the swing

We finally figured out a new place for a tree swing. We've missed our old one since the elm came down. This one hangs in the big maple on the west side of the yard, and has required some reworking of the garden underneath it, but that was always one area that needed some attention - a few random hostas, and overrun with ferns, myrtle, and snow on the mountain. I've moved a few things in along the edges, but this may be the impetus to really pull something together and give it some shape.

the fountain

Eben has discovered the joys of Reuben's water feature! It's so neat to us that Reuben is still, three years later, so very into his fountain.

Can't think of a better way to spend the first day of summer!!

Flowers in my hair

I am a happy mother in the garden. This has become the place to put the flowers that the girls pick for me while we're out working. I don't think my hair looked this fancy even for my wedding!

Syrup Season

And, we're off!

Decorating

We've talked about it for years, and then on a whim last night, seeing the Christmas lights on clearance at Target, I called Matt to see if he wanted some from his Mom for Christmas, and he said yes! Today we put one string of lights up around the flat roof overhang on the 2013 addition. Kind of funny how the string of lights was an exact, perfect fit!!

Ready for winter

It wasn't a year for much of anything to happen in the yard, but I did manage to get the wreath updated for the fall season, and then with the red ribbon in time for Christmas.

All set for fall...

We'll see if I actually get a chance to get a PHOTO of the ribbon!

The Cunningham's apples

This has just NOT been a year for the garden. As I looked out from the second story window at the completely fallow garden, seeing the one lone red tomato that I had seen, but hadn't even had the time to get out and pick, even though it would have meant a 30% increase in our yearly tomato crop, it made me think of the Sabbath years that God commanded the Israelites to give to their own fields - a year of no planting, but only harvesting what came up on its own.

We got a hint of that with our ten baby pumpkins. Ten pumpkins for our ten children growing up in this motley garden. Coincidence? I think not.

But, getting just one jar of pear sauce out of all of the fruit trees in the backyard made getting a gift of a bag of apples from our friends' trees that much more special. (The Cunninghams got 3000 pounds of apples this year, and sent a bag via the Engessers last week.) Even more fun was having Mr. Cunningham bring three more boxes of apples - roughly 100 pounds! - and tucking them behind the dumpster at his office in St. Paul.

Evania and I went out after lunch (with Eben in tow), to pick them up. She was my helper in case the boxes were too heavy or awkward for me, and they really were, so she helped me lighten the load by piling some into bags.

 And here's the haul all loaded up in Big Blue. Yum!!!