Our glorious garden

This year we have a truly glorious garden! Since the natural soil in our backyard is junky, Matt built raised garden beds. I've always dreamed of having a big garden and since this spring I've been busy caring for baby Solomon, I was thrilled Matt volunteered to tackle the garden project.

Little did I know the crazy plans my ingenious husband had. Thanks to Matt's industriousness and vision we now have 9 garden beds, 5 pot stands, and a potted herb garden.

Our jungle garden is thriving and doing well! While most of what Matt planted was an "experiment" almost all of the seedlings have sprouted and taken root. (Spinach and the root veggies didn't take). Thus far we've harvested 3 zucchini, several sugar snap peas and green beans, lots of strawberries, one banana pepper, loads of leaf lettuce, and some herbs.

Having a garden has been incredibly fun and educational. It's exciting to go out every night and check on the progress of our veggies. And it's so amazing to see the intricacy and variety of God's creation expressed in plants! Who knew that sweet potatoes and tomatoes were in the same plant family? Or that squash family plants have male and female flowers? Or that root vegetables needed added phosphorous in order to thrive?

Veggies picked fresh from the garden taste much yummier than those bought from the store. And it's incredibly rewarding to be able to eat what we've actually watered, tended and reaped.

Do you garden? If so, what have you planted this year?

(Warning: Excessive amount of garden photos below.)



My potted herb stand containing basil, mint, oregano, lemon thyme and cilantro






















Zuicchini

Eggplants in pots

Homemade topsy-turvy-like tomato planters

















Pumpkin plants!






















Butternut squash plants





















Our first broccoli!






















Sugar snap peas





















The fuzzy things in the middle are asparagus. Four small blueberry bushes in the corners.

















Our first green bell pepper! Isn't it cute?























Yellow banana pepper






















Brussel sproutlings





















Gigantic tomato plants























Strawberries!

















Leaf lettuce

Family resemblance

My Solomon is SUCH a Horn baby. Countless people comment on how much Solomon looks like Chloe & Clive when they were in baby form. Even the cashiers at our local Drug Mart make a point of stopping me and remarking to the Horn family resemblance.

And I concur.

Looking at some old pictures of Clive and Chloe I was taken aback by the uncanny resemblance between our bambinos. I showed several of the photos below to Matt to see if he could guess who was who. Surprisingly, Matt guessed wrong about 25% of the time. That's how stinking alike these kids look!

Let's see how well you fare. Think you know your Horn babies? Check out the photos below and see if you can tell who's who.





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Happy Independence Day!

This year 4th of July weekend sneaked up on me! The month of June went by way too quickly in my humble estimation.

To kick off the weekend, Chloe and I drove to a nearby town for their annual fireworks display. This is our 3rd year going to Hudson for fireworks and I finally figured out the secret to avoiding post-fireworks gridlock. Bliss.

Chloe always cracks me up with her fireworks watching mentality. She enjoys it for about the first 10 minutes and she's complete with unfettered oohing and aahing. (So much so, that I had to start shooshing her because I was afraid she was disturbing other onlookers.) Then, she gets bored and distracted. Weird, eh? For a kid who can zone out for hours in front of a Bob the Builder dvd, I expected more from her attention span.

At least this year she asked some good questions about fireworks. None of which I was prepared to answer in depth. :) I'll be doing some good ole-fashioned wikipedia research on fireworks today (i.e. how do they work, and when did we as a nation start this whole crazy lighting up the sky tradition).

This year's display was spectacular! Even saw some new beauties this year. The golden waterfall fireworks were my fave.

This morning I'm taking the kids to a local Independence Day parade. This parade is full of firetrucks and people throwing candy. Clive will be in little boy heaven!

How are you celebrating this Independence Day weekend?

Back to blogging

We've been home from vacation now for a week and I have yet to blog! Currently, I have SEVEN posts started but none completed. Ugh. I hate that unfinished feeling.

Lately I sit down to blog and even though I've already envisioned what I'm going to write, I inevitably lose my motivation.

So, in an effort to jump back into blogging and breathe some new life into the horn family chronicles, I'm stealing borrowing a play from my pal Jenny's playbook.

Instead of posting a detailed entry on a single subject, here's a smattering (great word, eh?) of our recent activities and endeavors.

