We wanted to see how the kids would do camping so before we head up somewhere we thought we'd do a trial run in the backyard.
Oh Memphis is so stinkin' cute, I love this picture.
Merrick loving the tent calling it his "house" and what not.
Smoke from the barbecue. We roasted marshmallows this night too and that was a big hit.
Monkey pool fun.
I am just blown away by this little garden of theirs. At the beginning of the summer when I was living with my parents and Sean was in New York I signed up with a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Camarillo and received a box of fresh produce with a good variety of vegetables. They gave you what was in season which really encouraged me to get creative with my meals which I really just loved, loved, loved. I wanted to do the box as a trial run for when I go to Staten Island so that I could decide whether it would be worth it in the long run and you know aside from getting more radishes than I'd like to admit I was really satisfied with the CSA process. I help mom and pop farmers, keepin it local and all and I get fresh, organic produce at a really great price. Anyways I came across these pictures on my mother-in-laws computer and had to post them. I love gardens and in my state of transition have not been able to plant one so signing up with my local CSA and going blueberry picking last week have been the closest things I've had until now. NOW I have this!!! It's not mine at all so please don't get me wrong but it's the fruits of this little garden that will be placed in front of me for some creative undertakings. So far it's just been the zucchini which Steve asked me ( nagged me ahem) to make zucchini bread with and of course I was on board for anything else he might want me to do with ANYTHING that comes from that garden. Tonight we had grilled chicken, artichokes, sauteed onions and zucchinni with Gruyere cheese, grilled caramelized apricots (from Grandma and Grandpa Sears house) with brown rice and salad. I just could not get enough of our feast. There really is something about fresh produce that makes every little bite taste that much better. Oh yeah and for future reference on my my part I need to make a mental note that my kids do not and I repeat DO NOT like Grapefruit juice. 
I feel as if we've neglected good ol' uncle Dustin for wayyyy too long and for that I am truly ashamed. I mean we've hardly written, hardly sent packages and hardly sent any pictures of our growing children. Poor guy good thing he has other siblings to make him feel loved. Anyways I wanted to also add some pictures of him on his mission baptizing in the ocean, the beautiful Caribbean ocean, can you believe it? so that he knows we still love him very much and think about him all the time. Just in case I forget Dustin left for his Mission to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in October of 2008.
