A few faves....

As usual I have been procrastinating about getting pictures put on on the blog or facebook for that matter. BUT this morning I finally was able to upload a bunch and wanted to at least get a few out there for everyone to peak at...just a few of my favorites!

Round two...

Two years ago Karl and I got the bright idea that we were going to create our very own vegetable garden. It was supposed to start out just being something small that we could grow a few things in and then if we wanted to we could add to it each season. If anyone knows Karl and I you know that we don't always see eye to eye.

As I said it was supposed to start out small....yet it turned into this gigantic garden that was probably 30 x 30 feet....MONSTROUS. I kept suggesting we make it smaller but my husband has a "go big or go home" attitude so I just let him go to it. Karl got the rototiller out and went to work, after that we plunked all our little seedling plants into the ground and waited. The best of intentions was planted along with all our seeds but as you know sometimes intentions don't always turn out...

Here are a few reasons our first garden failed...
1. It was HUMONGOUS...
2. It was sooo far away from the house it was an absolute pain to drag the hose over and water it...
3. It was HUMONGOUS...
4. The weeds became out of control becuase we were not very motivated to weed....
5. We attempted to put weed mat down in an effort to minimize the weeds but that just ended up killing some of the plants as well...

All in all we ended up with some zucchini...and a small pumpkin. Sad but true.

SOOOOO this year we are trying again. Since I am really into cooking now I would LOVE to be able to cook with my own vegetables (and not to be political but the Government is making me want to be self sustainable if you know what I mean)...so we decided to create a raised bed. It's MUCH smaller, MUCH closer to the house and we are going to put the weed mat down FIRST....hopefully in coming months I can write about how awesome my green beans taste and how juicy my tomatos are. :)

We are going this weekend to get all of our seeds and a few plants....can't wait. I will try and get some pictures so that I can define the moment!

Inspirational...

Here is an excerpt from one of the blogs on yogajournal.com. Reading this reminded me that I have to stop worrying and start enjoying. I have come to the realization that I am a rigid person and that rigidness is controlling my life, and not in a good way...so I hope that you are able to be inspired by this as well and I  wish you a lifetime of being flexibleza and limber... : )

"After all--shift happens. We're all in constant state of flux, from our cells and thoughts, to our outer environments and relationships. Your experience is as transient as a hobo on a country railcar. The question is--in what direction do you want that train to roll?


If you allow life, and the external opinions, requests, and demands of others take you where it wants to go, you'll spend a lifetime getting steamrolled from the outside. Enough of that, and your heart will feel as flat as a pancake. If you want to fill your mind, body and spirit with the goodness of inspiration and transformation, you've got to do one thing for certain:

Get to work. Remember: intention without action is just a beautiful pipe dream.

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali offers clue about how to change things according to your intentions. It begins with ishvara pranidhana. This word literally means "love of God," but like so many other concepts in the yoga teachings, it has alternate meanings. Ishvara pranidhana can also mean "to take your highest action." Have you noticed that in any moment when you're called to make a choice --Do I go to yoga class or skip it? Should I yell at my partner or take a time out? Should I take the job I hate for more money or the one I love for less?--there is usually one that will serve your highest good, and one that will, well...not so much?

When you take action that helps you express who you most want to be in the present, it will keep you on the road toward goals you want to reach later. I'm certain of this, because it's taken me from a dysfunctional practice and stressful life to inner strength and outer abundance. It will work for you too--but you have to work it.

Yoga is not a spectator sport. It asks for your full and unflinching participation. It can be scary, constantly facing down the unknown, but if you can go there--whether by hugging your thighs more in that Crow Pose, taking a deep breath when you want to say something hurtful, or choosing the high road in a situation where your habits and fears conspire to make the low one an attractive option--all your hard work will absolutely pay off.


In fact, the beauty of yoga is that it pays its dividends instantly, with a rush of prana, or empowerment, and the personal satisfaction of becoming more of yourself in the moments that you focus, intend...and try. This is the offer of Kriya Yoga, the yoga of action, and it's something that we can practice both on and off our mats."

Namaste

A week of many firsts...

This week was jam packed with firsts...first for Emma AND Max.

This week Emma sat up all by herself....
This week she rolled over BOTH ways, which she is doing constantly now...she is never in the same spot in the crib when I get her in the morning...
This week she started sleeping through the night!! YEAH!
And today she held her bottle all by herself...

Max had a busy week as well...
This week he told me "I don't want to" for the first time...
This week he had to stand in the corner for the first time...
And he told me that yesterday was "the best day ever"....we went to a hotel in Philly for a playdate and had the whole pool to ourselves. (HUGE thank you's to Jessica and Dan for setting that up for our playgroup!)
The last one made up for all the other ones.