1. Jam making: I've impulsively entered the world of home-canning! Unfortunately, I made a big mistake and left too much head space in the jars. So, now I have to re-can it. Shouldn't be too difficult though (famous last words). Thus far I've made 9 pint sized jars of luscious homemade strawberry jam from fresh-picked locally farmed berries. I simply can not describe how much yummier this jam is compared to store bought stuff. I have visions of canning much more yumminess this season!
   
2. Picking, picking, picking: No, I'm not referring to my children's dirty habits of booger removal. Lately I've been picking local farm fresh produce and LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Picking, shelling, cleaning and EATING our food straight from a local farm has been highly addicting. Thus far I've picked strawberries, peas, and two varieties of raspberries. Blueberries are next on the picking agenda.
   
3. Solomon: He's growing fast, folks! Coming up on his 10 week birthday tomorrow already and weighing in at 13 lbs 7 ounces. Solly is quickly transitioning from newborn to a full-throttled infant. He's cooing and smiling up a storm. I'm a sucker for his grins! Not sleeping consistently through the night yet but I'm hopeful that milestone is around the corner. He's had several 5, 6 and 7 hour nighttime sleep stretches but our recent vacation messed him up nicely. Grrrr.
   
4. Gardening mania: We are gardening full-force this year and I couldn't be more excited about it! Since our backyard soil is awful, Matt built 11 raised garden beds. Five big beds and six smaller ones. One of the beds is exclusively Chloe's and she's growing carrots, beets, radishes and peas. The rest of the garden is planted with leaf lettuce, zucchini, squash, cucumber, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, eggplant, blueberry bushes, asparagus and I don't know what else. I was in the throes of post-partum zombieland when the garden needed to be started so Matt was the motivated sower and chooser of seeds. I also have a small potted herb garden which includes basil, oregano, mint, thyme, and cilantro. It is pure delight to pick fresh basil for quiche, pasta sauce, or caprese salad (one of my summer faves). I feel like a moron for not knowing what the plants look like which yield the foods I've eaten for 30+ years. It's educationally liberating and empowering in a weird way to be able to identify the plants, leaves, flowers, and fruits which give way to familiar veggies. How very sad that the process of growing, planting, and cultivating has been so completely removed from food consumption! I'm certain the average American kid thinks food comes from the grocery store and is clueless regarding the steps necessary to produce said food.
   
5. Summer schedule: Matt is a teacher. You know what that means, don't ya? THREE full months off each summer!!! WOO-HOO! Having Matt home most weekdays is an incredible and indescribable blessing. I am so spoiled. And thankful.
6. Potty training: Clive is potty-trained! Mostly. He's still working on going #2 consistently in the right place. Somehow, our vacation to Wisconsin helped rather than hindered our potty-training efforts. Though he had his share of accidents while we were away, Clive did surprisingly well. And now he's in big boy undies all day long and rarely has an accident! Still doing diapers for naptime and bedtime of course. I realize we're still a long way from Clive being fully trained but this is an encouraging and positive step towards that end!
7. Vacation: Had a spectacularly enjoyable time visiting the family matriarchs in Wisconsin. We were away for two full weeks and I am amazed at how well the kiddos adjusted to new routines and settings. Loads of pictures chronicling our visit in FB.

So now we're all caught up! Ah. And now I can retire to bed in peace. :)

What have you been up to in the month of June?

Mommy Hair Salon

Today as I noticed again the heavy mop of hair dampening Chloe's neck with sweat, I was moved to do something drastic. Poor Chloe has inherited my hair to a tee. Thick, slightly wavy, and a dark blond/light brown in color our shared hair color is known as "dishwater blond".

Though I've tried somewhat to keep Chloe's hair off her neck during these sweltering summer days, it's to no avail. Braids, ponytails, and pigtails (with accompanying barrettes) are almost never strong enough to keep her hair away from her face and off her neck. By the end of the day, "scraggly" and "ragamuffin" are apt adjectives for Chloe's appearance.

So, this afternoon we set up an impromptu mommy hair salon on the front porch. I know, I'm impulsive. And you already know I'm cheap. Dishing out $10 for a kid haircut is not even a consideration to me. Sometimes my impulsivity (is that a word?) leads to really stupid decisions and mistakes.

