Weekend Fun!

With Brian being back at work full-time, we all were looking forward to the weekend! Saturday morning was the first time that we all ran multiple errands. Things went ok until the end of the grocery store trip. Andrew was tired and growing increasingly ornery; then Eli started screaming! Ugh! I was SOOO glad that I wasn't by myself and so happy to leave!

That evening was much nicer though as Brian fired up the grill. The weather was gorgeous, so we enjoyed some burgers out on the patio. Eli sat with us in his bouncer seat.

Sunday then was a more fun at home day. Brian (and Andrew) put together the double-stroller we had purchased,

so then we had to take it for a spin! We enjoyed a fairly long walk along the wash by our house.

Then, Brian and Andrew 'washed' the cars and played in the hose. Andrew thought it was hilarious when Brian would shoot water at him.

And, one very interesting discovery this week was the fact that our lovely shade trees in the backyard are mulberry trees--two of which are actually fruiting mulberry trees.

The shade these trees provide is wonderful, so we won't be getting rid of them. But, the mess is insane! Our patio is stained; there is purple bird poop everywhere; and berries litter the yard. Instead of focusing on those rather glaring negatives, I wanted to make something fun out of it. So, we looked up how to harvest them and what recipes we could make with them. I'd never had a mulberry before and they're not bad. Andrew loves them, as does Sadie! :)

The harvesting method is a bit unusual--you put down a large tarp or sheet and then shake the tree, collecting whatever falls down. Our first harvest yielded a cup or two. :) So, we'll see what I can do with them.

In other "gardening" news, we have artichokes coming in! :)

The previous owners of this house apparently only planted things that produced flowers or fruit. So, we'll be excited to see what comes of our fig, pomegranate, peach, orange, and lemon trees in the upcoming months! And, hopefully we'll get around to adding in our own 'crops'.