A Green Thumb

 So, I have heard good things about gardening in Missouri.  As word has it Missouri is very forgiving, forget about your garden for a few days and it will still grow.  So far I have found this to be pretty true.  We don't have our own land so I use pots for my garden.  This year I am trying to grow tomatoes, peppers, and cucumber.  Strawberry season has already come and gone.  It was great.  I loved it.  Jake doesn't like strawberries so they were all mine and Pace's to enjoy.

 

The one caveat to Missouri's self growing abilities is that bugs are plentiful and you have to kick them off your plants.  There is one little bug in particular that has destroyed two of my bean plants, completely cutting them down at the stem.  YOu can see it in the middle picture above there is a stem on the left with no leanves :( I had to replant that one.  Also, you have to start later in the year.  Last year we had quite the disaster when we started planting too early and our cucumbers died.  Also, because of Pace being born and other various vacations we totally missed our harvest and we only got to eat the strawberries.Bellow are pictures of the same plants only a week later (new bean plant and all).

 

 So, maybe I am no green thumb, but I am happy to say that I planted all these as a seed.  It's so good to see them growing up!

And of course I will share about our other little sprout, because he is my pride and joy.  He is 11 months old!  We can't believe how mature he seems.  He carries on "conversations" with people at the store and on the street (when we run into a neighbor or something).  He just babbles away, because he knows exactly what he is saying.  If only we all knew his language.  He has started to respond to people on skype calls as well.  He knows they are talking to him (although he still gets distracted easily by things that are actually in the room).  His favorite toy of the month is our vacuum.  Yuck!  It is a dusty old thing, but I can't keep his hands off of it.  Also, since Pace is so picky about foods we have found a way to get him to eat, bribe him with goldfish or kix!  He is great at standing on his own and it seems he will be walking in no time.

His favorite toy

Jazz hands

Yogurt is yummy!

We also went camping with a group of friends from church.  We had a blast.  And of course Pace loved it.

The campsite

Wading in the river

All smiles

The whole group