Mother's Day News

My second official Mother's Day was perfect! We started the morning with some block tower building, and then we went outside to work in the garden.

Michael kindly dug a trench (with Miles' help of course) around the entire garden to bury the fence to keep the rabbits and deer out.

The rhubarb we moved last fall is growing well in it's new home, and I can already taste the strawberry rhubarb pie!

Then our mothers came over, with Yia Yia Liz too, and we celebrated by eating tons of ice-cream! A perfect cool treat on this warm spring day.

We have lots to celebrate these days... in fact it is about time that we share the news! I will let Miles tell you the way he told Nonna, PawPaw, and Yia Yia Linda.

Yes - his shirt says BIG BROTHER!!! (And no it is not a hand-me-down like my mom thought for a moment) We bought it especially for our sweet boy - who will have a little brother or sister coming this November!

Oddly enough - just like last time - two Mourning Doves announced the news to us... well that and the plus sign on the test I took. Really though - I will never forget looking out on the back porch this spring and seeing these two birds. I remember looking at Michael and saying "What are they doing here?" Sure enough, a few days later we realized we were going to be parents again! We are so excited to share this journey with all our family and friends. I am especially excited for Miles to have a playmate, and a sibling to share this life with.

This Mother's Day, and every day, we counted our blessings and are thrilled to share the news!

Mmm good!

Just some pictures of little man eating - one of the things he does very well! Loved this series with the last bit of last summer's pesto. The garden is ready to start growing more basil so we can make more this summer!

First bite of ice-cream. Chocolate peanut butter!

I ate tons and tons of chocolate peanut butter ice cream when I was pregnant with Miles. We would walk to the local ice-cream shop and I would devour my cone in moments in that fiendish way only a pregnant woman can. By the end of the summer I was getting the waffle cone, stuffed full of ice-cream.

Well, last week I bought some ice-cream to get ready for the Mother's Day gathering at our house, and I was tempted by the little single serving containers of my favorite - chocolate peanut butter . Miles busted me sneaking some before the party, and I couldn't help myself, so I gave him a (very small) scoop. Oh - his eyes lit up - what is this delicious frozen treat? He was happy to sit and suck on the spoon, even after the ice-cream was gone.

I do wonder if his exposure to all of the ice-cream will automatically make chocolate peanut butter his favorite too?

Walk in the Woods

May finally brought some spring-like weather, and so we packed up some snacks and headed into the woods! We are having a great time getting to know some new wild spaces near our home. It is fun getting to know a new piece of land. I take my journal (and camera) when we walk, and in essence I have been "mapping" it as things change.

The forest floor was carpeted with Trout Lilies.

At the edge of the stream the Skunk Cabbage, that were blooming through the frost the last time we walked, were leafing out. Miles sat and "talked" all about the things he saw!

Michael spotted this little guy racing down the trail! Looks like a small Common Snapping Turtle to me.

My boys on the trail with me.

I was truly disappointed that we could not find any morel mushrooms. I guess we will have to keep looking for our own secret stash of spring's delectable treasures. However, we did find a little patch of wild leeks. I was careful to harvest only what we could use and leave the rest behind to grow some more for the future! They were delicious sauteed into a sauce with the last of our canned tomatoes. Our freezer and basement shelves are looking pretty empty these days. Just some lingering dilly beans, oh and more apricot jam - and frozen apricot halves. (I will never get that many apricots at once ever again!) Now we are making plans for this years garden and my cookbooks are bursting with recipes I am ready to try. I can't wait to taste good fresh veggies!!!

As we left the trail we said goodbye to a forest draped in spring, and I snapped one last wildflower photo. Blood-root. Quite a name for a sweet little white flower! Named for the red "juice" that flows when you break a leaf... good for dying cloth and yarn, or it can be used as war paint - should you need some.

I hope you are enjoying this spring - wherever you are! Get outside and get to know a little patch of land near you, you never know what you might find growing there!