purchased the makings for a dining table, but it has not been made yet.  This little project has me slightly uneasy.  And, let's not forget about chairs that need to be purchased.  Who knew they were all so expensive?!  :) 

2.  I'm finally making some (subtle) changes to the living room. I have one pillow left to find a fabric for, a painting to change a bit... and... that might be it.  We'll see.  Pics to come.

3.  Um... produce season?!  Have I mentioned that?  Last week kicked off Shelby Sweet Corn harvest 2011!  :)  That means Bill gets home at 3 am most nights and leaves the next morning around 7:30, after only a few hours of sleep.  We both love corn season, but can't wait for it to be over at the same time!

4.  We sold at our first market of the season on Saturday.  That means leaving for Tulsa at 4:30 am (after Bill arriving at 3:30!), with Eli in tow.  We loved seeing so many familiar faces - we have so many loyal customers that come back every year!  This is our 5th summer selling at Cherry Street and we really love it, despite the interruption to our normal routine!

Pops and Eli playing in the corn!

5.  Eli turned 15 months yesterday and I can barely keep up!  This kid is EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING!  15 month post is in the works.  :)

We're missing events left and right, and sleeping at weird times.  But, it's corn season.  :)  It will last no longer than 1 month.  After that, Bill will return to coming home around 9pm, and that makes a HUGE difference to all of us. 

In the meantime, more corn (only) dinners for us! 

Love!
Cris

Watermelon Chasers

Have I mentioned before that one of Bill's main hobbies is checking out other produce farms?  When we lived in Australia, we took several trips specifically to see other produce farms, making it a "trip" along the way by taking a few days to get there.  We typically stayed with friends of friends, making it an adventure on several levels!

Well, this time we did it with a 14-month old. 

Bill received a call from a grower in Texas saying that they were harvesting.  Two days later, we were headed there to check out their operation.  Eli did surprisingly well during the 6 hour drive south.  The fact that we stopped for homemade, fresh-peach ice cream on the way didn't hurt.

Is there anything better than homemade ice cream?

Yum!!  He kept coming back for more!

We were a little worried about how much they would let us see on the way down there.  But, once we arrived, we quickly realized these people were great!  We took a little walking tour through their packing shed (the building where harvested watermelons are brought in and "handled" -- in this case, stickered, sorted by size, and packed into bins.)  This farm grows 500 acres of watermelons each year and helped develop the "Red Diamond" seedless variety that pretty much rocked the world of watermelon growers a couple of years ago.  It is the melon that we raise and sell locally.  They're like practically Watermelon Royalty!  ;)  Did you know, they actually have a Watermelon queen that is crowned each year at the National Watermelon conference?  I totally missed my calling (no talent required!).  ;)  Anyway, back to the point...

One of their several stores.

After a quick tour, the "lead" farmer in charge of it all drove by and asked us to jump in his truck.  He even had a carseat in his truck for his grandson.... perfect for Eli!  He took us on a very confusing and BUMPY trip through his fields, showing us his irrigation (watering techniques), weed control methods, and even his wild hog fence (all parts of successful watermelon raising!).

See how sandy the soil looks?  Pretty amazing they can raise sweet melons on it!

The trip was very informative and we enjoyed getting to meet fellow watermelon growers!

Let's just not talk about the bad wheel bearing that put a sour twist on the trip home.  Bill's sweet dad came and rescued us from our roadside state... Eli was NOT happy about being in the car so long!

Let me know if you know of any other farms we should check out!  ;)

Love!

Farming Friday

We spent our Memorial Day on the farm, planting watermelons and driving tractors.  Well, really, I was just there to document and transport the baby when necessary.

Bill LOVED having Eli on the farm for a couple of hours.  And, Eli loved all the big machines that made noises like his tractor books!  I thought he might be scared when he got close to the tractor, but he just sat down and didn't look back!

Where's Eli?

Look at me, Mom!  Fire it up, dada!

I'm such a dork... had to break out his John Deere tee for a day at the farm!  I have an Old Navy shirt that has a gold tractor on it that I sometimes wear down there, too!  The guys don't know how to handle me.  ;)  Poor Eli doesn't have a choice when it comes to my dorkiness... yet! 

"honk, honk!"

Cody is their farm-helper guy.  He's super sweet and kinda shy... so I like to ask him embarrassing questions.  :)

Throwing rocks into the tire = so exciting!!

