Saturday at the gardens...

By special request we volunteered at the gardens today. Not normally there on Saturday's but there were so many willing volunteers we just had to let them volunteer. This is the zany crew, minus Miss Jodi, that worked at the Botanicals today. We had a great time planting in the Pioneer and AAS Gardens. I also discovered that Elder Wozniak has great mound building skills. He can plant cucurbits like no one I've ever met. Really seriously mad skills. Elder Carter has been hiding his great design skills....I've never seen a more beautiful spiral planting of celery. Never.

Faith shot this photo of Miss Kathryn. I love her hair all wrapped around her. 

While the adults were working the girls went on an adventure. These are just two of the beautiful photos that Kate shot today. They will be going up on our wall in the living room. 

The girls went hunting for gingko saplings to help Mr. Matt make into a bonsai forest. The hunting was pretty easy since the gingko's are growing prolifically under the gingko tree. 

Here's the catch! Lots of little saplings. 

I forgot to get a photo of the finished gingko forest. 

This is Faith's view from the golf cart. Love it. What you can't feel is the wind blowing through your hair or hear the girls giggling like mad the entire way to the greenhouse. Love kids, love them.

Very QG White Bean and Cumin Chili

I love experimenting, at least in the kitchen. Cumin, White Beans and Butternut Squash, let's just say the thought of these ingredients had me drooling. Here's my experiment, the results they were definitely edible.

The Rapplings on Sunday...

John took the girls for a walk on Sunday. They loved it and came back covered in mud. Miss Sydney, must take all of her botanical information along in her backpack. Very, very sweet.

Paige also being sweet. Kate way to go! You both look like you're having fun. Nice.

Party

These are some very happy girls. A party at Mr. Matt's house = fun and food. The celebration was the finale of TBG's annual Spring Plant Sale. Kate created her own cupcakes without mom's assistance, Oreos on top and in the center of the cupcake, with Oreo crumbles on the frosting. I hear they were delicious. Sydney is carrying the brownies I made. These brownies are amazing...click here for my recipe experience... Guy Fieri's Mexican Rhubarb Chocolate Chunk Brownies. They were called amazing among other adjectives.

Badminton the Rapplings were enjoying watching the garden guys play a game. Before we went home Josué and Sydney teamed up against Kate and I. Fun, fun, fun! The best part was Josué teaching Syd to be sassy at the net. I of course got to play while giving Paige a piggyback ride. The untapped talents I never knew I had. Needless to say, Kate and I were the "losers."

Jennifer, Leslie and I all having a great time! Sydney took home every last lime slice that was in the kitchen. 

I like your leaves they're real big!

I love the combination of the large green hosta leaves with the tall violet allium globes. Nice view on the way to the visitor's center at the gardens.