Sorry to keep you all waiting

Geez!  i have been busy with school.  Since i don't have a teacher teaching me anything, i have to read the chapters word for word pretty much.  very time consuming.  but i really like it.  i actually learn a lot more.  i think i would just do the bare minimum before, but now, i have to do it all cause i don't know what i will be tested on.  

The girls' birthdays went pretty well.  Alex is a good dad.  he gets them flowers and a balloon on their actual birthday, so they wake up and see the surprise.  it makes them feel really special.  i used to get mad when he did this, cause i think flowers are a big fat waste of money, but they really do appreciate it.  We had family over for dinner on Sunday the 7th.  They both got the stupid barbie dolls they wanted.  and then Cassie got them the new barbie movie.  why do they like barbies?  i hate barbies.  why can't they take after me??  i wonder if there is a connection between girls who play with barbies and girls who later have eating disorders or lots of plastic surgery.  

We also got a great garden box made.  poor Alex, it was a lot of hard work.  it was exhausting just watching him do it all.  We used like 2x12 inch boards.  they only cost about $32, so not as expensive as i thought it might be.  The whole thing is 22ft x 5ft.  We found a place down the road that sells clean fill dirt for $12 a ton.  and we also got quite a few bags of good garden soil with lots of compost.  I planted a few herb plants to get it going.  and I'm going to put out some garlic in a couple weeks.  and i have a whole list of seeds to get started.  Ellie wanted a tomato plant.  So we put that next to the basil.   i am trying to teach the girls to recognize the difference between the herbs and weeds.  

Last night we went to Shanna's house for dinner.  Alex got to go too since he was off.  earlier in the day he went to jury summons.  they were going to pick him but he said he had a funeral on Friday, so they let him go.  The funeral is for Marcus Bess' dad.  If any of you knew him.  He died last week from a very unexpected heart attack.   

Can't think of much else that has happened.  Jack will be 8 months in a few days!!  he's just about sitting up by himself.  yeah, my kids usually hit those physical milestones pretty late.  Anny didn't even walk till she was about 18 months!

Ellie was a good helper.  She was raking all the dirt.  you can see my grape vine and my grapefruit tree that have yet to produce.

Anny helped out by bringing small loads of dirt with a shovel.  the shovel had holes in it too.  thanks a lot Anny for all your help.

Here is my overgrown herb garden.  the grass took over as i got more and more pregnant with jack, and then i didn't have the energy to do anything after he was born.  stupid grass.  There is still some sage, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender along the house.  I'm going to have to borrow my dad's tiller to get out all that grass.

Oh, yeah, Alex's family saw those guys from that motorcycle show Orange county choppers, or whatever its called, at the airport and got a picture. 

Here's Anny and Iman's son Ethan.  

Oh what a beautiful barbie, NOT!

Lucky me, they sing too.  so i now have barbie songs stuck in my head all day.

Ethan gave them mouse trap.  good job Ethan.