The Harvest

It's been so fun watching our garden grow this summer! It was a little stressful at first during the month of June since we didn't have any rain or clouds, so it took awhile for our plants to get going. We had to replant a few times as well and we definitely have been learning lots as we go. Now it's harvest time and we've had great success with the summer/spaghetti squash, zucchini, corn, potatoes, radishes, onions, cilantro, peas and carrots. We didn't do as well with the cucumber, tomato, serrano, strawberries or green beans. And we didn't get any green/red/orange peppers, parsley, basil or pumpkins. 

It's a great feeling seeing that the majority of what we planted produced a yummy result, but it is A LOT of work. People would tell me that in the beginning and it wasn't such a big deal. I figured plotting and seeding was the worst of it since we put in an 8 hour day to get it going. But now that we're winding down, it's not the water and weeding that bug me, it's the preserving and cooking that aren't my favorite part. :P I just don't like being in the kitchen any longer then needs be. Maybe someday I'll get over that... I'd say my favorite part has been harvesting though. It's been fun going out and picking peas and digging up potatoes and carrots and pick squash, zucchini and corn.

Our first signs of corn

Our first harvest, radishes

Next harvest, peas

Dallen & I picking weeds next to the potatoes and onions

First signs of squash

A few mini strawberries

Rows of radishes, onions and potatoes

Dallen in the corn field

And our first big harvest!

Beaver County Fair

This year the Beaver County Fair was the same weekend the bow hunt started. So Dallen and I made our way out there for the festivities together. We went during the Rodeo and checked out the booths and carnival and had fun watching the rodeo events. He just mostly liked running around and climbing on the bleachers. It was a lot smaller then I thought it'd be, but still fun. Travis and Nick met up with us later that night and we walked around together checking things out while Nick paid $15 at a carnival game trying to win an iPad. He won a big stuffed monkey instead. :) I actually went out to the fair 2 more times- once to volunteer at the concession stand for a community service group I joined, the Betterment Club, and then the next day for the Women's Volleyball Tournament. It was so hot during the tournament that I was totally ok only playing 2 games. It was tons of fun though and I'm totally looking forward to the city league games!

Joe and his friends also stayed the night one night that weekend on their way to California and ended up going to the Demolition Derby the last night of the fair. Since I had been out there 3 times already I just wasn't up to going again. They said the derby was really cool though and hopefully I'll be able to make it out to it next year. 

 

Dedicated Scouting

This year Travis became a Dedicated Hunter in Utah. That means he can hunt for 3 years, 3 hunts per year. Those hunts are the bow, muzzle loader and rifle buck hunts. The bow hunt is a month long, muzzle loader 10 days, and rifle 1 week. There are 2 weeks break between each hunt. So if that isn't enough time in the hills, he of course had to start scouting well before the first hunt, which is the bow hunt in the middle of April. So out we went in June setting up his new favorite toy, trail cameras. Here are some of the shots he got with the cameras:

During our rides out to the hills, we came across a huge road block one day on our way back home. The tree had fallen over after we had passed this spot on the way up! It was raining the whole time but thankfully Travis was able to pull it out of the way with the winch on the Ranger. And then here are just a few shots we've taken up close.

6 year Anniversary

I decided that this year's anniversary was one of my favorites and mostly because I had no expectations this year for the occasion. I was up in Utah County for the weekend and came home on Sunday, our anniversary. I was gone for almost 5 days and being away that long taking care of Dallen without his Daddy is a lot of work. My sisters of course were a big help, but it just isn't the same. Anyway, I truly appreciated just being with Travis that afternoon and evening. We even got in some cuddling which doesn't happen all the time like it use to before becoming parents. Travis sent me a midnight text the night before saying happy anniversary etc; so cute and unexpected. We went out to dinner, the 3 of us and treated ourselves to a yummy virgin Pina Colada. We exchanged simple gifts and then went for a drive looking for this big buck Travis had seen. It was a nice day and I just truly appreciated spending it with him and knowing I get to spend forever with him. I'm the luckiest girl to have him!

 

Caleb Visit & Move

The first weekend in August, 10 days after Caleb was born, the whole Heeb family came out to see him and help the Wells family move from Provo to American Fork. Well, the majority of the family, minus the Blasucci family, Travis and Jordan. We all stayed in a hotel around the corner from Sarah's house in Provo and just got to work. Mom had been there almost 2 weeks already helping with Caleb and packing up the house. 

I came up with Dallen and was limited in my ability to help since he was still getting over his sickness and was being more needy than usual when we're out of town. So Audra became my go-to girl. She would stay in the hotel while he took a nap and I would head over to the house and help pack. I got to hold Caleb twice that whole weekend, mostly because I had a runny nose baby wiping his face all over me so I didn't want to get too close. Thankfully, Sarah nor Caleb got sick but just about everyone else did: David, Charity (of course, she always gets the bugs), Audra, Joy, and even Mom. I felt bad, especially because Charity and Audra got the eye infection as well. 

I ended up sharing a hotel room with the 3 little girls which had me kind of freaked out because they had just had LICE! Yuck!! I even shared a bed with Audra. I was sooo paranoid for days after this trip. I kept itching my head and didn't know if it was from lice or just because I couldn't stop thinking about what if I had lice! Turns out I was fine, but still. Yuck!

It isn't a trip without a swim in the hotel's pool. The little girls always have to go swimming when they stay in a hotel. So Emily and I took them one morning while Dad, mom and Joe helped with the moving and Claire watched Caleb.

 

The trip was just a lot of work, but nice to be working with family. We all make a good team.