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Friday, July 20, 2012

Vacation Time (AND Carrots & Pea Pods & Beans, Oh My!!)

VACATION TIME!!


The wee one and I are leaving the rest of the family behind to swelter in the dry summer heat with no air conditioning (and to attend to their activities and jobs).


That's right folks~ I'm in for a HUGE ADVENTURE involving eleven hours on the road (with a three-year-old and a whole bunch of CDs full of kiddie music), lots of bathroom breaks, and a glorious final destination of sunny, beautiful, exotic...


Iowa.


There will be a pool within walking distance of my parents' place, so that's a plus :)


I'll be back in August (which is the same month that YOU will be attending the fabulous & free online conference that is WriteOnCon. Oh, you didn't know you'd be attending? Trust me, you won't be able to resist the sessions and panels. Mark your calendars for August 14th and 15th!!).
~~~~


Now, what you've all been waiting for (drumroll please)...

GARDEN UPDATE



Garden: First week in June


Six weeks ago, I shared a few photos of our backyard garden. Things were looking good, but we had no real crops yet. Scroll down for the magic :)






Pumpkin Patch, June




















Pea pods in front, carrots in hand,climbing beans in back
Boy, things have changed! Here are a few photos from yesterday.






















Pumpkin vines




















First Pumpkin!
















36 comments:

  1. Jess, I took a 2-week summer vacation with my oldest daughter when she was three. We traveled by plane but had to rent a car for a 2-hour drive to my mom's. It was such a lovely vacation. I hope you enjoy this beautiful time with your wee one. :)

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  2. Enjoy your vacation! I'm taking mine in two weeks. Love the carrots and pumpkin! Thanks for sharing pics of your garden.

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    1. Thanks! Can't wait until October, when the pumpkins will look a bit more...pumpkin-y :)

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  3. You are one courageous mom :-) Enjoy the trip. Think of the fabulous stories you'll have to tell from this adventure. Maybe you need a tape recorder for all those quotes you'll get from your little one as you go. (A tape recorder of course that works on its own since you'll have both hands on the wheel!)

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    1. I know! She's a funny kid, anyway, and I'm sure to pick up some gems on the road. We went to the library and stocked up on short stories on CD :)

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  4. We've been eating tomatoes from our garden and a few peas, but the peas don't seem to be doing all that well :(

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    1. I've got tomato envy! Our tomatoes are a big thumbs down this year.

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  5. I love road trips...when I'm by myself and I can crank up the music to barely tolerable levels. Not so much when anyone is along for the ride. Have fun...and be safe! :)

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    1. Yep, it's a little tougher when a three-year-old is in charge of the music selection :)

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  6. Love Iowa! And road trips! :) The best would be to go to Iowa in late September/early October when the nights start to get a little nippy. Here in South Texas, the nights never get nippy. :(

    Safe travels and enjoy your time with the little one!

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    1. I guess it's still pretty hot in Iowa right now~ you're right about September/October being beautiful there :) Ugh, I'm sorry that you're stuck in the Texas heat. And August is coming up...I remember August in Texas (I lived in Austin for a bit).

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  7. I love road trips! Have a great time and enjoy the adventure.

    Your daughter is so cute and wow on the garden, that is amazing. I've always wanted to grow my own vegetables - it's on my list of things to do. :)

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    1. Keeping a house plant alive is on my to-do list...still haven't managed to do that :)

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  8. Enjoy your time off. Love the pics and thanks for the WriteOnCon news. Can't wait. =)

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    1. I know~ I can't wait for WriteOnCon either!

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  9. Have a wonderful holiday! Looking forward to reading you again when you get back.

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  10. Yay first pumpkin and a pool within walking distance. Have a great vacation! :-)

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  11. Have fun on your vacation:) And that garden looks gorgeous! I wish I had a green thumb. It is definitely brown:)

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    1. It's funny~ my green thumb turns decidedly brown when the plants are inside. I have never kept a house plant alive. I cringe when people give them to me as gifts...I know what's in store for them. I either overwater or underwater.

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  12. May your trip be filled with so much kiddie-time bliss that you sneeze a Barkyardigan theme song with little effort :-)

    And yes, I'm excited...SOOOO excited for Write-On Con.

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    1. HA! Oh, the Backyardigans...I know them well :)

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  13. I'm so impressed with your garden, Jess. Have fun on your trip. So, eleven hours there and eleven hours back . . .

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    1. Yep, nearly 24 hours in the car :) Totally worth it for the wee one to see her grandparents and her great grandma!

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  14. YAY! Have fun and see ya when you get back!

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  15. You have won a book on my blog!!!

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  16. Oh yay!!! you're back.
    I'm sorry I missed the return. I was dealing with my own issues.
    That garden makes me very jealous. In a good way.
    HUGS!!!

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  17. Wow your garden exploded! Have a nice adventure. lol

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    1. Thanks Tanya! It was a great break (other than the day it reached 106 degrees).

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  18. This is a belated comment since I, myself, was on vacation - first to Breckenridge with my husband's family, then to Anaheim for the RWA conference. At any rate, I hope you had a fantastic time! Congrats on your great garden! Oh, and thanks for the reminder about WriteOnCon. I loved it last year, and am looking forward to it again this year. It's amazing how many opportunities there are for writers to learn and connect with one another.

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    1. Oooo, I love Breckenridge in the summer! And I'll bet the RWA conference was awesome :)

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