How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well... it was yesterday's really... We had a busy busy weekend and had zero energy to cook dinner.... So we packed a picnic and walked to the mausoleum next to our apartment building and spread out the quilt Amy Hopkin's made for our wedding... and ate dinner composed of bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs, banana's, peaches, and sour candy we got from a festival this weekend (more pictures to come on that this week). It was wonderful to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having. I try to enjoy the small moments in life... I really do. It's easy to get bogged down in the everyday and things that aren't happening that you can forget the things & people that are important. Happy Sunday picnic ya'll!

Once upon a time several months back, my fairy godmother Amy gave me some plants. I was so ecstatic to have them, but terrified they would die within a week of bringing them home. Keeping plants alive and thriving is a tricky business... it's no laughing matter in my family with my father having the ability to heal and nurture a plant just by looking at it. I so wanted him to be proud of his daughter... and be excited that I finally have plants. He used to tease me about it saying "Why don't you have any plants? They're so good for you. I can't believe that MY daughter doesn't have any plants!!!" So D and I carried them into the apartment and set them out on the balcony. I had to replant several of them into different containers and make sure they had holes in the bottom. There were days of careful watering... I was fearful of overwatering them and giving them "root rot". Some days I would walk out and find my tomato plants wilting... I would put my hands on my hips and exclaim in a super hero like style , "Never fear!!!! I shall water you!!!!" and leap and bound to the sink with my handy dandy watering can to revive my thirsty plants! So I've amassed quite a collection now, and am finally getting to harvest the fruits and veggies! Take a looksee....

My tomatoes!!!! There are so many now... and some of them are finally starting to change color! I have so many ideas for what to do with them!

Fresh parsley & dill with some chives mixed in. I've put this in everything lately! It's so nice to have fresh herbs on hand!

This is the latest addition... PEPPERMINT!!! I adore mojito's and recently we haven't been able to find mint at the commissary at ALL. and since Globus is a ways away... we've had to do without. No bueno. So at the K-town freshmarket the other day I bought some mint of my own so we'll have on hand! Although Dad informed me it's a perennial.... bummer dude.

Green beans!!!!! I am so excited to saute these in olive oil with a smidge of garlic and cooking sherry. YUM!

Strawberries!!!!! Although I was REALLY worried when they were only getting about as big as my thumbnail... after consulting with the expert (aka Dad) I found out that there are different varieties of strawberries... and apparently this variety doesn't get very big... but they are still DELICIOUS!!!

Oregano! I have yet to use any... but there's definitely some italian on the future menu at this house! I have missed having fresh herbs... it makes me home sick for my house in Garland where Dad would have 4 kinds of basil, 3 kinds of mint, 2 kinds of thyme, oregano, rosemary, and chives.... So I'm desperately trying to build my own herb garden!

First Harvest!!!!! I was super excited! I want to eat all of the strawberries right now.... but since they're D's fav, I had better not. I am seriously in shock that I'm actually able to pull this off from my balcony.... although I think my neighbors below us hate me for the little stream of water that pees off our drainage pipe onto their balconies.... oops. But this has been such a sucessful adventure I am psyched to try more stuff next year!!! I'm hoping I can get some rosemary going before the winter hits... as oregano and rosemary can last all year round... We'll see. But for now, here's to you Dad... to all of the plant knowledge you've taught me over the years... I now "get it" and I want to grow up and be just like you!!!

Today my mother would have been 55 years old. I can only imagine what she would look like... but I can see her smile. I would have made her a coconut cake and we would sit and eat it over coffee. I would have shown her the wedding pictures that I recently received from our photographer. My heart aches that we will only be able to do this in my memory now, although I have coffee with her daily... I just can't see her. These days the wisdom she has imparted on my in her lifetime becomes more and more apparent. I have also become much more like her than I ever imagined I could. Mother you are my life, even in death. I still hope and pray everyday that I can grow up to be as good of a wife, mother, & friend as you were to me and those around you. I miss you every day.... and there is never a moment where you are far from my thoughts. Happy Birthday Mother! Hope your eating cake today in heaven baked by angels!

There is a great deal going on.... Dinner with Crystal on Weds... Photoshop and photography with Jen and Megan... Plus, pillows with Paula and maybe another trip to IKEA? Oh! and paint!!! I HAVE to get paint this week! Lots of projects going on.... so I'm working hard. Hopefully there will be some progress pics by the end of this week! Hope everyone has a wonderful monday! Miss and love you!!!!

