Mary, Mary quite contrary...

How does your garden grow?  

Here are some glimpses of what we are working with this year!  I can't wait to show you images of a lush, veggie filled garden!!

Not chickens...

We have big plans for our garden this year!  My hubby has been working hard getting the garden ready for spring planting.  We've already planted some onions, garlic, kohlrabi, lettuce, sweet peas, cauliflower, chard and spinach. 

We have big shoes to fill...the folks who owned this house before us had a LARGE garden.  The 1st week we were here, people would stop us in the street and say stuff like "oh, we enjoyed watching their garden grow, we hope you'll continue the garden."  Can you say "PRESSURE!"  Now if we fail, we not only let ourselves down, but apparently the whole neighborhood too!!  Geez!

The Rest

I know it's hard to believe...another post about chickens...get use to it!  

Let me introduce - Rosemary, a Plymouth Bard Rock.  She is super sweet and gentle. 

Cinnamon - a Golden Laced Wyandotte - she will be beautiful when she grows up!

This is Myra - an Ameracauna, she will lay our blue eggs!

And last but not least, Marjoram, or Margie.  Margie is Myra's sister and also an Ameracauna.

Chicks

Time to officially introduce our 1st three girls...

Starting with - Pepper who is a Black Sex Link...I know, like they couldn't have come up with a better name for such a cute chick? 

Then there is Nutmeg, who is a Wellsummer chick - she is suppose to lay beautiful, dark brown eggs.

 This is Sassafras - we've been calling her Sassy, which seems to fit her personality.  Sassy is a Silver Laced Wyandotte

I'm sure you can tell we are all totally smitten!  Three blog posts in a row all about chickens.  Don't worry though, I'll have another blog post for you tomorrow about the 4 other girls we added to our flock today!! 

Chickees II

Her excitement regarding the chicks did not disappoint!!  

Chickees

Look what we have gotten ourselves into...we are so excited!  We've been promising our kids for several years that when we moved we would get chickens...well, we are following through on that promise!  They don't know that we've gotten any yet, they are going to be so excited!  I can't wait to show them!  I'm actually about to go get my girl & let me tell you...she is going to flip!! I have to admit, I'm pretty giddy myself!!

Uncle Trotti

My Uncle Trotti passed away a few weeks ago.  His Memorial Service was held last weekend on Edisto Island and he was buried in the family plot in Allendale SC.  He was a wonderful man and very much loved.  He was the patriarch of the Riley clan for many years and will be sorely missed.  

Sadly, the best part of a funeral, if there is such a thing...is that you are able to reconnect with family that for one reason or another you've lost contact.  As is the case with most family or long lost friends, the 20+ years that pass between us always seems to miraculously have never happened...We pick up exactly where we left off!  

 My Uncle retired from the Army as a Lt. Col and thus he was honored with a 21 Gun Salute - an incredibly moving experience!  I tried to capture a bit of it with these images, although, it was tough making a video & crying at the same time...hence the occasional sniffle on the video.


Rest In Peace Wilmot Trotti Riley! 

Trotti on the far right

~ David Gray ~ This Years Love ~

Basketball

We are knee deep into basketball season!  It adds a bit of stress to our week - you know - getting to & from practice on a school night...but on Saturdays it's all worth it!!

 

 

 

 

Charlie Joseph

Well, we wouldn't know about best hotdogs, but we admit their grilled cheeses are pretty yummy!! Don't forget their sweet tea either!!

Six

How did these feet get to be six so fast?

Spy Time

This is what happens when your kids get bored...

 

Let it happen more often!

Christmas

What a season!! Our family had a wonderful Advent and Christmas season this year. We incorporated some new and wonderful traditions. Today marks the end of the season of Christmas with the Wise Men visiting the Baby in the Manger. My girl was both excited and sad when she saw that the Wise Men had made it to the manger. Excited, because we've been waiting for this day since the beginning of Advent. Sad, because she knows that we will no longer wake up each morning anticipating change in the Manger scene ~ not until next season.

2011 Year in Review...

I'm just four days late with this slide-show...not too bad! I'm also pleased, considering that my hard drive was wiped out in October that I was able to save this many images from the past year!

Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you the Lingenfelter version of
Two Thousand and Eleven!

~ Joni Mitchell ~ Shine ~

Happy New Year!!

We celebrated what's become a tradition in our house...Spot's birthday!

The Guests.

The presents.

Happy Birthday Spot ~ May my Boy want to celebrate your birthday for years to come!!

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Lou's Birthday!

I know, I know...I'm sooooo far behind on some of my posts!! I did however, want to post this slideshow from my girls 6th birthday. All she wanted was to go horseback riding & her Aunt Jamie made that wish come true! We had such a good time! Jamie's friend, Bonnie, was the best, most awesome hostess/horse whisperer!! I cannot thank either of them enough!






The Weepies ~ Gotta Have You ~
The Weepies ~ Simple Life ~

Ho! Ho! Ho!

We had the best time last night! Some friends invited us over for dinner & guess who showed up?? That's right, the Jolly Old Fellow himself!! What a surprise!! He was so kind & intuitive! As soon as he saw my girl he knew exactly what she wanted for Christmas!! ;-)










~ Bruce Springsteen ~ Santa Claus is Coming to Town ~

The Office

My girl has taken to perching herself right up on my desk while I work..I kinda like it!

Feminist

Yesterday, my boy asked me if something was "handmade" or "man made" and I asked him to give me an example and he said "like a lake".

I replied "that's man made".

To which he said "well, that isn't fair, what if a girl helped build that lake? it should be called "People Made".

I love that boy!!