Building and Growing Our Organic Garden

Since Georgia was born three and a half years ago, we have been moving toward eating more and more organic food, raw food and less-processed food. There are many reasons for it. She was born right when my mother died of cancer (and who knows what causes it), my grandmother has cancer, I became more educated about the state of our food today while I was pregnant and on and on. I would say I'm happy with about two-thirds of what we eat. That other third are the occasional treats, meals out at restaurants and those instances of ordering a delivery pizza when I just don't have time for anything else. (yes, it happens)

So what better way to know your food is organic and know exactly where it's coming from than to grow it yourself? We started with planting organic seeds.

Then we (i.e. my hubby) cleared about a 20' by 30' section of grass in our backyard. What's the saying? Grow food not grass. We went from this... ... to this. A total of 10 raised beds filled with green beans, sugar snap peas, strawberries, broccoli, collards, spinach, lettuce, cantaloupe, corn, sunflowers, carrots, onions, potatoes, asparagus, peppers, okra and tomatoes. Now we just need my green thumb to work well this summer and my anti-squirrel tactics to kick-in. (did I mention we have a crazy squirrel problem?)

Georgia also helped me plant two peach trees on Arbor Day. We also have two blueberry bushes so far, a raspberry bush, two blackberry bushes and I have a grape arbor in the works. I can't wait to see how well we'll eat this summer and so many summers to come!

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I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream....

... for ICE CREAM! We now have an ice cream truck that comes through our neighborhood on some weekends. The first time we caught it was about three weeks ago, just as I was leaving to photograph someone else's kids. That means I missed Georgia's first ice cream truck experience. Luckily, her daddy was there to make sure she got to pick out a cold treat.

So when the ice cream truck came loudly jingling and jangling through our neighborhood this past weekend, you'd better believe I was there for it!!!

So many choices for a little one, and while the truck was empty of Georgia's first choice - the Spiderman popsicle - her second choice was served right up, yellow head, gumball eyes and all. Georgia's ears are now tuned into the blaring melodies of the ice cream truck, and her eyes light up when she hears anything that resembles the sound of sugar-filled treats on a stick dancing through our streets.

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Hunting for Eggs

We had a great Easter weekend, and better yet, it was a three-day weekend for our family. (that rarely happens)

Friday was spent doing a lot of work building our vegetable garden - more to come on that later. So Saturday, we had some fun finding rainbow-colored eggs.

What made it even better, one of Georgia's favorite friends also made it out to this egg hunt - Mia. And just look at this smile.. You know this girl found a lot of eggs - I'm pretty sure more than anyone else in her age group and maybe the entire group. She is an egg hunting machine! With a basket full of chocolate, who could wait to get home to start eating? Certainly not my little one. What a great way to spend part of our holiday weekend - making memories.

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Bounce, Bounce, Bounce

The Trampoline.

It causes crazy static. Smiles. Peace.

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And the "First Family to Visit" Prize Goes to...

OK, I kid, there is no prize, but it was so nice to finally entertain family in our new home. On St. Patrick's Day weekend, my hubby's father, his wife and her grandson drove from Texas to North Carolina to pay us a visit. It was nice to see them.

We spent time at the beach and flew a kite.

After the sand came the fair! It was a St. Patrick's Day Festival, and Georgia loved all the kiddie rides. Such a great time and a great visit!

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Spring is Close, I Can Feel It!

We're are at that time of the year when winter and spring seemed intertwined - mix in a few days of a chilly breeze, toss in a few days of sunshine, add in a few days of cloudy cool skies and follow it up with some flower buds and greening grass. Spring is almost here and lately, we've had some spring-like days in this ending winter season.

Warm sunny weather tends to do this to little three-year-old girls:

Side effects: finding the nearest hill and rolling down it over and over and over again.



Ah spring, how sweet art thou?

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Getting to Know the Place Where We Live

It seems such a common thing to do. We live in an area with these unique and beautiful and original places all around us - places other people travel to our area just to see - yet we never give them a thought or a moment or a visit. A little more than a year and a half ago, we moved to an amazing area of our country - there is so much history and natural beauty here - and it is my goal to actually travel in our backyard and not overlook the highlights all around us.

This weekend, we visited the small waterfront town of Swansboro - "the friendly city by the sea." It has been here quite awhile, founded in 1783.

We had a delightful lunch at a place on the water, where my husband thought it would be cute to take a picture of me taking a picture of Georgia while we waited for our food.

Then after a walk through town, stops at a few gifts shops and an ice cream at a store that also sold coffee, beer and wine (my kind of place), we then drove to a nearby hiking trail in the Croatan National Forest. See what I mean about natural beauty? It was just breathtaking, and even during winter, it was full of life. Oysters, clams, all kinds of birds, snails, crabs - so many critters to watch and explore. It was a picturesque and active ending to a very lovely afternoon. Quite amazing - I just can't wait to go back in the spring when everything is green and going - except for the mosquitoes!

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