The first fruits veggies of our labor...

We have PRODUCE!
Brandon and Chandler picked our very first veggie last night. A squash.
I know my mom and dad are thinking, "Has Jennifer ever even tasted a squash??"

Yes, I've tasted it. Do I like it? No, but my new favorite cookbook, "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld has several recipes calling for squash puree so we planted squash.

Chandler refuses to give me a real smile these days. Instead she flares her nostrils and looks just past the camera. It's driving me CRAZY!!!

Here's what we've planted this year...

Cantaloupe

Cucumbers
(Rounded leaves are cantaloupe. Pointed leaves are cucumbers.)

Yellow Squash

A zillion tomato plants.
I have no idea how many we have.

Bell Peppers and Banana Peppers.
I can't tell the difference in the leaves. Maybe it's because they aren't doing so well!
This is our first year planting peppers... It may be our last.

Broccoli
Same story here. They don't seem to be doing so well.

Cucumber and cantaloupe have done well every year. We usually end up giving quite a bit away because we can't eat it all before it goes bad.
Last year we had a drought so the tomatoes didn't do so well. The lack of rain didn't seem to bother the cantaloupe and cucumbers. :)

Sunday night we had a TERRIBLE storm. We aren't sure we got that much rain in our area, but the wind, thunder and lightening were intense! Brandon even got up to check the news to make sure we weren't in the middle of a tornado.

This is what I found Monday morning...

That huge tree fell. It's one that I had been worried about for some time. Mainly because it could easily take out our bedroom or even worse, the girls' bedroom! When I told Brandon it fell he was only concerned with his garden! :)
It's currently hung up in surrounding trees. We aren't sure if it's "our" tree or if it belongs to the owners of the wooded lot. Brandon seems to think he can take care of it... I would like to call a tree service and have it removed.
Any suggestions???

Spring Happens!

Just to catch you up on what's been happening at the Miles House this spring...

Brandon and Chandler planted the garden.

Here's the garden "pre-plants"

Planting broccoli

More broccoli

All together we have 4 broccoli plants, 2 bell pepper plants, 2 banana pepper plants, 4 squash plants, 3 cantaloupe plants, 3 cucumber plants, 6 better boy tomato plants (regular tomatos), and 6 cherry tomato plants.


Chandler made a new friend.
About 2 weeks ago, I left the girls at the church so I could attend our Mom's Group Spring Tea. When I came back to get them Chandler was standing with a group of girls and they were all holding blue paper cups... Since they were looking in the cups and not drinking from them, I was curious. I went over to discover that each girl was holding a poor defenseless caterpillar captive in her cup!

Chandler has NEVER been a bug kid, but she loved that caterpillar... so much that she let him/her roam free in my living room!
After we found him I explained to her that living in our house wasn't the best of living arrangements for her new friend. After some tears and some pleading we let him climb a tree in our back yard where he would have food and he would be safe from Max, Ladybug and RILEY! :) Chandler's main concern was that Riley would somehow manage to find a small caterpillar's in our large backyard and cause him undo harm!

I know, I know...

Brandon brought it to my attention that I haven't posted in a week.... SORRY!

I'm working on hair bow orders, softball season has started, my house is a WRECK, and Riley is teething so I'm constantly wiping her nose (GROSS!).

Here's a brief update:
Max is BACK! Our neighbor found him late Friday night, but we didn't find out about it until Monday. We were going to make a trip to the pound to see if he was there when we heard a familiar little bark... Chandler and I ran outside and there he was! Just hopping around the yard trying to eat bugs! He gave Chandler a little bump and Riley a face lick.... he was happy to be back and my girls were OVERJOYED!

Brandon has his garden started... it has been an "indoor garden" for a while now. The plants are officially in the ground outside and we are now praying for a good crop. :)
This year's garden will include our "normal" items: Cucumbers, tomatoes and cantaloupe.
Along with some new items: broccoli, squash, banana peppers and bell peppers.
I'll keep you updated on the progress.

The 1st softball game of the official season started last night. Westmore won... despite the fact that we had 4 of our regular players out.

After the game we walked 2 miles... Chandler rode her bike. She rode her bike for TWO MILES! I was so proud of her... she has come a LONG way since our first bike riding attempt last summer. :)
BONUS: She slept like a ROCK last night!

Tomorrow is a FULL day!
CF walk in the morning
Picnic and fun in Coolidge Park
Dinner somewhere in downtown Chattanooga
Chattanooga Lookouts game at 7:00.