Mom, can I puh-leeeeeeeease take the semi for a quick spin around the corn field?

All smiles after a few hours farming with daddy!

Why didn't I think of this?

I never watch TV.  I just don't have time for it, and I'm the type where, if I'm going to watch it, I want to WATCH it.  As in, don't interrupt.  :)  If I can't hear it, then I'd rather just turn it off altogether.  I do enjoy a few shows - Glee, The Mentalist, and Brothers & Sisters - but I usually just catch those on Hulu at some point the following week.

Ok, that said, I did watch the Today Show last week when I was off work.  And, I'm so glad I did!  They were doing a special on personalized gifts and mentioned Kendra Scott jewelry.  I loved the designs, and concept, and headed straight to the website. 

Check it out here.

What's so neat about this jewelry site?  Well, you get to totally create your own jewelry!  They have several designs to choose from, and they let you customize which stones you use!  Head to the "Color Bar" tab to make your own designs!

This jewelry is perfect for matching, yet unique, bridesmaid jewelry, or even for something extra with a great summer dress.  You could do all one color, or really spice it up with your own custom color combination.

What do you think?  And, I saw a message where if you sign up for email, you get 20% off your first order!

Love!

14 meces old

Dearest sweet, loving and pretty (handsome), Eli,

You are rocking our world these days!  Not only do you follow simple commands like, "take your cup to dada", or "bring me your shoe" and "roll the watermelon to dada" (seriously!), but you also understand certain phrases and respond appropriately.  If we say, "let's go bye-bye", you walk to the garage door.  If we say, "are you thirsty?", you walk to the kitchen, and "are you hungry?" prompts you to walk to your highchair.  In so many ways, my life is getting easier!  Thank you!

You're "officially" walking now... hardly crawling anymore!

Your vocabulary is expanding, including "shoe" and "bye".  You cracked us up this month by saying "bye bye" every time you heard me say "I'll talk to you later".  I'm not going to lie... that one kind of blew me away!   You sign "eat" when I say "snack", "hungry", "lunch", etc and sign "milk" when I say "bottle" and "cup".  There's some serious connecting of dots going on up in your noggin!  :)

You are also learning more in terms of action -- brushing your teeth (and spitting - it usually lands on your belly), finding your belly button, ears, and eyes, and brushing your hair on your own.   You love pushing on me when I'm sitting down and making me fall over - I'd better be the only girl you do that to!  ;)  You will now kiss and hug on command, which is quite possibly the sweetest thing EVER.  I make you kiss me all day.  :)

"Hug Teddy!"

cutest trick ever

Your favorite meal, lately, has been PW's chicken spaghetti.  You insist on eating it with a fork, but you eat LOTS of it, saying "mmmmmm" the whole time!  :)  You also love homemade burritos, roasted chicken breast (you ate an entire breast the other night - and 2 cups of broccoli!), and mac & cheese.  You are eating lots of fruit these days - strawberries from the garden and melons as part of dad's "market research".  :)  You were officially weaned from formula a few weeks ago, and are now drinking milk from your sippy cup.  I still give you a night time bottle, but you get a cup the rest of the time.

You love using a big-boy fork!  (Spinach noodles in the chicken spaghetti)

You actually didn't pick any of those, but you did entertain us while we did!  :)

You are still climbing on everything, and almost able to climb up on my chair while I'm working.  Once that happens, I will be in serious trouble!

Driving the boat at Grand Lake... You loved it!

You also got to stay with Grammy and Pops O'Connor for a night while mommy went on a shopping trip with some girls from church.  They absolutely adored having you there for their first over-nighter and LOVED having you all to themselves!  I wasn't there to insist on naptimes or anything, but you more or less stuck to your basic schedule and did perfectly for them!  You and aunt Care had a great time together, too!

 

You also stayed with Grandma and Papa Shelby for your first weekend stay-over while your mommy and daddy had their first getaway in over a year!  We hung out with Blue's parents at the lake, and talked about you both often!  You spent lots of time with your cousins, and went on several 4-wheeler rides to see your cow!  You do adore those rides!

You also played with sweet Maria, who is just a few months younger and oh-so-beautiful!  Eli... trust me..... she's a keeper!  :)

You loved seeing Maria!

