Happenings.

While Michael was at his first Didactic Week a couple weeks ago, I decided rather than sit here and wish he was home, I would go home to eastern Washington. It was a great trip and a great time. And just relaxing. There were no real appointments I had to be at, nothing I was required to do.

And all while Michael was studying his heart out and taking tests 'til he was blue in the face, 5 hours away. Poor bugger.

Anyway, here is some of what I was up to. I didn't take many any pictures except on my phone, but that was kind of another one of the relaxing aspects of it, actually. Not worrying so much about documenting every moment, but rather living every moment. I LOVE photographs and I even love taking photographs, but sometimes I feel like I've missed a part of the actual experience of life when I watch it happen through the LCD screen. So, without further babbling, here are some of my activities at home.

*picked raspberries, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, cantalope, basil, parsley, cilantro, and carrots from Mom and Dad's garden (Mom picked a lot, maybe even most, of those things--thanks!)

*afterwards, sat on a white plastic lawn chair in Dad's metal half-cylinder shed, listening to KORD and talking to Dad, and then Dad and Mom, about life

*went to the temple with my Grandma and Grandpa

*went out to Old Country Buffet with Grandma and Grandpa, who said they only go there on "special occasions," and "today is a special occasion!" :)

*met Mandy (one of my best friends from high school) at Starbucks and chatted it up for two hours about her upcoming wedding, our upcoming baby, old friends, new goals, etc.

*spent an afternoon with Rich, Amber, and my cutie-patootie nephew

*ate BLTs with big ol' slices of fresh, delicious, garden-ripe tomatoes! (and made them again TWO times with Michael the next week!)

*stopped by Mom and Dad D's place and hung out with them for a few hours; looked at pictures from Britney's wedding and just chatted--it was great.

*visited Angie on the way down and the way back up, saw her new place and kept her company while the cable guy was there, and she made me lunch! :)

*stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's just before getting to my parents' and dusted the bottom of her lamp shades. Grandpa teased her that he can't believe she gave me a dust cloth (you know, "in my condition," and all), but I told her she could tell people I forced her into it. :)

*vacuumed the van (which had needed it for quite a while, I'm sorry to say)

*sorted through a bunch of stuff that was still in my bedroom from high school--feather boa, picture frames, random jewelry, and my awesome "Cowboy's Sweetheart" black, red, and teal boots!

*fed the calves tree branches and tried to get the scaredy-calf to come close. No dice.

*avoided giant spiders in the raspberry bushes

*called Michael and learned that he had learned how to deliver a baby. Good (and timely) to know. :)

*earlier in the week, I made this little doozy. Can I just say, I am pretty excited with how it turned out.

*took this picture of "home," with the buckwheat field on the left, right before driving back to Tacoma

*took this picture to catch the sky with the corn as I drove past Mesa/Connell.

*feeding the calves while trying not to get shocked by the electric fence--this can be a challenge with a pregnant belly, but I succeeded, luckily! :)

*yes, that is a giant spider int he raspberry bush. I saw her catch a bee. It was pretty amazing how fast it happens. I don't think I've ever seen that in real life before that I can remember.