BACK UP YOUR DATA!

I know this.  I knew this.  Somehow in the excitement of being finished, or multi-tasking, or feeling invincible, I forgot this.  I wish it was as easy as hitting CTRL+S.

In an instant our virtual server crashed and took no less than 8 websites and hundreds of hours of work with it.

Yup, that was stupid and careless of us.  Yes, we should have known better.

I still love technology. 

I’m super thankful this blog wasn’t on that server. (Although it’s probably the most recoverable of any of them).

Thanks, Murphy.

Off to cry, back up this server, and put away laundry.

By the way,

BACK UP YOUR DATA!

Anyway, they were in the car playing with them on the way back when PJ dropped his.

Mia: PJ, you can have mine.  Here.

PJ: That’s ok.  I don’t need it.

Mia: Take it.

PJ:  No. I don’t want it.

Mia: What else are sisters for?

Oh where oh where can it be?

With my fuse so short

And the days so long.

I wish it would come back to me.

Fast forward to Sunday morning.  PJ’s reading the announcement in the bulletin that says May is our church’s month to stock a local food pantry.  He turns to me and asks if he can use his $5 to buy food for the food drive.  I know there’s no such things as stupid questions, but seriously?  OF COURSE!!!!!!!

So yesterday after school, with his $10 (I gave him a matching grant), he took the list to the grocery store and bought at least one of each thing that was marked “critically low.”

I love that kid.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Did you see my random fact?

On Good Friday (4/2), we put a good number of seedlings (snap peas, pole beans, and cucumbers) into the ground.

Since we spent a good bit of time in Colonial Williamsburg over the past year and we both have a fancy for the way things were done centuries ago, we decided to make good use of our brush piles to build sturdy structures for our peas, beans, and cukes to climb.  Last year we used flimsy tomato cages and ugly trellises.  Here is the pea/bean tent that Patrick created.  He blogged a little about our inspiration here. 

I’d also like to note here that we he used duct tape to attempt to keep the strips of landscaping material together so we could roll it up to add compost and till.  It mostly worked. 

Sometime the week after Easter we sowed corn, lettuce (Romaine and a baby green mix), and spinach directly into the ground.  We had major rabbit issues last year so I’m protecting the spinach (and the bottoms of the peas and beans) with upside down plastic cups (with the bottoms cut out for the peas and beans).

Sunday, 4/11, Patrick put the sqaush, zuccini, and melons in the ground. 

Note that there is really no rhyme or reason (or gardening expertise) behind our “schedule” for planting.  This is just how it’s happening this year.

I also am discovering by happenstance that some herbs are perennial.  The sage and mint are back in droves. 

The oregano came back last year but not so much this year.

My contribution is this super-easy cheese ball.

You need:

2 blocks of cream cheese (I like to use neufchatel…the 1/3 less fat stuff)
1 package of dry italian salad dressing mix

Mix all the ingredients (all 2) together.  Roll into a ball.  Roll in walnuts if you want some extra crunch. Serve with your favorite scooper.

And since we’re in party mode, let’s flashback to this adorable party picture.

A handshake from us–Our blog started as a way to keep in touch with out-of-town family and friends.  We gathered a broader following when we started blogging about our adoption journey.  Now it’s a place to discuss photography, parenting, adoption, cooking, traveling, being radically obedient to the Creator of our world, and anything else that pops into my mind.  We’d love to “meet” you, too. Feel free to leave a comment or subscribe to our rss feed.

There are great prizes to be had at all great parties.  This is not different.  I would be thrilled to be a prize winner of anything but I really like 31, 32, 37, 52, and 84 in no particular order.

MEET HATTIE

Hattie was born to very ecological, “green” parents in San Francisco. When we first meet Hattie, she is in the hospital, but it’s not for long before she is back home with her parents. For Hattie’s family, it’s all about “How can I be good with the world?” The family’s diet focuses on fruits and vegetables. Both of Hattie’s parents are equally involved in her day-to-day life, fixing her meals, taking her to play groups, and spending time with her around the house. Hattie seems much like an old soul trapped in a very young body; she is much more cautious and analytical than the other three babies, evaluating her surroundings and what’s in her field of vision.

MEET BAYAR

Born in Mongolia, Bayarjargal, usually called “Bayar” for short, lives with his mother, father, and older brother Delgerjargal (“Degi”). Bayar is two years younger than Degi, who is very curious about (and slightly jealous of) his newborn brother. This baby’s good nature and easygoing personality make for some very funny brotherly interactions! Bayar’s family lives on their small family farm, where Bayar wanders around on his own from a very young age, playing with animals and exploring his surroundings – but his parents are never very far away.

MEET MARI

Mari lives with her mother and father in Shibuya, a busy metropolitan area within Tokyo, at the center of all of the city’s noise and excitement. Mari is an only child and lives the contemporary urban lifestyle, walking around city streets when not in the family’s apartment that has a view of the city skyline. Mari loves to visit toy stores, play with the family’s pet cat, and go to baby play groups. In the movie, she is notable for her dramatic reactions to, and frustrations with, everyday life.

MEET PONIJAO

Ponijao lives in Namibia with her family, including her parents and eight older brothers and sisters. Ponijao’s family is part of the Himba tribe, and lives in a small village with other families, following traditions including speaking their own (Himba) language. The men in the Himba tribe are generally off looking after the cattle and searching for grass, so Ponijao is most often with her mother and other female relatives; she plays, eats, and is bathed through the traditional method of mixing concrete red ochre with oil. Ponijao’s favorite things to do are dance and play with other children in the tribe.