Memorial Day

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave

Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.

~Francis Marion Crawford

The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.  ~Benjamin Disraeli

Succulent Love

Does this blog title make anyone uncomfortable?

Nevermind... my new favorite gardening pastime is succulents.  I shouldn't really saw 'gardening' since they basically take care of themselves, but I do pick them out at Home Depot, repot them at home, and then sometimes take their babies away and pot those too (that sounds horrific).  They're pretty cool little plants that don't take a lot of skill, time, etc.

And I never used to like them because of this thought process:

 succulents= cactus=spikes=yuck

But I stand here today (sit behind Austin's laptop) to tell you that none of my succulents have spikes.  They are all soft, lush, and a few are even fuzzy!  And what could be better than a fuzzy plant that takes care of itself?

Anyway, I have far exceeded my quotient of writing - photos for this blog post so on to the pics (quotients and equations in one blog post- whhaat??!)

These are all from my garden- and with no photoshop shenanigans of any kind (translate: the plants actually look just like the photos in real life...)

This one creeps me out a little... looks like ogre ears or something....

These next few are teeny tiny succulents... in teeny tiny pots:

Apparently elephants eat this particular succulent in Africa (its safe here in SD though):

Orange!

The Twins!

And my newest favorite:

See- no spikes, only amazing color!

Fruit Update: Double Whammy

Last week was 30 weeks of pregnancy... and that is a cabbage (American?) wearing a Padres' hat.  Because it fit on the cabbage...and looks slightly more interesting than a naked cabbage...

Baby Stats:

• Weight: 3 lbs!
• Length: 15 and 3/4 inches
• Random Fact: He can distinguish light from dark now!

And this week we have reached 31 weeks!  Woo-hooo!  And the people who make the baby-fruit-size chart-things were pretty creative with this one... that's right folks, the little guy is roughly the same weight as 4 Naval Oranges!

Baby Stats:

• Weight: over 3lbs
• Length: over 16 inches
• Random Fact: lots and lots of kicking and somersaulting going on.  Last night, we completed our Kick Count (google it non-preggos) in less than 5 minutes!  

Things I think the baby likes (or maybe doesn't like... at any rate, things he responds to with lots of spastic movement):

• Nora cuddling up on my belly
• Live symphonic band music
• Me sitting on a balance/exercise ball
• Savasana time at Yoga class
• Grilled veggies- like onions and bell peppers

Mr. Incredible and I are now taking suggestions on what to name the baby.  Feel free to throw your top favorite name into the running!

-CtF

Fruit Update

I always think butternut squash look better with a mustache.

Baby Stats:

• 2 and 1/2 lbs
• around 15 inches head to heel
• still somersaulting or practicing gymnastics of some sort!

Fruit Update

Meet the Napa Cabbage.  Its delicious in this recipe.  Sometimes grocery stores call it a Chinese Cabbage.  I do not know if they grow these cabbages in China.

About the Baby: 2 and 1/4 lbs, and about 15 inches head to heel.  Yippee!

HBD

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. INCREDIBLE!!!!

Caption Contest

Comment below with your best caption!

Winner gets bragging rights and maybe something else...

Fruit Update

Hurray- no more weird cucumber photos!

Twenty-seven weeks is a cauliflower (which incidentally I just found a fun new way to cook for dinner).  Stats on the baby (not the cooked cauliflower):

• 2lbs
• 14 and 1/2 inches (or so... we're short people, so this guy is probably less than that)
• kicking like David Beckham!

Stats on the side dish, go here.

We're a little behind on the fruit/veggie photos, so stay tuned for 28 weeks soon!

-CtF

Fruit Update... awkward vegetable alert!

Twenty-six weeks was an English cucumber. I was fortunate enough to find an English cucumber, but was faced with the dilemma of 'how on earth do I photograph this thing?!'  My iphoto is now full of awkward cucumber photos... maybe some day I'll share a few.  But for now, this is all you get... 26 weeks- awkward English cucumber!