a bunch of updates...

it has been a busy few weeks around here.  the neighbors have all made comments about how much we have done in the less than 2 months we've been here (we've been in our new house for 6 weeks!).  we have completely unpacked, had 3 trees dropped (2 dead ones and a super tall, sewer clogging dangerous one), installed new heat-pump water heating and furnace systems, had a whole new fence built, had a housewarming party, overlapped 3 spring breaks, and started new quarters for the whole family.  phew! i'm tired just thinking about it.  and oh yeah, i'm also growing a person from scratch.  that's exhausting, too. here are some pictures of recent events:

 james turned 32.  Bean and I decorated (see the penants over the window?) and baked his favorite birthday cake - his mom's boston cream pie recipe.  he wasn't too excited about is birthday, but we tried to make it special and he enjoyed himself :)

 Bean posing for a belly shot with mama.  this is from 3 weeks ago.  i guess 5 pregnancies really pops you quick, since i was only 13 or so weeks then.... oh yea, it's a brother for Bean :)

 i have never been good at keeping living plants.  but we are going to give it a good strong try at our new home.  here are the planters Bean and i planted lettuce (in 2 of them), radishes, and carrots in.

 this one is from today - the first super-lovely day of PNW spring.  Bean insisted on having a picnic lunch, so I cheerfully agreed.  you can see a bit of our new fence behind her.

 here's a shot of our currently barren front yard.  Bean has a swing hanging from that cedar, and the stump is from the monster tree we dropped.  some guys are going to remove it (hopefully) this weekend.  we are hoping to replace it with a fruit tree, placed on the far side of that smallish rhodie so it doesn't block the sewer pipes like the birch did ( that stump is directly centered over the pipe.  grrr).  and probably some blueberry bushes and peas will grow in the front, too.  this house has crazy full sun all day in the front and back yards, so hopefully that will be a good thing?!?

 another shot of the gross looking front yard.  we've got our work cut out for us! lol

here's a birds-eye sketch of what we want to do to the yard.  the white is the concrete porch, and the green at the top and side of the pic will be stepable moss so we don't have to mow, with large places for berries, a fruit tree, beans, and other fun edible things.  under the cedar you can see Beans swing, and we want to put a sandbox (with a cover for the cat-concerned readers ;-) ) and possibly a playhouse type thing under it, too. 

hope you enjoyed our little life tour. we sure are enjoying that it is our life :)