How Does Your Garden Grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row...
If it were only that easy. I've wanted to have a garden since I got married. It hasn't happened. I'm not a green thumb, so that is a portion of what intimidates me. Our clay here is too hard to till, so I have finally resolved to building myself a "grow box" of sorts. I've seen a lot and have an idea in my head...which still needs to come to fruition.
Of course, I also need to definitely decide on what I should grow. I know this is usually planned according to the family's wants and needs. However, my family still isn't big on a lot of vegetables. Having a garden is more of my idea to save money while remaining healthy as I am not big on exorbitant prices for vegetables that may spoil before I have a chance to consume them.
Thus, the reason I inquire of you, my loyal blog readers: how does your garden grow? or, rather, what do you grow in your garden plot?

Frozen Browned Beef

For years and years I have purchased ground beef in bulk, separated it, and frozen it for future use. This is a fairly good plan as it allows me to purchase meat on sale. However, I don't like having to thaw it out or brown it as it thaws (lazy woman in a hurry method). So, I've taken to purchasing the same amount of beef (on sale), browning it, draining all the fat off, and then packaging it and freezing the cooked meat. Sure, it probably doesn't last as long in the freezer, but I don't need it to, either. When it is fully cooked and ready to go, I can have a meal in minutes because the meat is ready!
I love this new method, as it allows me the dreaded browning only once and yet I have multiple meals to prepare from it for a couple of weeks. I also am more likely to take the time to prepare my family healthy meals as this lessens the dread. Now, if I can only figure out how to get the same results with poultry...

Please Pile-Drive Me!

"Uncle Jared, will you come over her and pile-drive me?" asks Emily. We're still not sure why she wanted that, but she asked very nicely.

A Little More on Gianna

I started writing the last post and didn't intend to go into the depth that I did. I wanted to share a couple of things about Gianna.
I have to declare that God has blessed me with Miracle Children. At first I thought that perhaps I just got lucky with Emily. Gianna disproves this theory. At a year old, we can tell her to go to bed and she does. She also puts herself to bed for a nap when she needs one (I don't have a set schedule, so it's always changing).
Gianna is also a comedienne. We put her to bed one night and things got settled and quiet in there, so Susan went to check on them. She came back giggling and explained that Gianna was playing 'possum. So, we all went to look. Sure enough, Gianna was "sleeping" on her bed when suddenly her face cracks into a huge smile and she starts giggling and throwing her arms and legs around. Hilarious!
She also likes to race Emily to bed. Whoever gets in bed first is declared the winner. Gianna takes this completely literally. She holds onto fingers as she runs to her bed. At the corner of her bed, she lets goes and face-plants on it and wants to be declared the winner. She definitely has a competitive side, even if she doesn't want to walk on her own yet.
Last night she and Emily were playing in their room while we finished making dinner. We heard a crash and Gianna's scream-cry. While trying to be a big girl like her sister, she fell and bit half-way through her tongue. She was a trooper, though! I was still disturbed by the blood pooling in her mouth and all she wanted was to suck her thumb and got annoyed at me trying to find the wound.
It's a whirlwind of fun in the Boyd abode!

Drop of Sunshine

Yesterday we enjoyed a beautiful, warm, sunny Sunday. I put Gianna in her swing and sat next to her in another swing. Going back and forth and smiling at each other, I had this overwhelming feeling of love.
If you knew me in high school or college, that little tidbit would be quite shocking. Sure, I came from a large family but I intended never to have children and even getting married was optional. I had big dreams of traveling and being a successful attorney and possibly even being an ambassador. None of these things coordinated with me having any form of family. I planned on being the rich aunt who would take the nieces and nephews to Europe.
Nothing in that last paragraph happened. I graduated from college, went on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, felt some strong impressions from the Lord in reference to my "career" (I planned on going on to law school after finishing my mission up to that point). I came home, met up with a fellow missionary, began dating, got married and the following year started my role as "mommy". A little over two years later I added another daughter to the mix.
Now I can't imagine being anything other than a mommy. I still peruse master's programs and have that goal and dream of accomplishing that and getting involved in a few different professions, but not until my kids are grown.
In the meantime, I get to enjoy moments of children exploring the world and just being "so dang cute!" When I look at Gianna, I see this golden piece of sunshine. Of course, I couldn't capture the image before me, it was like seeing more of my child than what is physically there: a little angelic with her white-yellow hair back-lit and her perfectly alabaster skin and large blue eyes! Well, you judge: doesn't she look like a drop of sunshine?

PS The first picture enables me to see the Lasley side of my child and the second is definitely the Boyd. No difference to you? Well, that's the privilege of being the mommy and always being around this adorably sweet girl.

House Guests

One of my brothers is coming through town and will be here for a short visit tonight and all day tomorrow. I'm really excited to see him and to have him (and his friend) in our home. It's a rare occasion for my family to be able to drop by, so this is a real treat for me.
It's funny to notice myself as I prepare our house for extra guests. My house always seems big to me when it is just us. Then someone comes for a visit and I realize that they'll have to sleep in the living room on our sofa bed or recliner. Not the most ideal of situations, but that's what you get out of a 3 bedroom house that already has 5 people living in it.
I am also excited to get to show off my home. Not that it is a true gauge of how my loving and amazing husband provides, but it is at least a partial token of his devotion. I am also constantly in awe of the way the Lord allows us to have such a nice home and vehicles and to live a nice lifestyle. Sure, things can and do get tight at times, but what do you expect with retail? I'm just really grateful that the house IS big enough to have people stay, even on short visits, and not feel like we are sleeping on top of each other.
So, I need to get the house organized again so my brother and his friend aren't coming into chaos....it's also a great way to distract myself to burn through these next hours until they arrive.

"Ashes, Ashes..."

I remember when Emily started to sing along with songs. Her first favorite song to sing was "Popcorn Popping" which is a song we sing at church in Nursery. It has great hand motions and kids love it (okay, I love it, too!) Her new favorite song is "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. I think she is going to sing it next year in the talent show, although yesterday she announced in choir (for the adults) that she was going to sing it...right then.
Gianna is another musical child. She dances like there is no tomorrow and uses all of her body. She has her first favorite song and we got a lot of laughs out of it yesterday. She loves to sing (and play) Ring-Around-the-Rosies. So, the only words she can say are "ashes, ashes" but it is definitely to the tune. Of course, coming from the back seat of the car it sounds a little bad if you don't know what she is saying, but I'm loving it.
Who knows, maybe we will someday rival the VonTrapps or the Osmonds!

Snow in Georgia!!

This is only the second time we have had snow actually stick here in Georgia. Actually, we've only seen snow twice (I heard they had it another time, but we were out of state).
Emily was so excited to get out in the snow. Gianna shared her interest...until she got out there. Emily is definitely like her father: doesn't mind the cold and wet. Gianna is definitely like me: not a big fan of being in the snow, although it is pretty to look at. She sat completely motionless on her chair until we put her back inside...where she continued to sit motionless.
We made this beautiful snowman and it has already snowed enough to cover the tracks we made while pushing the snowballs!! We are really having a winter this year in Georgia!