Around Here Week 26: 06/28-07/03

 A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment.

photo cred: Miss Hannah

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 255+ hours  (of 1000)
The weather has been pretty nuts recently; super duper hot and then crazy downpours and thunderstorms sporadically throughout the day. Makes awesome weather for all the greenery and our yard and flowers look beautiful as well as our garden is growing to rainforest sizes (our zucchini leaves are bigger than dinner plates and taller than my waist! On a day that wasn't too hot, between rain storms, all six kids and I took a hike behind the house up to the gravel road/forest. I had Red in the carrier for most of the hike (although he walked on his own two feet for about half a mile) and Liv was in the front carrier. We found blackberries on the path home and Red loved the ready-to-eat snack. Vi was asking if we'll make our "famous" blackberry pie again (hahha!) I told her yes and as soon as the blackberry bushes are full!

Reading and finishing Sorry...Love your Husband by Clint Edwards. It was a heartwarming, easy read. I'm continuing to read How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott D Sampson and although it's taking me a long time to get through it - I feel inspired every time I get a couple pages in. I started listening to the Homesteady podcast, particularly about goats and it was really validating and funny and also helpful. 

Creating & ordering Olive's birth announcements (finally!) but ordering only a few for immediate family and Olive's baby book. Just one tiny thing that has been weighing on my mind and I'm relieved it's done.

Giddy over our garden! We can see cauliflower starting to sprout which were our seed babies that we started in the house this winter. Zucchini was the first to be ready to be picked and we already grilled some up for dinner on Saturday night. The peppers and jalapeños look like they might be ready next. How proud and accomplished I feel when we head out to the garden to see how things are growing. It's such an incredible feeling to be able to reap what you sow - literally. Life lesson in the most fundamental version. 

Surprised by the hydrangea. So many blooms this year! I actually have seen other people posting on social media about how much their hydrangeas have been blooming too. It must be this rainforest summer we are having (extreme heat ping ponging with severe thunderstorms). 

Praying and worrying about my mumma who was in a serious car accident on Tuesday morning. She was life flighted to the hospital (she flew right over our house as the kids and I waved and blew kisses to her) where she received 15 staples in her head and a blood transfusion. We are so very grateful that she is alive and besides her head, some stitches, and a lot of bruising and soreness; she is okay. It will be weeks of recovery and therapy before she can walk unassisted and be back to full motion and speed, but she is strong and motivated. All week, we've stopped down at the hospital for visits but no child visitors allowed, so by Saturday when she was home, the kids were so happy to see her and check out all her booboos. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. Keep 'em coming, she has some recuperating to do! 

Grateful for our Miss Hannah; nanny extraordinaire who took the big kids to the Que to swim and play all afternoon on Tuesday when I was worried and waiting to hear back about my mom at the hospital and then when she came by on super short notice on Thursday so that B and I could go down to see her together and then grab a bite to eat afterwards. We love you Miss Hannah! 

Potentially rethinking goats because it's been a tough couple of months. Donut showed signs of being sick this week and I went into a panic thinking we were going to lose another goat!? Luckily, we were able to get a stool sample seen by a local vet (Forrest Hills vet is amazing!) and got her meds which already perked her back up. She had coccidiosis and the super high temps weren't helping either. What do about snow fence breakouts everyday though is still a struggle. 

Receiving my first custom candle from The Reclaimed Flame PA (a local candle artist). I reached out to her to see if she would be willing to assist in my 100 small things task #60 to get a monthly themed candle. I love my first one; she called it "Catch a Wave" and it smells divine. I was even within delivery distance, so she left in my mailbox in a basket with a scarf! She's amazing and you should definitely consider checking her out if you are a candle lover. (her etsy shop) (her instagram)

Getting a thumbs up at my 6week post partum check up and grateful to get to visit with my midwife/cousin/superwoman Meg. 

Sporting with our co-ed volleyball game - although I didn't play this week because that was the day of my mum's accident and my stomach was in knots, so B played with the rest of our team. Brandon also had a youth football meeting and Greyson had a fun night with the 12 team playing home run derby and a pizza party to close out their season. 

Making two green chefs this week chickpea pitas and sweet potato/black bean tacos. We also made the other ham loaf that I froze from our sweet delivery from Katie earlier last month. We had Korean beef and broccoli and grilled kielbasa and veggies too. B and the kids had tacos at Pappy and Gigi's too on Monday night during their night swim visit; the babies and I stayed home to get an early bedtime in.