Bugged

Growing up in Ohio, there were a lot of bugs.  We had lightning bugs which lit up the dark summer sky.  My distaste for grasshoppers began when some random boy dropped one down the back of my dress during recess (about the 4th grade or so).  But the one that really creeped me out was the praying mantis.  My Mother told me they ate mosquitos and grasshoppers, so I left them alone.

This year one has taken up residence in our butterfly bush, right outside our den window.  I would spot it nearly every day.  It was brown on the top and green on the bottom, so it blended in well with the branches.  It was interesting to watch, but I was glad there was glass between me and it.  One day it must have sensed me watching it because it quickly turned its triangular shaped head with bulging eyes toward me.  Still creeped me out.  When the winds came it would hold on for dear life.  Last week when it was windy it must have decided the window would be easier to hold onto.

 



I would often see it using its forearms quite vigorously.  I assumed it was getting food.  But a couple of days ago when I looked for it, I found it had snagged something a bit bigger.  I had to get outside to capture a picture of this.

Poor bee didn't stand a chance.  When I came in I did some Googling about the praying mantis.  They go after big prey.  One photo showed this insect taking out a little hummingbird.  The photographer said the mantis had waited an hour for this bird to land.  Pretty remarkable.  Now, if only the praying mantis could get rid of these nasty bugs that have been around for well over a week. 



 

 

 

All these little white dots that you see are swarms of bugs.  You can see them especially on the apricot tree.  They come out when the sun comes up.  So instead of being able to enjoy the beautiful fall weather, I am indoors most of the day.  I do my yardwork and runs to the garden before the bugs come out.  Kevin said it was like a plague.  They get in your hair, nose, and ears and cling to your clothes.  My friend the praying mantis is gone. Wish he were back - feasting on these nasty bugs.

Puddles

 

Who can resist playing in puddles?

 

It had just rained and the water was warmer than the pool water out back.  Abigail loved the puddles!

 

 

 

 

 

This is Abigail's mommy, Bonnie, at the same age.  She loved puddles, too.  Only she didn't differentiate between winter puddles and summer puddles.  One day I couldn't find her anywhere in the house.  I noticed the inside front door was open and little footprints in the snow on the front porch.  I followed the footprints and there sat Bonnie in the driveway where the water puddles - no shoes on and crying because it was a cold puddle instead of a nice warm summer puddle.



Happy Birthday, Lizzy!

Six years old today!

from then . . .

until now.



While the Popes were here last month we had a birthday party.  There were treats:

Family:

(Great-Grandpa Van Ausdal and Grayson)

(This is an affectionate hug, not a wrestling hold)

(A not-so-friendly push)

Presents:

And Lots of Fun:

By late afternoon:

Happy birthday, Lizzy.  We love you!

Summer Entertainment

The Popes are in town.  Which means:  fun, chaos, and more fun.  We loved seeing Cole interact with his Pope cousins. 

He is so skinny his swimming suit would just not stay up.  It gives a whole new meaning to the term low riders!  He got cold quickly and his lips turned blue and quivered, but he kept on going, trying to keep up with the big kids.

 

 

Down the slide with his cousin Lincoln.

Benson loved his warm snuggly towel!

This boy has no fear.

New event for the 2020 Olympics?

One Year Old

We recently celebrated Cole's first birthday.  His Grandma Manning made this cute cake.

The tail section was broken off.  He was tentative at first, carefully sticking one finger at a time into the cake.

  

He quickly figured out how good it tasted and that two hands would be much more fun than just one finger!

With cousin Abigail trying to figure out the bubble mower.

Zucchini Madness

I have two zucchini plants in my garden.  They are quite large - measuring about six feet in diameter.  One produces yellow and the other green.  Each day I go down to see what surprises I will find.  I have found five or six at a time and then that many more the next day!  If I miss a day, I may find a  one that resembles a baseball bat lurking under the leaves.  Thanks to family and friends who enjoy having the fresh produce.  I do love having the garden and have found new ways to use this vegetable.  We like some better than others.  Last night was a keeper.  Mini pizzas. 

I used Mission multigrained tortillas.  Brush or mist both sides with olive oil.  Place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.  I spooned on a little pizza sauce or you could use pesto sauce.  Add toppings.  Bake at 400 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until edges of tortilla are brown.  Last night I used:

Ground chicken browned with Herbs de Provence
Small yellow zucchini - about 1 inch in diameter - thinly sliced
Baby tomatoes from the garden thinly sliced
Fresh basil from the garden coarsely chopped
Mozzarella cheese

So simple, so quick, so good.

Grayson's Blessing Day

Last Sunday we were in Smithfield for Grayson's blessing.  I love these occasions when both sides of the family gather and feel the great love for these new little ones that have so recently come from the presence of our Heavenly Father. 

What is everyone looking at?  An airplane!  Abigail loves airplanes and, for that matter, anything that is flying in the air, birds, dragonflies, etc.  She squeals (quite loudly) every time she sees one.



Great-grandpa Van Ausdal with the Abigail and Grayson.

I love being a Grandma!  Grayson is our seventh grandchild and we love him dearly.