Eli, your dad and I could not possibly love you any more than we do - it's already overwhelming to me as it is!  While you do exhaust me, and have now pooped in the bathtub more times than I can count (apparently that's a hereditary trait... sorry, mom!), I cannot imagine a more PERFECT baby!  Yes, I'm biased.  But, I'm your mom... I get to be!  :)  You're such a blessing and gift to us, and we thank God for you every single day!

Mother's Day, 2011

Love,
Mom

You must try this... NOW!

I read about this machine in a recent InStyle magazine and was pretty intrigued.  If there's one major weakness I have, it is for ice cream.  Whether it's pinkberry/Cherry Berry style, Braum's, or homemade, I'm a sucker for it all!

You can understand why I would go crazy for a machine that claims to turn bananas into frozen yogurt! 

As with most things, I took to Google to do a little research, and it turns out this is not a new idea after all... nor does it require a $50 machine to attain!  Yes, you can (and must) make your own Banana Frozen Yogurt with so much as a frozen banana and a food processor or blender!

Here's what's involved:
1.  Peel a ripe banana and freeze.  I just shoved several peeled bananas, unbroken, into a ziploc bag and froze overnight.  Next time, I'll likely dice before freezing.

2.  Put desired amount into food processor (or blender) and blend for 3-4 minutes, stopping every now and then to scrape down the sides and redistribute.

3.  Ta Da!  It magically transforms into a frozen yogurt texture without any additional ingredients!  You can eat it immediately, or freeze it in an airtight container if you would rather it be more like ice cream than frozen yogurt.

Eli and I devoured the evidence before I could take a picture!  You can read about it everywhere - I'm probably the last to learn of this sensation! - including here.

Eli still hasn't had ice cream -- I know he'll love it, and he's not asking for it, so why introduce it when I can give him this instead?! 

Let me know your thoughts!  I intend to add in some frozen strawberries from the garden, and maybe another go with some peanut butter or nutela (or both?!) (I'm addicted).  So much experimenting to do!  I hope you love it as much as I do!

Love!

Farming Friday!

As with all things farming, a huge amount of faith in God is required.  Unlike most businesses, where all elements of production can be controlled to a large extent, that is simply not the case with agriculture.

Case in point... the weather.

This spring has had both record drought and record rainfall.  Due to too much rain and cold spells at exactly the wrong time, Bill has planted the same 20 acre plot (or patch) of watermelons and the same 20 acre plot of cantaloupes twice without any luck.  Bill says it is fairly common to have to replant a certain section, but never have they had to plant the fields three times.  He says that normally they are done with 3 to 4 successive plantings (plantings staggered by a week or so) by May 15th, but this year they still don't have any cantaloupes or seeded watermelons growing yet.

Eek!  That gets my heart pumpin'!!

Ok, but the redeeming thing about this post is that they DO have 85,000 seedless watermelons plants (55 acres) in the ground, with more arriving from the greenhouse next week.  The difference here is in the way they are planted.  Bill plants watermelons in two different ways. Today we are going to talk about...    (wait for it...)

Transplanting

Ohhhh... so exciting, huh!  ;)  But, it's actually quite interesting (funny looking?) how they transplant -- so I'm going to tell you about it!

First, seeds are taken to a grower with a greenhouse.  This particular source is a good friend of ours that is regionally known as the pumpkin king, but I'm going to keep his identity secret.  Remember, Bill is always a bit suspicious of sharing too much on the good ol' world wide web.  :)  The grower sows (yes, farmers really say that instead of "plant") the seeds into flats like the ones flowers come in.  Fast forward a few weeks, and the plants are now ready to put in the ground, after some nice heat, water, and tlc.  The greenhouse grower is necessary because the seeds need consistent 90 degree weather and high humidity to germinate or sprout.

Some of the plants before planting.

Here is the "transplanter".  Do NOT call it a "transplant machine", or you'll get laughed at by the cool kids.  Rookie mistake.  ;)

And, yes.  You're right.  People do actually sit in those seats!!

You should be able to click on the picture to see it larger, if you want to.

As the tractor drives along, this "wheel" punches a whole in the ground and then fills it with water.  (Sidenote - Bill always soaks the roots of anything we plant before putting them in the ground - whether they're mandevilla or tomato plants.)  Then, the two guys sitting at the back push a plant into the hole.

These guys are compacting the soil around the plants, as the planters don't have time for that task.

