Our Plentiful Garden

This year we decided to do a community garden. We decided to plant sunflowers again this year because of how well they did last year. To my disappointment they didn't do so well. That is okay though and I will try again this year. I just love how big they get. We also planted lots of tomato plants (large and Roma) and peppers (jalapenos, green and Anaheim). Our tomato plants have grown so big and overcrowded. But we have had a great harvest. Next year we won't plant so many and plant them far away. It is fun to be learning from trial and error. When we finally have gone out to pick we have so much to make tons of salsa which we have thoroughly enjoyed. The picture doesn't do justice to how much we have gained this year. We had so much more this last time of picking. Our next pick will probably be the last as it is starting to cool down. Especially at night. We have been so blessed to have had a bounteous amount of crop this year and to be able to share in it with our neighbors.

Brooklyn's Due Date

The due date for Brooklyn is just two days away. I have been anticipating this day for a long 9 months. Sometimes I can't believe it has gone so fast and yet not fast enough. I recently went in for my weekly doctors visit and I am still dilated to 2 cm. The doctor says she is probably between 7 and 8 lbs. Not much progress in the last couple of weeks but I am still holding out. Mike and I are pretty anxious for her to come. The doctor has informed me that about 80% of first mothers and 50% of all births actually come after the due date. I am learning to be patient and accept the fact that she probably won't come until next week. This is good in the fact that Mike has two tests this weekend and one on Monday. He will be able to finish his tests and not have to worry about them while I am going into labor and afterward. Maybe that is why she is holding out. I am trying to keep myself busy reading books and finding things to do around the house. Hopefully she will come in time for Mom to have at least one week to help me before she goes to Washington for Grady's blessing (Derek and Jill's newest arrival). I am happy that she will have a cousin her age. It will be so much fun when the family gets together for reunions and the like. My next post will probably be pictures of our newest arrival. We already love her so much. The picture I have included isn't the greatest but it is the best we have to show how big I have gotten.

Baby Shower

We had the baby shower on September 2. It was a lot of fun. I am glad so many people were able to make it. I had family, past roommates, friendly neighbors and great friends make it to support me. I am so grateful to my sister Megan, sister-in-law Camille, and Mother for arranging this special night. It was so nice of Camille and Peter to let us use their backyard for the event. The food was great and I got a lot of great presents from everyone. Brooklyn is going to be one spoiled little girl. I am grateful to Mom Gardner for making her quilt and baby blanket. Also, for the sweet blessing dress she bought me. I am also grateful for the baby book I was given to record all the special events and details of Brooklyn's first years of life. All the gifts are wonderful and will definitely be of good use for years and months to come. Again thank you all for coming and supporting me and Brooklyn.

Brooklyn's Baby Room

A couple months ago I had been wondering what I was going to do to decorate the baby's bedroom. Mom suggested that we make the bedroom set and she would be willing to make the baby quilt for the bedroom. We decided to make a patchwork quilt and Mom and I went shopping for fabric. We found some precut fabric squares bundled together that we really liked in Springville. We found some more of the same fabric at a store just around the corner from my house at the Fabric Mill. Not long after, I started getting anxious and wanted to get to the sewing. Mom didn't have a lot of time and then went out of town to Ireland for ten days. My impatience got the best of me and I started sewing. I ended up making the diaper stacker, the valance, the crib skirt and the bumper pads. I was on a roll and had the sewing fever. I don't think it has gone away. I decided that I liked the choices of fabrics at the Fabric Mill so I went out and bought some more to make receiving blankets and burp pads. I had a lady do the hemp stitching so it would be easier to crochet around them. Mom said she would be willing to crochet around a set of them and I took the task of doing a blanket stitch around the rest of them. It took a while but I finally finished. I have been working on putting the nursery together. Mike and I were able to get a crib, changing table, and dresser, with the help of our parents. Thank you so much! I painted some block letters and attached ribbon to them to put Brooklyn's name on the wall, thanks to Erin for the idea, and also spray painted a frame that I had. Here are some of the pictures I took of the almost final product.