The Pool is Officially open for the Summer

Scenes from a backyard nearby yesterday afternoon.......

Probably the last time the fire pit is "fired" up this summer.

It's not a pleasant experience when it's 110 outside.

More Graduates

Sorry to subject everyone to more photos of my graduates, but another milestone passed last Friday which I had to share.

Preschool graduation!

I'm sure he was full of confidence in the hallway, but as soon as he walked into the room, the cap or his hands went in front of his face.

He is singing his little part with all his heart....but with his hands in front of his face.

By now I'm laughing hysterically and trying to keep the camera focused. (not too well BTW)

Yes! I caught him for a second.

I asked him later why he was hiding his face, and he said, "I didn't want anyone to look at me."
(oops sorry kid, a lot of people are looking at you at this moment!)

Is this a metaphor for life for all our recent graduates? Trying to be confident in a new world, but wanting to hide behind their hands?  Hmmmm.......

Now I have to post a few more of my own graduate.....

It's a good thing I documented this for posterity because she lost the 2011 somewhere on the football field.

Primping for the event. (The gold around her neck indicates she is a honors student)

This photo was a happy accident for me. The light on her face and her school mantra, "Carry On" in the background. Sometimes you don't know what you are going to get when you push the button!

Her adoring fan base. (We got to sit on the field and be recognized as having our 7th and final child graduate)

Her sisters. I think I have beautiful daughters!!

I've had mixed emotions the last few days. I feel like a part of my mothering identity is gone. It's a strange feeling. I don't think I like it too much. I'm trying to ponder on it and look forward to the other exciting possibilities in life. After all, I still have two more babies to marry off.

Pickins' from my Patch

This morning's harvest.

I guess I can blame my lack of posting on my garden. You see in my own little h*llhole corner of the desert southwest, it starts getting mighty hot, even in the morning. The prime time to get my hands dirty is early. Thus, my blogging time has been displaced by other activities.

But, what a rich reward! I should have titled this post, 10,000 ways to eat squash. We've had fried zucchini, zucchini muffins, steamed squash, roasted squash, and squash fritters, and the season has just begun! I'm going to try a creamy squash soup in a few days. (the recipe looks delish)  So any of the 10 people who read my blog, any recipes for using squash/zucchini?  I would be most grateful. The more disguised, the better. (yes I plan on making zucchini bread too) The goal for the squash/zucchini season is to harvest them before they get to the size of baseball bats.

One of my great joys so far this season has been cucumbers! For whatever reason, I've never been able to get a harvest of the normal, regular, dark-green, like the-kind-you-buy-in-the-grocery store. I've been able to grow the light green, crazy looking Armenian kind, but my family hasn't taken kindly to this variety. But.....this year has been a first! Those first two little chubs in the photo are cukes!!! Yea! 

So good luck all you northern gardeners just getting started! I'll be "green" with envy by August when my patch is nothing but brown, dried up stubs.

And now pardon me while I go feed my babies in my little patch.....

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Elder Larsen just got transferred!!!

He's saying goodbye to Anchorage........

This nice lady called me today and he was sitting right by her. She informed me that he is getting transferred to............

Juneau!!!

We are beyond excited for him.  Can't wait to hear from him and see the photos.....

Seventh and Final

It's been 29 years.
I counted it up yesterday, with shock and awe.
You see, it was in the year of 1982,
that I sent my first little one off to public school.

And now I'm about to watch my baby graduate.
A week from today.

Time flies.
I look back on these past 29 years.
With some relief,
Some regret.
Wishing that I had participated more.
Worried less.
Enjoyed more.

But next week on that football field,
we are going to be recognized as the parents of the 7th and final child
to have graduated from Mesa High School.

And I'll probably be cheering.
And a little bit of tearing.....

Here she is receiving a surprise award.
For the Army Reserve student athlete/scholar.
Surprise!
But well deserved.

Who Says you Can't Eat Green Beans for Breakfast?

I know my kids are gagging at this point.
But I picked a handful of beautiful fresh beans this morning.
And TL and I love 'em.
So I steamed them up and we had them by the side of our eggs and mushrooms.
(don't forget the butter too!)
Yummmmmm.

Editor's note:
Sorry to be absent. The weather is so beautiful right now that I'm spending lots of time outdoors and with other projects. I'm going to keep trying to share! There's lots going on...And when I had time to blog, Blogger was down....

Florida

My first alligator in the wild. Definitely taken with the telephoto lens.

Not so wild alligator held by "Dad Dundee."  Advice given by #1 son, "now you need to get him a real knife." Name that movie.

This is how I spent one day. I have the peeling sunburn to prove it.

The requisite photo of me in the Gulf of Mexico. I say requisite because every time we visit a new place, whatever body of water happens to be closest, I get a photo of my tootsies in the water. I have photos of me soaking my toes in the Mediterrean Sea and the Tagus River, to name a few.

BTW-the water is incredibly warm! Being used to the freezing Pacific waves (or not-I hardly venture in farther than my ankles), I was absolutely amazed. The sandy beaches are white, white, white. It is gorgeous.

Up close and personal, with the Everglades!

In our personal airboat. FUN! The guides on these airboats are native born Evergladians (is that a word) and they are CRAZY.

If you see a floating log on a river, it's probably an alligator....

More wildlife. This is a panther. There are signs all over the highways that say, "panther crossing." There are signs on the water that say "manatee crossing."  It seems there is plenty of wildlife crossing everywhere. One more reason I don't want to live in Florida.

For Jessica-this was one event we attended at a wildlife zoo with GINORMOUS tents and delicious food.

We were so lonely for our kids, we adopted a cute couple from California.  We were out in the Everglades again. (ghastly picture of "mom & dad"!)

This was a TOTAL blast. I want one! It was really scary getting used to it at first because you use your weight to start and stop, but once we got the hang of it, I didn't want to get off. We cruised the streets of Naples on these.

And so I'll end my post with a nice Florida sunset.....

Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
We have plenty of golf courses, retirement homes, snowbirds, palm trees, sunshine and beautiful sunsets here.
Minus the humidity......

Tap, tap, tap, are you in there? or How we Celebrated the Royal Wedding

Yup, I've been absent. I've been SUPER busy doing things, you know, like picking my sunburn and scratching my Florida bug bites. Important things like that. you know.

So I thought I would return by sharing EXACTLY what I did during the Royal Wedding last week.

Snuggling with grandbaby #11!!! Not sure if his parents want his name revealed on line but he arrived safe and sound, all 8 pounds even of him!

Actually I watched the royal wedding live, as I was fretting and waiting for the phone call to come to the hospital. We had gotten the call the night before that mama was in labor, so I was ready and waiting, but didn't get the call until early the next morning that the event was imminent.

Therefore, I watched the regal event live, with half closed eyeballs, knowing that I was recording it for my posterity to be watched at a more reasonable hour.

After we gooed and snuggled and I dashed home, which seemed to be filled with 500 children, including the siblings of sweet baby, not really 500.  The doorbell rang and to my amazement this person was at my door...

Ready and prepped to watch the big event. Under no circumstances was I allowed to reveal any details of the wedding, INCLUDING, the Dress.

My Anglophile child arrived, prepared and ready for "tea" in her borrowed antique Mini Cooper. She was dressed appropriately for the occasion, including the required hat.

So I'll end my silence with a couple more photos of sweet baby boy, taken yesterday.

He's so squishy and snuggly and lovely!

And I think he loves his Grandma!!

Edit-After re-reading this post, I realize it sounds slightly incoherent and disjointed. I'm blaming my middle aged brain.