Bogs and Skinny Jeans

Spring has sprung! 
With all the rain, thunder, lightening, and gloominess covering our house the past few days, today's clear skies were a welcome reprieve! I planted a bunch of bulbs in the front yard last fall for the first time... a variety of tulips and some others that I can't remember the name of, but are pictured below! Its a pleasant surprise to find them popping out in early March, ready to announce the beginning of spring. Our entire family spent the afternoon today in the yard , working on garden beds, trimming ferns, and just plain enjoying some fresh air.

Callen enjoyed his afternoon nap strapped to my back in the Ergo, while I trimmed all the ferns in the front yard... adding another 20 lbs to your body is a great workout, and helps me fit into my skinny jeans! Now that's multi-tasking!

Joel is getting started on the second garden bed, and now that we have a system down, we are hoping to have it completed by the end of the week. (or at least that's my idea!) My peas are out growing their pots and are going to be ready to plant as soon as we can get the soil and compost in the beds.

What a difference a day makes... or two, or three...
I shouldn't have been so worried about my onions and pumpkins. The day after my last post I saw sprouts! Today, the pumpkins are popping like crazy. There is something satisfying about seeing a large seedling like pumpkins pop through the soil. I'm so excited to watch them grow!


Troubleshooting Topic #1: 
With all the successes we've seen so far, we have also come across our first concern/challenge with the lettuce. It seems to be leggier than normal, and leaning a lot towards the light, which is a sign that its not getting enough light. My make-shift plant lights (a collection of random desk lights) don't seem to be enough so we are going to have to come up with something more appropriate. Here is a link to one of my favorite online resources: Organic Gardening. They have some great tips that I'm going to try, including putting rope lights underneath the seed trays as a warming blanket. I'm going to see what I can find, unless you have any suggestions?? I'll keep you posted on my solutions. =)