New patio and the finishing of some other projects

Phil and I put our tax return dollars to work and finally had a patio cover built. We also had enough money to get patio furniture. We LOVE our new patio. On most sunny days, we've eaten dinner outside. The kids love playing out there and I love having a place to relax while I hang out with them.

I also received some strawberry plant seedlings so I borrowed my sister's strawberry pots and planted them. I didn't think they'd survive, but already some leaves have grown. Hopefully we'll get a few strawberries too.

For some strange reason, when our builder poured our concrete, he wouldn't pour it up to the side of the house. So the boys and I went down to Lowe's, filled our cart with 22 pavers and other gardening supplies, then I pushed all of this, along with 2 little boys, up to the register. I put the pavers in the non-cemented area, and voila, a finished patio was born.

Ryan and I also started a little science experiment with some seeds this week. We bought this tray with little circles of peat moss in it. Each circle has a tiny divet in the center. First you add enough water to make them double in size. Then you plant a few seeds in each one and cover them with peat. Last, you cover them with a lid, making them look like a tray of brownies (which is what Phil thought he was coming home too).

We did this on Monday and today we had some seeds sprout. We will transfer the herbs to pots outside once they get bigger. I think I will also do this with my class when we study plants. These have all been fun projects and I'm glad I get to enjoy the results.