Oh, DEER!!

The deer have been really rough on our hostas recently. I like to see the deer around our yard but I do NOT like that they eat our plants. Good thing Chad rigged up a fence around our garden!! We have been using Tree Guard on our plants. This is something our neighbor recommended. It worked well last summer and this summer until just recently.

I think this is the lone hosta that has not been touched. I love how full it is.

These four as well as the next picture are directly in front of our house. They are even nestled back in a bit between our garage and front porch. Doesn't phase the deer! (I'm not sure you can really tell in the picture but they are well eaten off of! If you click on the picture to see it bigger you will be able to tell.)

These are in our backyard, back along the trees. They have totally demolished these hostas...
as well as these hostas and the one eyed Susan's blooms were almost ready to open!
They have not eaten these flowers. I love the tiny little flowers within these flowers!
Maybe next year we should only plant flowers and plants that the deer aren't supposed to eat. But I really like the hostas!! Dumb Deer

The Great Outdoors

Andrew is much better, went to preschool this afternoon. Carson is doing ok,he really doesn't act sick. He does have the rash mainly on his feet and bottom. He has sores in his mouth which only bother him every once in a while. He really plays well, you really wouldn't know he had the virus. He did have a fever yesterday late afternoon but hasn't since. Unfortunately Carson will not be able to go to our gathering with our Sunday school class tonight. Either Chad or I plan to go with Andrew and the other stay home with Carson.

It is a beautiful day today, so we decided to get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

The boys love playing with his bubble wand. They usually take turns holding the wand and making bubbles. Today after Carson first turn with the wand he was content to chase all the bubbles Andrew made. So nice to be out again!

I love these purple wild flowers that pop up in the wooded areas surrounding our house this time of year!

Here is a shade garden Chad developed last year in the wooded area behind our house. Hostas are one of my favorite plants. One of few plants I can actually pick out and name. My mom, who loves to garden and knows so many different plants, would be so dissappointed! :) I enjoy gardening but just don't know the names of the plants.

We are enjoying working in our first garden. I won't deny it, Chad has done most of the work. He built the raised bed; filled it with compost, vermiculite and pete moss; planted all the seeds and plants. I have pulled some weeds and water it - that is it. But I will be the one to prepare most of the vegetables from the garden. Below we have a couple of different types of lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, & basil...(and Carson & I's shadows)

and potatoes, cauliflower, peppers, onions, carrots and sugar snap peas.

Can't wait to eat from the garden. Perhaps a salad for two very soon!

Working in the garden

The boys helped Chad get the raised garden ready for planting on Saturday. What a beautiful day it was! Sunny and in the 70s, perfect. Too bad we didn't get anything planted before all this rain! We are excited for our first garden. Can't wait for lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes.... On a side note, we ran out of applesauce last week. :( I guess we will have to freeze more this summer. We did 2+ buschels of apples, perhaps we will do 3 this summer.

They spotted me! "Hey Mom!!"