First.Day.Of.School. . . . (and some veggies) . . .

Fourth Grade and Seventh Grade!

Awww...I just love that series of our first day back this morning.

How blessed am I to still be taking and enjoying "First Day of School" pics?

Very!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

 Our annual Big Boy's first day of school lunch once again!

Despite the closure of our 13ish year tradition at the Big Boy closer to home, we made it again. At about 11:26a.m., just before the 11:30a.m., 1/2 day pick up, I was frantically googling where this one was that I knew about only to discover it was now closed too! We ended up at one in a part of town that was maybe a little more sketch...but we had great Big Boy food, service and a well-kept atmosphere. But we didn't have our Big Boy statue! (-:

Then, in the 90 degree and humid weather, Liv, Alli and I tried to enjoy a little walk around the yard. 

It

Was

Hot

And

Sticky

(-:

I did manage to get that pic of the pumpkin patch I planted by seed a little late in the season that I'd mentioned a few blogs ago. I have a couple tiny, decorative pumpkin plants in there that made it, and about four GIANT pumpkin plants that are the large, overwhelming leaf you can see. Haven't seen a pumpkin anywhere in there yet, but the leaves are somewhat impressive, haha!

I roasted these at 425 for about 18 min following a tray of mostly tomatoes yesterday.

Absolutely

Divine!

I sprinkled both trays with kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.

This tray I remembered my garlic and tossed those in.

I tell ya, to me it's like eating candy.

And I was glad to use a whole bunch of my haul up. Massive amount of veggies coming in daily at this point!

Love!

Outside my bedroom window today . . .

 Are these beauties!

I can hardly even believe it. I'm not sure why, but I can't. (-: Last year I grew a couple sunflowers out there and then I saved all the dried heads and seeds in the garage over the winter to plant a million out there this year...and then...some little critter found my box of delicious dried sunflower seeds and enjoyed them all winter long.  What we see growing today are the few he missed!

Around The Yard This Summer . . . 

 A little pano of the "Garage Garden" in mid-July. Beans and tomatoes on the far left (beans grown by seeds thrown in the ground mid-June since my $20 seed-starting green house got blown clear across my neighborhood during a massive wind storm, next to them are a bevy of eggplants and a great basil plant tucked in the middle of them, then another tomato with curly and flat leaf parsley in front of it as well as kale (currently being devoured by a little, green caterpillar, cucumbers climbing up the back next and then another tomato plant. Great garden year I have to say!

 The dailies patch looked especially great in full bloom, this is from just before then. For how much time I've spent cleaning up this many years unkempt patch of lilies, they certainly don't last very long.  I enjoy them anyway for now, have nothing else to do with this patch of the yard.

AND!!!...This year I actually grew garlic!

And it's great!

And I can't believe it!

(-:

Here's some pickin's from late July back when I didn't have a little green caterpillar eating my kale you see full and green in the back left.

 I tell you what...I've been enjoying eggplants like there's no tomorrow and this is the first successful year I've had growing Roma tomatoes, not entirely sure why I have literally never had success one year ever but am delighted by them this year!

Especially in this recipe.

Eggplant Stew

Oh my goodness!

(only thing I didn't use was the red chili pepper, I can always do without any heat (-:)

Need to grow onions next and maybe even that bad looking delight called "celery root." Never cooked with celery root before and I'll tell you what...LOVE IT!

I'll try to remember to get some pics of the pumpkin patch I started kinda late...it's um...extremely healthy and prolific with it's gigantic leaves...just hoping we actually get some pumpkins out of them in time!

Turning 12 while camping . . .

 Twelve years old and entering 7th grade, wow!

(Likely one of the reasons he was not thrilled that I insisted we all sing to him. (-:)

 Despite their plans, those cookie cakes were shared among our group of almost 40 and not one per boy!

 It was just the other day this crew was like 0-10 yrs old! Six of them weren't even here this year as they're working, college grads, other trips and such.

 Braids!

 Sunsets!

 Fun!

Fires!

10th annual camping trip, excellent weather, occasional black flies, big waves and a great time with friends!