Otterberg Adventures: The Dino Park Expedition

D & I are went to the eye doctor to appease my mind about his getting corrective eye surgery. (yikes.) I know, it's dumb to worry. After all, my own mother had LASIK done.... but there just something about someone shooting a "laser" at my husbands eyeballs that makes me just a tad bit nervous. I mean there are HUGE pro's.... like his glasses never catching in my hair and pulling it out when he kisses me... (which i've discovered, ladies, is where mom gets all the wispies) and the fact that i'll be able to see his pretty green iris's without a glasses line through them as they slip down his nose half the time. AND  he'll have to put regular lenses into his prescription lensed "Ray-Bans" and I'll be able to borrow them!!!! oh wait.... and of course the obvious most important reason is his being able to see better. I suppose i'm bitter because he already has better vision than me so he should be grateful. But regardless I'm Dr. Eyeball-King sort of eased my fears about this... although we figured out that he'll be getting PRK not LASIK, we're going to fill out the application and see what happens. If it's not meant to be, then God will take care of the rest. Time for me not to worry... Whew!


So for those of you who don't know, once a week I pack my trusty traveling bag and drive out to Otterberg to visit the Jess' The Aiduk's and Jen. It's not super close, so I usually try to spend most of my day there. It's so awesome to get away for a day and be a part of another family. Particularly with one so much like where I came from. As I've mentioned in this post: Ridiculous Rainbows, A Like-Minded Friend & The Winner Is... Jess has two beautiful little girls with golden curls (no, seriously..) and it's always a hoot hanging out watching the kids. You seriously never know what they're going to do. Plus, I feel like I'm sort of getting "Mommy Practice".  and NO i'm not pregnant. I just like the idea of other people's kids right now.... anyway, I digress.

This particular Otterberg Adventure involves us packing up the car with provisions and baby "pack-packs" and heading out to the Dino Park in K-town. I had never been before, but Jess, Jen & the girls had been a time or two. I was fascinated!!! They even have a barefoot path that is specifically for you to walk on sans-shoes!!! Freaking genius.

This is how the day started out. Don't ride the dinosaurs. bahahahaha. This was on the larger overall areal map of the park shown below. It's a big park. Not to mention uneven terrain. and lots of stairs.... (shocker).

I'm pretty sure we walked most of the park that day. And did I mention I was wearing a kid on my back? Yep! I had the honor of carrying little Sama-lama in the baby backpack. It's a super handy dandy contraption that makes me feel like I could actually be a Mom and survive.

By the end of the day I was able to take her out of it all by myself!!!!! I felt so proud. I love that I'm learning these things right now. Still makes me wonder how in the heck my parents did it..... so we walk up a set of stairs and what do we see at the top? Why a castle ruin of course. Because that's completely normal. And the scary thing is that I'm starting to thing it's normal....

And no, I have no idea what castle this is, nor whom it was for. So don't ask. I just thought it was the 400 millionth picturesque moment I've had while living here in Germany. Onward we hiked.... babies still on our backs and the trusty picnic in Jen's backpack. All of a sudden we come across this crazy structure. 

Come to find out they hold a church service here!!! How awesome would that be? Jess even told me that they have a Christmas Eve service. Definitely want to hit that this year! I wonder if they put lights in the trees? Onward we go.....

I have never seen so much Queen Anne's Lace in one area before. I am seriously fascinated by this flower.... or is it a weed?

So at this point we head into the trees you see behind the apple branch. This part of the park was very foresty (yes, that's technical term) and upon seeing the signs we discovered that it's the bird watching part of the park. We saw a great deal of birdhouses.... but no interesting birds. Bummer dude. They lied. We were psyched to be in the shade as the temp was much nicer in the trees. Lily and Sam found a chicken coup and were ridiculously delighted! Lily was slightly nervous about her sister putting her fingers through the fence and pulled her away several times! It was on this part of our walk that I introduced the girls to "walking sticks". I still can't get over how when you have something, suddenly all of the small children you are with want one too. Nothing is sacred. Luckily there were plenty of sticks around and I found two that were the perfect height for the girls. Look at that concentration on their faces! So psyched! The best part of the day was when we ultimately were finished with the bird watching forest and came back to the gates, only to find that they were locked. Yep. Definitely locked in. We saw some workers not far from the gate and made damsel in distress noises. They see us, and laugh. I mean, knee-slapping-almost-pee-your-pants-laugh.... Luckily there was a car that pulled up to the gate right then and the person inside spoke English and let us out. He then informed us that this part of the park was not open to the public at this time (oops...) and that if we came back on Sunday we could go in again. ha!

Picnic Time!!!! It was definitely time to eat. Our tummies were grumbling and the wee ones were wanting out of their "pack pack's". Jess packed us a fantastic spread of hard boiled eggs, french bread, apples, and brie. And I, having no food on hand at the house, brought pringles, just like an unhealthy auntie.

At last it was time to head home... but only after a gorgeous view snapshot and I just had to show you guys the pirouetting bear topiary. He was my favorite. His name is Hanz. It was a fantastic trip to the Dino Park... and I was surely sore the next day... just goes to show how lazy out of shape I am.
Another successful Otterberg (okay so it was K-town...) adventure!!!! I'm so thrilled that I get to go visit tomorrow!!! and stay past 5:00 PM!!!! This Cinderella finally doesn't have to worry about turning into a pumpkin! I hope everyone is having a great week!!! Happy Wednesday!!!