We also have been working a lot outside. I had the whole yard weeded and then we had two weeks of nonstop rain so it looks like I'll be spending some more time outside this week! My favorite DIY project of the year so far is the side entryway to our house. I should have taken before pictures...basically it was just dirt. Dirt that got tracked into my house every day. Matt first put up the lattice work (that we need to stain along with the deck). Then we dug out three inches of dirt and laid down high-quality fabric for under the rock. I like the rock that we chose a lot, even if it was the cheapest stuff! The flower pots are a little sad right now, I bought some more to fill them in. Jake is mad at us because we took away his dirt bed but he can still enter underneath the deck from the other side.
Our garden has really taken off. We've already eaten all the radishes and I have to plant more! I can't keep up with the basil and I read all about how to harvest it so it has at most 18 different leads on one plant! I wish I had a garden four times this size. As you can see some things are taking over (broccoli) and the lettuce is going to be pretty crowded. I get so much joy out of growing my own food. We can't wait until we have some more land to grow a big garden where we have to can and freeze everything that we can't eat!
Last weekend we had Katrina and Matt's kids over for two nights so they could spend their 10th wedding anniversary together. We had a fun time even though the weather was pretty crummy. Heck, if they didn't need to eat and bathe, we wouldn't have even needed to be there! They are OBSESSED with Jake aka "Big Jakey" aka "Big Jacob."
Today is Father's Day and I sent Matt off to the airport with a few hand-picked cigars to share with his friends down in San Diego. He will be gone for two weeks for Navy Reserve training and was happy to see that he recognized five of the names on the list of attendants. He was packing last night and I couldn't help snap a couple pictures of him trying on his uniform to make sure everything still fit.
Oh man. I always tell him the only reason I married him is because of his dimple but this is right up there. It's strange to me...because he doesn't have to do the "one weekend a month" and only the "two weeks a year," it's like he lives a different life that I don't see any part of. It's like he's playing dress up. I told him that it would be like if I were a part time stripper in Vegas and flew out there once a year to do my thang and he never to got see any of it. How would he feel!? I suppose I could have gone with but I'm not sure how that would work. I've never been to a military base before. Do any other wives go along? Not that I could have taken off work anyway. We are waiting for a phone call this week or next to see if Matt got the job with UPS. Please pray for good news! The hours and the timing are so perfect for us and it would mean that he doesn't have to go back out to sea this summer! He felt very confident at the interview this week and the only thing that we can think of that would stop them from hiring him for this position is that he is overqualified. Please UPS man, hire my husband!!!
I can't forget to mention Katie and Ben's wedding earlier this month and my coworker's wedding this weekend. Both were so beautiful, start to finish, and so filled with love and excitement for what lies ahead. It was so great to spend some quality time with the extended family who were in town for Katie and Ben's wedding. The last time we saw most of them was our wedding and we didn't have time to really talk to anyone with all the business of getting married! I didn't take a single picture at either one partly because I am boycotting taking any meaningful photos with this POC camera until I get my new one and partly because I was busy oogling over babies.
This weekend marks the 16th week of pregnancy! I am definitely starting to "pop" and I can't believe that in a few weeks I might start to feel the baby moving around! A lot of people around me say that they forget that I'm pregnant because they can't see the belly. I sometimes feel the same way. I just picture this miniature little thing tucked deep inside that I can't feel or see but it is really growing! We're talking avocado sized this week! Weird. Next month is our 20 week ultrasound and we've decided that we are going to find out the gender of the baby. EVERYONE tells me it's a boy and even I am inclined to think so but lately all I can think about is my little girl named Mabel. I know, Trine. I can't take the name. But I just have to. It's all I can think about. Normally when I vacuum the house it's my time to vent any built up anger that I have and I huff and puff and sweat and curse the dog for all his shedding and whatever other frustrations I have I let out because nobody can hear me. This week I was vacuuming the stairs and I couldn't stop smiling thinking about holding my little baby girl Mabel and all of the things that we were going to do and all of the things that I am going to tell her and all of the nursing and rocking and crying and loving. So there. I beat you to it. And I'm not sorry. You better pray it's a boy sistah. We don't even have a boys name picked out. Mabel means "lovable" and was the name of a very special great-aunt of mine. I miss Mabel so much and going to her apartment and seeing all the old black and white photos and eating saltines with butter. Mabel was the sweetest most lovable, joy-filled person I ever knew. Her round face and sweet smile put the world at ease. Mabel. It's perfect.
On my way home from the airport today I stopped at a roadside kiosk to pick up a bucket of strawberries. I need to figure out what I want to make with them before they're all gone! I waited until Matt left to get them because he started on Atkins this week and it would be pure torture to have those in the house! I have a lot of things that I want to get done this week but my energy is low. I'm sick for the fourth time since I got pregnant. They are sure right about a compromised immune system! As soon as Matt gets home we are heading up to the cabin for the 4th of July! I told you summer would go by quickly!
Happy Fathers Day!
