Deck container garden is doing well -just a few photos

My deck container garden is doing fairly well.  I am sure my neighbors are thinking "what?"  Well, container gardening is so easy because you rarely have to pull weeds which is the part of gardening that I detest.  The toughest part is buying flower pots large enough to not stunt the root growth.  I invested in some very large pots this year.

After many errors I have finally gotten this right.  I have veggies growing.  Yeah!  We have been eating the lettuce out of our container garden for months now and it finally decided to flower and seed which means with the hot weather it has gone bitter. Yuck.  It is definitely a cool weather plant..  

Sophia has also had the opportunity to pick strawberries from our strawberry plants all spring.  Although the strawberries were very small but tasty.  Now that it is turning hot outside the strawberries will not produce anymore but the plants still look a pretty green.

The other vegetables are starting to come out now.  I am so excited that these are sprouting.  I am even going to let Scott eat one of these jalapeños tonight pictured near the bottom if he wants it.  

Sweet Banana peppers

Sweet red bell peppers, not red yet though. 

Cherry tomatoes

Peas

Broccoli plant

Oregano in the background and basil and purple basil

Rosemary

Mint

Chocolate mint

Jalapeño peppers I grew for my husband who loves spicy foods. 

 There is a lot more here but this is just a sampling.

 My favorite thing though is this beautiful, "not edible" Chocolate Calla Lilly that just came back from last year's Mothers Day 2012.  I gave one to my mom, my grandmother, and my mom's friend Cathy.  This is the last thing I ever gave my grandmother as a gift before she passed. I also planted one for myself.  I thought it had died because it never sprouted a leaf or stem all spring. Last week, a tiny green sprout came up where it was planted the year before. For the last week, I have been praying for God or Grandma to give me a sign that Grandma is here with me.  I miss her dearly.  Today is the one year anniversary of her meeting God in heaven and my Calla Lilly bloomed.  Coincidence?  I don't know.  I think somehow Grandma is helping me with my plants.  I have never kept plants alive for long, but this one came back and my vegetable garden is thriving. Grandma Consolino had a green thumb and taught me when I was a small girl all the names of flowers and plants.   I think somehow she may be helping me now, but I am not exactly sure how.  I miss and love her so much.  I wrote this as a small tribute to her on this day June 25, 2013 to celebrate life, memories, and the love that I have for her and who she has taught me to be.  She was truly the most beautiful person I have ever known with the biggest heart. 

April 12, 2009 Easter at Great Grandma's house

Sophia is playing in her house and enjoying a laugh with her Grandma.

Here is a cute pose of her in her Easter dress sitting on her Princess stool made for her by Great Grandma

Whoa! What did the Easter Bunny bring? Let me see that basket Grandma!

Sophia and her Grandma are reading her new puzzle book.

April 11, 2009 Grandma and Sophia at the Easter Egg Hunt

Grandma and Sophia visit with the Easter Bunny at the Dardenne Prairie Easter Egg Hunt

Hunting for eggs

Two Easter Baskets, I guess she was planning on finding lots of eggs.

 Sophia received a Mickey Mouse basket at the Egg Hunt to go along with her Elmo basket that she brought.

January 28, 2009 Grandma's Old Rocking Chair

The Old Baby Rocking Chair has been passed down to Sophia from her Grandma and Great Grandma.

This rocking chair has somehow made it through 3 generations. My mother rocked in this chair as a small child. I played with it as well and can remember rocking in it when I was younger. I do remember it being broken at some point but have no recollection of breaking it. I do know that Mike, Nicholas, and I played on it as we ran through my grandmother's house as kids. My father miraculously repaired it recently for Sophia.  The arm was completely off and the wood was really rough. Dad was able to sand it down and repair the very badly damaged arm.  I couldn't believe it was all back in one piece for my dearest Sophia considering I took it over to him in pieces. I didn't hold out a lot of hope for anyone to fix it.  If anyone could fix it, I knew my dad could fix it and he did.   I have learned over the years that my dad can fix just about anything. 

It took a while for Sophia to warm up to this chair. I have put her in it several times over the last few weeks and she always screams and cries "Mum,Mum, Up!"  She is not a fan of moving objects.  I have been putting her dolls in the rocking chair everyday.  Everyday she throws them off of the chair and onto the carpet.  She doesn't want her dolls in the chair either.  
Tonight was different.  I had just prepared her for bed by putting on her warm footed pajamas seen here and reading books.   After we finished reading books, she got down off my lap and looked at this rocking chair and sat down. I sat on the floor rocking her in it and singing songs. "Rock a bye baby on the tree top....Down will come Sophia cradle and all."  Here she looks happy. I am not sure if she is laughing at my horrible singing or if she is just happy to be rocking in the chair.  We all love you.   Sophia love and enjoy that old rocking chair now that it is back in one piece, it is yours darling.  I am such a sentimental sap for stuff like this. I am not sure why, but I have a very strong attachment to this little chair. 

January 4, 2009 Kangaroo Climber Grandma (Andma) visits

 

 Sophia's Grandmother came by for a quick visit with Sophia on Sunday afternoon. Sophia was ready to show Grandma all her new toys.  Her favorite toy of the day was definitely the Kangaroo Climber seen pictured here in the photos. She showed Grandma how she could go through the back door, climb up and then slide down the slide.  She also climbs through the tunnel holes on the sides.  Not only did she enjoy climbing and sliding, but she also sent her dolls down the slide as well. She really loves this toy and I am glad Santa thought to pack it in his  giant sleigh at the last minute due to a great sale at Toys R Us. 

It was a Milestone day for my mom as well.  Grandma was walking towards the door and telling Sophia she enjoyed her visit and was getting ready to leave.  As Sophia and I walked Grandma to the front door Sophia exclaims, "Andma!"  She finally said "Grandma."  Sophia said it just like she was going to ask Grandma something.  It was so cute.  The funny thing is she said it like she has been saying it forever but finally just decided to say it aloud to her Grandma. Mom, I told you I have been coaching her on the word and she just all of a sudden said it while you were here.  I have never even heard her practice it.  I think it is great that she said it while Grandma was here. We love you, "Andma!"

October 18, 2008 Pumpkin Patch Rombach Farm

Grandma and Sophia standing on a pumpkin.









Baby Photos of Sophia last year 2007. Sophia was so tiny.  These were tiny pumpkins.  Now, look how big she is next to the big pumpkins.


Here, she is practicing standing and trying to walk to the other pumpkin.  Look at the size of these pumpkins.

Wow!  Those pumpkins are huge, almost as big as Sophia. 

So many to choose from.

Grandma showing Sophia how to walk from pumpkin to pumpkin.

Look at this one.  

What about that one, that one is a good size. 

Sophia is search of the "Great Pumpkin."

I think I found a good pumpkin, Mom. 

Wow!  Look at that cute pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. 
Sophia and her dad resting on a pumpkin.

Sophia's second trip to the Pumpkin Patch at Rombach's Farm. Last year we started a family tradition of going to the pumpkin patch to pick

 out a pumpkin.  This year we followed our new tradition by once again taking a trip to the pumpkin patch.

 This time we brought Grandma, my mother, to the pumpkin patch with us.   It was a beautiful sunny day so we were able to spend a little time really playing and checking out the pumpkin as you will see demonstrated in some of the above scattered photos.  Not only did we have a splendid time, Sophia got to practice her walking with the aid of her Grandma.  Thanks Grandma for showing her how to walk and talk on the my cell phone. Only time will tell if she is ready yet. 

Check out the tiny newborn photos of Sophia. What a walk down memory lane with some pictures of Sophia from last year.   Our sweet newborn pumpkin only 2 weeks old.