Sprouts, A Visit and an Evening Vet Trip

 The sun is shining bright, and I jumped outside to enjoy it. In times past I would have gone for a hike or down to the swimming hole...but with Michael sleeping more these days and GG needing someone nearby I opt for the garden. I got 9 1/2 of our eleven garden beds weeded. 

I was excited to see sprouts in the bed planted May 28th (below). It's always a magic moment to see that IT WORKED. Years of living with my black thumb has left doubt things will actually GROW after all the prep and work. There are peas under the wire, radishes are up...

and if you look VERY closely - about lower middle of the photo - you can just see carrots beginning to sprout. I don't see any lettuce yet. 

As I weeded the sunflower/strawberry bed (former asparagus bed) I found one little asparagus shoot.  The chickens didn't get them all. LOL 

As I weeded this bed, I noted the cucumbers at the one end of the bed weren't growing. I pulled them and planted some string beans. I'll see if beans will grow best in the greenhouse or hoop house. One year they worked outside but the rest of years it's been too cool for them to produce much.

These tomatoes are in the hoop house. I trimmed the droopy leaves and weeded. 

More sprouts!

Celery and little spinach

Kale and lettuce sprouts

I need to find time in the greenhouse, but I want to work outside when the sun is out. This is the 1 1/2 beds I still need to weed this week.  Most of these beds are tomatoes.

Andrew and Jonathan showed up and put in 2 hours of work. Jonathan worked on weed eating the perimeter and around the garden and Andrew tilled a spot in the ground for corn and potatoes. I hope to get to them tomorrow.  The weeds are relentless when we plant in the ground. Yes, we've tried everything but herbicide. I just don't have enough beds for potatoes and corn. LOL 

Bre dropped by for a visit after VBS. It was a fun break before dinner prep. 

Gideon 

Annie, Gideon, Jojo and Bre

Bella is so gentle with the chicks! 

Krista and I noted a small wound on Millie in the morning. She was lethargic as night drew near. 

After dinner, when everyone was settled, we began to note and discuss Millie in more detail. The wound hadn't scabbed over.  Nothing made sense...but it was swollen and pussy and red... We headed to our emergency vet. 

BTW it 10:15 p.m. 

She is all better....and I'm just so very glad she was groomed days before this. ::snort:: It turns out it was a hair follicle that abscessed... We have 10 days of 2 antibiotics...she's wearing a t-shirt instead of a cone.  They said it could be recurring and the only way to make sure it didn't return would be to "punch out" a bit of skin...we opted to try meds first. 

May's Tidbits

 The one where we capture various tidbits from May which I was too lazy to blog...but want to remember...

Stacia has been counting down the days to Thunderbolts - a new Marvel movie. At the first opportunity she convinced a variety of siblings to meet her at the theater! A great time was reported. 

Jamin, Stacia, Arielle, Jared, Allie
Luke & Nolan in the back 📷by Jamin

Millie loves all the sun these days. 

Everyone is out enjoying the beautiful, early spring. 

Noah - 📷by Larissa

Hitting the trails - 📷by Arielle

Ellie - 📷by Arielle

Stella seems to be taking her job as a doorman quite seriously!

May9th Alaska Bible College hosted a BBQ for students and families of students. This is the last day of classes of the year. Next week is finals and then Stacia will be a Junior. She invited us all to join her. I dropped by and Bre and Arielle both stopped by with their tribes. The cousins had fun checking out Auntie Stacia's college. 

Benny & Gideon 📷by BreAnne

Danny and Jojo📷by BreAnne

We love it when Nolan drops by to visit or play games. I believe they are enjoying random reels and memes. 

Stacia, Millie & Nolan

Joseph has been such a great influence on both the girls. Allie enjoyed a spring hike with his family. 

Ellie is certainly a day brightener! 

Trudy has a unique make up style all her own. 

Bre has a cold room. In this room she stores school supplies, gifts and all the fun snacks - under lock. Trudy was discovered in the cold room....amidst the sprinkles (check out the carpet). 

Bre reports vacuuming up a pound of sprinkles is actually pretty fun. 

Bre implemented a new security system. The hopes is this will keep Trudy out until Izaak is home to come up with something better. 

Noah! 

Exercises are a part of the military experience. I am not talking about fun runs or cardio. Think war games. A team thinks of scenarios which allows all to practice their responses before arriving in a war theater. Chaplains don't carry guns. This exercise required others to protect her, alas, the system failed, and she was a fairly early casualty. NOW they had to carry her out of the brush, trees and over hills. I don't think this exercise built confidence in the system for the chaplains. 

May 20th found Bre and kids around town celebrating Gideon's birthday. They stopped by the Big Foot Gallery and Big Dipper Ice cream and sent along some photos to share. 

May 21st brought the end of the school year. Charles excelled with the routine of school. He receives a cornucopia of therapies and such as well. The summer will be a challenge for him, prayers for their little family and for his continued improvement in all of his challenging areas are appreciated. He is a doll. 

May brought the embarrassment of public recognition to Livie for being the most improved in the 6th grade band. 

Trudy & Annie

When there are only two princess costumes! 

Trudy, Annie and Bella

Willow & Josi 

Olivia's pets? LOL 

Corn starts - for SALE. I've never seen this before. 

Everyone has caught the gardening bug this week! 

Such a sweet bond - Liv and Josi