A Change Of Pace @leoemery - Tumblr Blog

sasj

Geometric Animations / 230916

foodcravings

Chocolate Chip French Toast (via Instagram)

How did 6 years fly by so fast? Happy Birthday, Kaleb!

@samarahlynn

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Sam! Love you so much!

Five years have flown by. Happy Birthday, Kaleb! We love you! @samarahlynn

Time has flown by. Happy 2nd Anniversary, @samarahlynn!

oldfarmhousefallfeatures

We all tumble down (vintage Linens)

[via #ameliamarthelia @instagram]

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Geometric Shapes / 211228

Happy Birthday, @samarahlynn! I love you!

Happy Halloween, @samarahlynn

Day 20: What Are Your Hobbies? Why Do You Like Them?

If you had asked me, back when I lived in Chicago, if I could ever see myself gardening, I would have said no way. Fast forward a few years. Now some of my favorite moments are in the small backyard garden with Kaleb. It started with me just mowing the backyard and trying to keep it neat and safe for Kaleb and Sam. Just a simple yard for us to let Kaleb crawl and later run around in. Sometimes we’d spread a blanket out and have a picnic. It was nothing special, but it was ours.

Then when Kaleb and I were out for a walk one day, a neighbor waved us over and asked if we’d like some tomato plants and some basil. They had bought too many for their garden. I tried to say no thank you, but they promised they were very easy to grow and would make fantastic sauce for pizza or pasta. I finally gave in and took the small crate of plants making sure to thank them.

Kaleb and I headed back to the house so I could do a little bit of research while Kaleb had a snack. I quickly learned that basil and tomato plants were natural companions in the garden, and the basil helped keep some pests away. I decided to mark off a small corner against the fence with occasional shade for our new plants. A few weeks later, we had the most delicious tomatoes I had ever tasted.

The other unexpected benefit I found was how much Kaleb enjoyed gardening with me. He was a natural digger so he helped me get the soil ready to plant. He loved playing with the hose when it was time to water the plants. And Sam and I had so much fun playing a game to see who could spot the most tomatoes or peppers when they started to grow. He was so serious when he helped us pick the ripe vegetables too. We taught him to be gentle with the vegetables and not to pick anything unless Mommy or I said it was ok.

I never expected that those first free plants would turn into one of our favorite family activities. It was mostly me and Kaleb, but on weekends, Sam joined us too. We often gave extra veggies to her brother and to her boss at the antique store. One day, when we moved to a bigger house, I hoped to have a proper herb garden and a vegetable garden. Especially since, as Kaleb was getting older, we had started learning to cook together as a family. The three of us wore aprons in the kitchen and tried new recipes. Simple ones at first like our own spaghetti sauce. In time, I knew we’d tackle more complicated ones. Hopefully in a bigger, light-filled kitchen as a family.