How does your garden grow?

When we came back from our week vacation in Wilmington, I still had another week off - which was awesome! So, during that week Chad & I planted these flowers behind our house.

The Feminine Mistake

I just finished reading a really interesting book - The Feminine Mistake by Leslie Bennetts. Basically the premise of this book is that women should not quit working when they have kids because of the financial repercussions in the future. When I first heard about this book I wasn't even going to read it because I figured it's another in the string of books either anti-working moms or anti-stay-at-home moms. But, as a feminist I decided I did need to read it to know what's going on with this current debate.

So, I read it and it was a great book! I was very impressed by how thorough Bennetts is - she covers everything from what happens to stay-at-home moms when or if their husband (and only means of income) leave or die unexpectedly to the benefits of working moms - both for themselves financially and emotionally as well as for the kids and the family as a whole.

I don't have kids and I'm not sure about whether I want to or not, but I just don't see myself not working at all. It's important to me and my husband that someone is home for the first few years before school, but unlike most men he is more than willing to be that person. One of my favorite lines from the book is when the author is talking about how a lot of her friends just think her husband is so great because he helps out with household duties such as grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. which shouldn't be seen as "helping" but as a normal part of his life as a husband and father. She says, “The sainted Jeremy may look like Husband of the Year in comparison with a lot of other guys, but that just goes to show how low we set the bar for men in this society.” (p. 247) I have way too many friends who's husbands don't do anything around the house - kids or not - and that is not the kind of marriage I want to have.

One of the best points from this book is that society only tells women that their children will suffer if they work full-time outside of the home. Why isn't anyone telling men that? Don't kids need BOTH parents involved in their care and upbringing? I love that this book points out the myths about parenting and that women are supposed to do everything. We've made too much progress as women to go back to 1950. Thanks Leslie Bennetts for doing such a great job of pointing that out!

Sandpiper

I finally got a decent picture of a sandpiper! I love these quick little beach birds. They are so fun to watch running back and forth with the waves. Every time I try to get a picture though they will run or fly away, but I was finally able to get this fairly close picture after much creeping and using the zoom on my camera!

The Birds of Airlie

Here is a Canada goose with her goslings.

One of the swans apparently did not want the geese around. He chased them everytime they got in the water.

Some of the animals at Airlie

Here are some rabbits we saw playing with each other.

Here are some turtles sunning themselves on a log.

Chad at Airlie

Here's Chad at Airlie Gardens.

Carnivorous plants

The Wilmington area is one of the few places in the world where Venus Fly Traps and other carnivorous plants actually grow wild. These are also at Airlie Gardens.

The Airlie Oak

This live oak tree at Airlie dates back to 1545 and is huge!

Airlie Gardens

Here is some of the beautiful scenery at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington.

Me & Chad

Here are some pictures of me & Chad on vacation.

Relaxing Reading

Here's what I did for a lot of our vacation - READ!

View from the pier

The view from Johnny Mercer's Pier.

Beautiful Wrightsville Beach

This is the view from our room while we were on vacation for a week in Wrightsville Beach. The weather could not have been better - low 80's, sunny and breezy. It was perfect. The beach was great and not crowded since we went before school got out for the summer. It was one of the most relaxing vacations I've had in awhile!

Vacation Time

Roxy attempts to hide out in our suitcase so she can come on vacation with us.

Watching TV

Sandy reaches for the remote hoping to change the channel back to Animal Planet.

Lucky Number 7

On April 29th Chad & I celebrated our Seven Year wedding anniversary! I can't believe we've been married for seven years now - it has definitely gone by fast, but it just gets better and better... These are the flowers that he surprised me with by having them delivered to me at work - one rose for each year we've been married.

And here's our anniversary cookie cake.

Sleeping in the sunshine

Sandy loves to sleep in the sunlight. I was able to get the first picture while she was still sleeping, but in the second one she woke up when I tried to get a closer picture. She only looks slightly peeved that I woke her up during her nap.

Treat time!

Sandy and Roxy love to eat treats. Here they are trying to get even MORE after we'd already given them a bunch. Roxy is especially tenacious about trying to get more treats.

Tug of War

Here are Sandy and Roxy playing with one of their favorite toys - a drawstring from a pair of Chad's shorts.

From the inside looking out

Sandy and Roxy look outside from our office window. They are not allowed outside, but they love to look out the windows - especially if it's nice enough to have the windows open - then they can look AND smell.