House Paint

...our house (just kidding...)

Zach and I spent this past weekend painting the exterior of our house, and we are NOT even close to being done! We did manage to get everything done that we needed to from the roof which is good because the weather is about to change drastically and they are calling for snow later this week. Last thing we want to do is be painting on the roof in a snow storm.

I woke up this morning feeling like a train hit me and we still have more to do...

I love house projects and can't wait until all this hard work pays off. Unfortunately, it won't show much to others until we finish it up with the red cladding windows I've been dreaming of for years :)

Signs of Fall

Zach was driving home from work last week and pulled over to check out an elk herd that had made themselves comfortable in a nearby alfalfa field. Look at the rack on that big boy!

Old Photos

My Nana had sent me an old photo album awhile back and I have finally gotten around to sharing some of the great photos. The photo album was of my Nana and Grandpa Ken's first trip to Europe to see my parents getting married in Zermatt, Switzerland. This was especially exciting for me to see because Zach and I just visited Zermatt this past spring and happened to find the little church where my parents were married. There are some funny and candid shots in the album that only happens when you shoot with film and then have to wait for them to be developed. Remember picking up your pictures for the developer? It was so exciting.

I love imagining spending time with my parents at this stage in their lives. Even though they are both happily re-married now it would be so fun to get to see them young and in love.

The beauty of Blog

My sister, Addie, has made Blog books before and I think it's a great idea! Turning your blog into a printed book for later reference or gifts for family/friends. Here's the site that she uses:
http://www.blurb.com/

When I started my blog (inspired by my friend, Darleen)I intended to post pictures and little stories for family to keep up with our happenings in Idaho. I never thought I would like blogging! Why would people post things online about themselves? Who would be interested? With all the new social networking capabilities: Facebook, Myspace, Twitter (still haven't gotten into this one), I have found a kind of simple pleasure in creating my own form of social expression.

After two years of blogging my blog has slowly grown into an online journal. It's great to look back and see how far we have come in our house, adventures, and life. And I love reading my friends, their friends, and creative people's blogs. It gives me inspiration and keeps me entertained. So I hope that my blog has managed to keep who ever is reading this inspired and entertained as I have been :) And don't forget to comment on blog postings. I never understood why you would do this until I realized I have NO idea who reads this and would love to know your out there :)

3 Day Weekend Wrap-Up

Aaaahhhh....what a nice way to spend three days, not thinking once about work!

Zach and I had a great time mountain biking at Fisher Creek on Saturday. I'm actually getting better at mountain biking, despite my many bruises. Afterwards we enjoyed time at the Nickums cabin to celebrate Megan's birthday and the long weekend.

Sunday and Monday we hung around the house for the most part getting things organized for the fall season ahead of us, working on the yard, and cleaning out the garage. Last night we had a great dinner with the Walkers & the Reskos to celebrate the day off. BBQ, bocce ball, and a little time outside before the weather takes control. And the best part is it's only a four day work week. Yippee :)

Labor of Love

It's harvest time! At least at our house. The weather has been changing quickly in our little valley which makes me nervous for the plants I have been tending to all summer. I decided to pull in the bounty. I'm thinking this first garden season was a success!
Here is a list of the goods:

Heirloom Tomatoes
Purple Potatoes
Carrots
Butter Lettuce
Radishes
Chives
Sweet Peas
Zucchini
Herbs: Sage, Mint, Spearmint, Dill, Basil
And hopefully an eggplant before the snow hits the ground!

Some things I've learned from my first growing season in Idaho:

• You don't have to plant ALL the seeds in the seed packet, especially if you have a small garden bed. I didn't realize not everyone is a fan of radishes like I am.
  
• Planting tomatoes in pots instead of in the ground helps to make sure these picky plants get the right amount of water and sun exposure. Or in last nights case protection from frost!
• Giving your tomato plants plant food will help them grow big and strong.
  
• Plant seedlings in the spring to help lengthen the short growing season we have in this valley.
  
• Make sure everything gets water- even though the hose doesn't reach everywhere- my dill, basil, onions, and yes, cilantro didn't have a stellar summer because I couldn't quite reach them.
• Giving away things you have grown is really enjoyable! It feels like you are truly sharing your labor of love with family and friends.
• Ask LOT's of questions! No doubt something you are trying has been done before and someone has much better ideas on how to get it done with success.
• Harvesting potatoes is fun! It's like digging for treasure! Next year I think I will contain my enthusiasm a little longer though so they can have even more time to grow big and strong.
  

A big thank you to anyone and everyone that helped me accomplish this! And photo credits to my talented husband, Zach :)