Now, our prayer is that these plants thrive and produce many, many watermelons.  :)

Let me know what you think about this type of technical farming post -- I can get WAY more technical, or can just gloss over things if you'd prefer that.

And on a final sidetone -- this article emphasizes the importance of knowing your farmer.  Growth hormones?!!   Promise me you won't buy watermelons from China.

I know my farmer.  Do you?  ;)

Have a great weekend!

Love!

Sticky Situation

We are so excited around here for summer!  We recently received a "house moving" present from some dear friends that are moving away.  :(  We're sad, but will think of them everyday now!  I'll share pics as soon as this gift is presentable.


Here are some recent pictures from my iPhone that had to be shared:

I found Eli here after I suggested I would pay him $10 for mowing.  Luckily I was around for the dismount.

How lucky is he to have a backyard garden full of strawberries?!  Look at the juice on his tummy.   Oh-so-yummy!

Daddy decided to indulge the little man and took him back to pick more.  Eli earned his first hose bath of the summer!

Another literal sticky situation, a sucker was used to distract Eli from the man with scissors.  He did so well and earned a certificate to prove it.  Barber J was such a sweet man for the job!  The blanket (have I mentioned his blankets yet?) was used while the clippers were on, and it was covered in sucker 'juice' and hair.  lovely.  ;)

and, the end result.  I don't know where this pose came from, but it makes me want to grab him in a huge mama kiss.  I'm afraid he looks too much like a 3 year old now with his hair cut.  I may just have to "forget" his haircuts for a while.

Love!

Soul Mates

Bill and I just came back from one of the best weekends we can remember.  You know the kind - where you sleep less than normal, indulge a little more than normal, and savor each moment of laughter and conversation.  Where you wake up the next day and it still feels like every inch of you is beaming with joy and love. 


Thank you, Lord, for the simple pleasures of enjoying the company of dear friends.


Well, and for your protection with some minor "adventures" we experienced this weekend.  HA!

We dropped Eli off with Bill's mom and headed to Grand Lake - and the most amazing lake house owned by my parent's friends.  They had offered their home to us several times, and we finally made it happen.  To make it even better, our "soul mate couple" friends were able to drop their sweet boy Blue off with his gma and steal away to join us on a quiet little lake getaway.  She's 30 weeks preggo (and the cutest preggo EVER) and with both our men involved in agriculture in various ways, we rarely get to see each other in the summertime.  I missed the birth of numero uno, so I'm determined to make it there with numero dos.  My part time schedule should allow for that to happen.  :)

Bill and I love these two friends like family and always have the best time with them.  Between the four of us, we always have the best conversations about our Lord, family, adjusting to small-town life, adjusting to parenthood, how we can be better spouses, friends, and the various jobs the guys share in common.  They are the kinds of conversations that are healing in so many ways.  Jenn is like a sister to me and I cherish every moment I get with her.  And, Daniel is Bill's best friend, whom he met in high school during FFA adventures.  Jenn and I met in college as we started to date these two guys, and share many commonalities, including, but not limited to, city-type personalities married to "old-fashioned" country boys.  We both live in rural communities, much to our chagrin, and share a love/hate relationship with that arrangement.  She's the only person I know, my age, that enjoys making jams and has a sewing machine (though I think we would both admit to only using it like twice a year).  But, we also love shopping (she's a former Anthro employee with obvious great taste) and decorating.  I mean, does it get any better?  :)

September 2010 when the babes were both closer to "baby" than "toddler"

But, the real reason I'm writing this love letter, of sorts, is to land on my true love.  Bill and I had the best weekend with each other and are both still buzzed because of it.  God has blessed me with a man that is better than I ever could have picked for myself, left to my own devices.  We are a perfect match in the ways that we fight and in the ways that we dream; in the ways that we grieve and the ways that we celebrate.  I'm still working on getting him to realize the powers of massage (doesn't he know I want one every day?!)  and he's still working on getting me to serve potatoes with every meal.  Meat is a given, but, luckily, due to his status as an avid gardener and commercial produce farmer, that means that veggies/salad are a given too.  I can wear 4 inch heels and he's still taller (valid praise for a nearly 5'10 woman) and he won't let me leave the house looking like a goof (which I sometimes try).  We have fun together, and have fun being serious together, too.  I thank God regularly for his presence and impact in my life.

I'm better because of him.

2005

Love you, Bill.  (You'd better comment.)  ;)

Love!