Sunshine & Dirt...

Here is a little peek at our garden.  This is the second spring time in which we have had a backyard that we are able to grow things in.  I love spending time out in the garden with my little ones.  Sometimes it is a bit stressful and I find myself yelling " don't step on that!"  or the rooster is let out by curious little ones and we are frantically chasing it.  But, for the most part, outdoor time with my littles is very lovely.  We started our seeds excitedly, still when it was way to cold to be thinking of gardening, some in our kitchen windowsill and some straight in the ground.  We have growing red onions, garlic, swiss chard, carrots, red leaf and green leaf lettuce, yellow pear tomatoes, roma tomatoes, corn, sugar snap peas, strawberries, sunburst pattypan squash, zuchinni, and in a little plot on the other side of the chicken pen, we have a little watermelon and pumpkin patch starting to sprout.  We love our little garden very much.  Caillou and Jasper get great enjoyment spending time in the yard, searching for strawberries, and feeding the chickens.  Caillou has taken a particular liking to growing carrots, his whole little face lights up and he is bursting with excitement when he plucks them from the ground.  He quickly gives them " a bath" and gives one to his brother and they both nibble away on their little carrots.  We planted a variety called "short and sweet" they are cute, fat little stubby carrots, perfect for little nibblers!  It has been quite fun to pick some of our gardens bounty and share it with my mama and mom.  My mom has 4 rabbits, so they have really enjoyed the homegrown lettuce and carrot tops.  My mama particularly enjoys the green onions!  I am amazed our little garden has done this well so far, seeing as I am too poor for any fertilizers, soil enrichers, and stuff like that.  But so far... just good old sunshine and dirt and everything is coming along.  Garden time is a bit bittersweet for me.  Everytime I pull a weed or put another seed into the ground, I have to wonder if we will be here long enough to see it grow.  I find myself a bit weepy when the boys are out in their tree, climbing and playing, and swinging on their tire swing.  My boys really love their home, and I just keep hoping we will be able to stay here a good long time and make many more memories here.