Don't worry, this haircut doesn't fall into the stupid category. :)

Thankfully, the one time I previously cut Chloe's hair was a huge success. Ergo, I went into this haircutting venture with confidence. Ironically, because of Chloe's hair texture, it's very forgiving to the amateur hair cutter. Choppy cuts and slightly jagged lines look good in her hairstyle.

Let me tell you, Chloe LOVED every moment of the home hair salon experience! She set everything up and helped me think of all the tools we needed. We even included the small talk banter typical of a regular hair salon experience.

After much cutting, trimming and fixing the finished product is a hit! I was trying for a nice short bob that would lie above Chloe's neck and keep her cool during our humid midwestern summer.

Whew! Thank the Lord it turned out well! Chloe loves it, I love it and so does Matt. (Before and after pictures posted below).

When Chloe asked if she could have a turn cutting my hair I politely declined. :) Let's hope when she plays hair salon in the future she doesn't do any real cutting. Then I might have to put away my mommy shears and chalk this one up to a "live and learn" mommying moment.

Where do you get your kids' hair cut? Or do you trim their locks at home?

Solomon Asher Horn

Thursday, April 15 God blessed our family with a new and precious addition. Solomon Asher Horn was born via c-section at 10:30 a.m. weighing in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and measuring 21 inches in length.

The c-section went smoothly though there was some serious yanking going on to evict baby Solomon. Besides being a large fella (typical for our bambinos), Solomon was residing fairly high and required the efforts of several medical personnel to bring him out. Of course I wasn't feeling any pain due to the powerful spinal block administered but the pressure was crushing on my lungs and chest. Kind of like having the wind knocked out of you continually by a Chicago Bears' linebacker.

Solomon was obviously not happy about being evicted and let out a LOUD cry of displeasure. :) Conversely, I was VERY pleased and instantly burst into tears with joy at hearing his strong healthy lungs.

As is usual per our c-section experiences, the anesthesiologist was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and chatty. I'm sure it's part of the anesthesiologist's job to keep the patient distracted from the fact that her major organs are being removed and both Matt and I very much appreciate the distraction. (He's not one to enjoy looking over the sheet to gaze in wonder at the surgical procedures. He tries his best NOT to see anything!) Our thoughtful anesthesiologist even took a picture of Solomon with her iphone and emailed it to my mom right after surgery.

Even though I often think of c-sections as routine, they are indeed medical marvels. It's just amazing to consider what happens during the procedure. And now that I'm two weeks out from my Solomon-induced c-section, I'm awed to see how quickly my body has healed and bounced back from such a major surgery.

We are inexpressibly thankful to God for His protection of me and Solomon during the surgery. I know that health is not to be taken for granted; we are exceedingly grateful to have three happy and healthy children!

If you've not already seen our cutie-patootie baby Solomon pictures on FB, below are some coo-worthy photos for you. Enjoy!

Freezer cooking MANIA

As the baby countdown gets lower and lower, I am feeling unusually prepared. Especially in the freezer cooking department!

Ever since receiving our new deep freeze, I've been dreaming, planning and cooking. It's as though my nesting hormones have been channeled into freezer cooking. And now my freezer is filled and ready. (So come ON baby and make your appearance already!)

Today I did a freezer inventory and printed out cooking instructions for whoever might be using my frozen goodies to feed me. :)

I'm slightly appalled at how much stinking food I've stocked. Let me tell you I'm very excited about NOT cooking for awhile.

To accomplish this huge stockpile of freezer goodness, I never did an official "Freezer Cooking Day" as I intended. Instead, I did the extra cooking a little bit at a time. For some recipes, I simply tripled or quadrupled an entree I was already planning to make for lunch or dinner. Over Matt's spring break, I devoted a few mornings to freezer cooking and prepping.

I'd been watching Money Saving Mom's blog as she chronicled her freezer cooking days. While she certainly is ambitious and supernaturally productive, her recipes don't always sound appealing to me. So, I started with Money Saving Mom, used some of my own tried-and-true faves, and then supplemented with some marthastewart.com searching to come up with a good mix of recipes for our family's eating habits.

