Family Hikes and Ticks

 I love that our neighborhood backs up to a park. We took a nice family walk after dinner a couple nights ago.

This boy wants to explore.

I'm sure she'll be right there soon too!

August was everywhere and we'd been walking in grass looking at other houses that back up to the park. He got filthy and so had a bath when we got home. When I was doing his ear q-tip swabbing I saw something black that wouldn't wipe out. And pretty soon I realized with horror it was a tick. So I'm yelling for Doug and eventually he pried it off. He had a little blood in his ear so we put it in a little baggie to call the health dept. 

So we put him to bed and as I'm wondering how he didn't feel that, I roll up my pants and see this:

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Cue more screaming and leg shaking. 

Doug tweezed that one off my leg, I didn't see any blood, but that one went in a baggie too.

So Doug googled, and a friend sent this handy tick diagram. 

We both had a female Dog Tick, which aren't associated with Lyme disease but can carry Rocky Mountain Fever. Anyway, the Health Dept wasn't very concerned - they said keep an eye out for fever which can happen anytime in the next month (!). 

Anyway, got to be more careful with tick checks and bug sprays. We have this natural stuff that says it repels ticks so lets hope it actually does.

In other goings on, my brother-in-law turned 40 so we made him this fun little Butterfingers party hat made of 40 mini-butterfingers :)

On Sunday we went out on a little family hike. August had fallen asleep in the car so the first part of the hike started with him being carried, and the last part ended with Jeanie asleep :) It was a beautiful day and a beautiful hike. 

So pretty.

The other 'adventure' of the week was I took the kids to my parent's new house build to watch the driveway get put in and hang out since Doug was off camping with his buddies. It was nice to hang out and put a little break in the middle of a long day with the kiddos and fun to see the progress on their new house. Jeanie's first 4-wheeler ride!

party and poison ivy

Pigtails!!!

This weekend we celebrated this little girl turning one. I had already sent out the invites before the Governor extended stay at home, again, so too bad. It was outside and socially distanced so low-risk.

Happy girl.

Big brother partied so hard he fell asleep under his chair later during his quiet time. 

I finished planting in my garden. I had gotten this topsy turvy tomato plant grower as a gift back in 2007 (according to the gift receipt) and I'm finally using it! I'm excited to see if it will work. I have had good luck growing grape tomatoes, but not with regular tomatoes, so we shall see.

Strawberries growing, and planted 2 cucumber plants, one yellow pepper, and one zucchini. I have yet to grow a successful zucchini, so my hopes are quite low.

Sweet August picked me some flowers <3

Bike rides :)

Mmmmm watermelon season is coming

Snuggling this morning

Last Tuesday we were working outside and planting in the garden and I was working clearing some vines in a wooded area in our yard... Wednesday night I woke up in the middle of the night scratching myself and I STILL have this, what I am assuming, is poison ivy. I don't really know because it's not open and weeping but it's all over my arms, flank, and on both thighs. Doug got me a $37 cream that worked better than this cream my mom gave me, but it's still so itchy :(

The swelling in the forearm has gone down a little, it was so swollen the wrist area was as wide as the forearm area and it hurt! It doesn't help that the dermatologist has super limited hours now, guess I'm on my own. I hope it resolves soon!

outdoor 'adventures'

We enjoyed a sunny walk to the park the other day.

Wheee!

Yee-ha!

We went to the flower store to get flowers for Doug's mom for mother's day and we saw these HUGE peonies. So I am now the proud owner of a 'peony tree' :)

Our homeschooling lesson this week, Jesus calling his 12 disciples.

Added compost to my garden beds and more cedar chips in the path. The strawberries are already flowering from surviving the winter. Doug made me a mobile of CDs to hopefully scare the birds away. And today I planted beets and lettuce seeds.

This sweetie is starting to walk.

There has been so much generosity from the community for frontline workers. Doug entered my name to some place that was giving away a free skincare kit and it came today. It is nice stuff! Eye repair gel, charcoal cleanser, 2 different masks. It was very generous. Thank you #skincarepackage! I've also gotten so many free meals at work from restaurants delivering and even a local church bought orchids for us all. Wow.

Life this week

My mom came over and we cleared this 4" strip by my neighbor's garage to plant some stuff. Moved my lilac tree over so that both the hyacinth and lilac will have room. Looks nice.

This girl loves her some blueberries.

This tree in front of our house is so gorgeous in the spring.

Her first ponytail! 🥰

He bullies her around a lot, but they love each other and are so sweet to watch 💗