Nana is here and so is Spring!

It’s officially Spring!  Winter was not our friend this year, so we were more than happy to say goodbye to the colder (and sicker) days, and say hello to a new season.  Although the changing of the seasons may not be as distinct as they were growing up on the east coast, and we don’t have to sit back and wait for the snow to melt, we still welcome the gradual changes with open arms.

Nana flew in to town last week, and has been here helping me with the boys while Greg has been gone for business.  They have been having so much fun with her…riding bikes, playing ball in the back yard, going for walks and just enjoying time together.  My grandparents were such a huge part of my childhood, and it’s crazy to sit back and watch my own children doing things I remember doing when I was their age.

My Grandma Mary and Grandpa Pete loved gardening.   I remember my Grandpa outside watering their garden, while my sister and I would help our Grandma pick vegetables.  We would love collecting cucumbers because our Grandma would slice them up and pickle them in mason jars for us.  We were so impatient we would only let them soak a few hours and open up a jar and eat them all that same day (drinking her homemade pickling juice too of course).

When Nana suggested earlier in the week that we plant some flowers, herbs and vegetables in our backyard it sounded like the perfect way to kick off the Spring, and I knew the boys would love helping her.  We don’t have that much space in our yard, so we had to get a little creative on what kind of items we could plant and where we could put them.  We ended up getting a large terracotta strawberry pot to plant herbs in.  We planted basil, cilantro, spearmint, parsley and topped off the pot with three strawberry plants.   We also bought a tomato plant that we need to still find a spot for, and Id love to find space for a citrus or avocado tree too.  This house has a built-in sprinkler system and great sunlight throughout the day, so I’m thinking our new plants stand a chance despite my lack of a green thumb.

The boys loved helping their Nana…Nathan enjoyed digging with his shovel, putting in the plants and using “his” new watering can.  Shane liked getting his hands messy and eating the dirt as you can see from the first photo.  It said it’s organic soil, that means it’s good for him right?

Daddy comes home today and we can’t wait to show him our little project from yesterday.  He’s going to love the homemade salsa we can make from our tomatoes and cilantro, and you know where that mint is going….mojitos!  It sounds like Summer is right around the corner, but for now we love the way our Spring has started!  Happy weekend everyone!