Here's the final tally:

• Spinach pie (x 2)
• Butterhorns (x 3) (I did one part whole wheat flour to 3 parts all-purpose)
  
• Turkey/Beef Spinach Meatloaf
• Honey Curry Chicken Thighs
• Teriyaki Marinated Chicken Breasts
• Meatballs (added spinach)
  
• Falafel (I added additional spices)
  
• Whole Wheat Pancakes (I used whole wheat white flour instead of all-purpose)
  
• Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Waffles
• Turkey Cheese Burritos
• Japanese Tofu Hamburgers
• Mashed Potatoes
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cooked Brown Rice (x 2)
  

Whew! Can't wait to start eating from the freezery goodness!

How many of you freezer cook to save your sanity come dinner time?

Relying on Dunkin' Donuts

Sleep is eluding me. For the past three consecutive nights I've been incredibly wakeful even though I'm completely exhausted and longing for rest.

Today and tomorrow are both necessarily busy days for us so there are no naps on the horizon for me. Sigh.

Driving around with the kiddos this morning to run some errands and visit a park, I found myself dizzy and in need of some serious caffeine. I'm afraid I've gone well beyond the recommended caffeine intake limit for pregnant women today.

When I'm a zombie like this, coffee and sugar are my mainstays. I ate through an entire nutella jar all by myself in a record-breaking 4 days. What do you run to when you need a pick-me-up?

God's Wonderful Surprise

In preparation for tomorrow's big celebration, check out this fabulous video based on the Jesus' Storybook Bible's rendition of Jesus' resurrection. It's a captivating and encouraging little video -- what power our God has!

God's Wonderful Surprise

Songs for Good Friday

These songs are rolling around in my brain today as I think about the immense love of Jesus for my wayward soul. Thank you, Jesus for being obedient to death, even the death of the cross.

The Power of the Cross




The Criminal on the Cross




How Deep




The Gospel Song


By His Wounds

Preparing for Easter

Easter is coming alive in our household this year!

We made an Easter mountain again this year following Noel Piper's instructions. The kiddos painted it, we found sticks and a tomb-closing rock in the yard, Chloe dug up some toy pirates to be the guarding soldiers and I fashioned disciples out of pipe cleaners. We've acted out the events of Easter week several times now and it's brought the story to life!

Tuesday evening we observed a very simple passover. Very simple. I'm talking wheat pita bread and cups of grape juice here. The kids ate while I read a short account of Jesus' celebration of the passover with his disciples in the upper room. Then Matt and Chloe used various blocks to build an upper room for our pipe cleaner people.

Though our homemade visual aids have been almost silly in their simplicity, I know through our kids' eyes the immense truths of Easter are becoming slightly more comprehensible. And these family traditions we're creating are not only enjoyable but invaluable as we plant seeds of faith and truth.

This year we added another element to our Easter preparations. We made an "I'm Sorry" box using Ann Voskamp's idea which she posted over at A Holy Experience. Each time one of us does something worthy of saying "I'm Sorry" we write it down on a slip of paper and insert it into the box.

I envisioned this exercise as a helpful one for Chloe. Most times she is truly a sweet sweet girl and we often praise her for her good behavior. I thought this box would be a much-needed reminder to Chloe of her short-comings and need for a Savior. But in the process, God showed ME my own faults. Pride, impatience, anger, and lack of compassion reared their heads as I wrote out my own "I'm Sorry" slips. As a mom, it's ridiculously easy to identify the mistakes in my children and to correct them forgetting that I'm just as faulty.

Of course the crowning lesson will come on Easter morning. That's when we toss the box full of our mistakes into the garbage can symbolizing Jesus' complete forgiveness and washing away of our sins. Hallelujah!

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins."
(Isaiah 43:25)

Since Chloe loves to sing with me (and I realize music is a stellar way to teach) we've been learning a hymn together for Easter. She and I sing it together most nights together before bed. The Power of the Cross, written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, is vivid with imagery in its telling of Jesus' death and implications.

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And what holiday would be complete without sugar cookies?

The princess girly-girl in me thrives on the extra-special pageantry involved in preparation for Easter Sunday morning at church. Unfortunately, we can't afford to go dress-shopping for a big foo-foo Easter dress. Instead I've taken to making Chloe a new dress each year for Easter.

And this year CLIVE gets a matching tie. We'll see how long he keeps it on . . .

And yes, I realize I'm a huge cheesy nerd for forcing my kids to wear matching outfits.

If you're still with me after that monstrously long post, answer me an Easter-y question. What family Easter traditions do you have and/or how do you make Easter meaningful?