Updates with Pictures!

So I know I've neglected this blog for a while. It's mainly because I don't feel there's been much of significance to post about and also because I've been focusing on getting healthier lately and have dedicated more and more of my time to preparing my meals, charting my progress and actually exercising. BUT, I did transfer a lot of pictures from my phone to my computer today and realized that I actually DO have a lot to post about and so I'll just run through the list of photos and provide an update that way.

May 20, 2012
We all headed down to Southern Utah, Enterprise to be exact (just outside of St. George) to watch the annual solar eclipse. It's called "annular" because it isn't a total eclipse of the sun, it actually just leaves a ring of sun around the moon because the moon isn't quite close enough to Earth to block out the sun entirely, as it does in a total eclipse.

Anyway, we found a great spot atop a hill - thank goodness for 4WD in our truck! We ended up parking right next to another group of people who are actually "eclipse chasers" and they had a projection telescope so that they could project the image on to some paper so that everyone could see it in a more large scale. We did have our solar glasses too. Chris also brought the HUGE telescope and Ramin was prepared with our nice camera and tripod. The pictures below are what I captured with my phone!

Projection telescope view

Chris setting up his telescope - the carboard is actually a filter so that you can look at the sun without going blind (Tara and Ramin in the picture)

Tara making fun of Chris :)

Ramin had a filter for our camera too

The other group of people hovering around their table and projection telescope. It was great to have a variety of ways to view the eclipse.

All of us. I took the other group's picture and they were kind enough to take ours. Tara, Chris, Casey, Jenn, Ramin.

Almost in alignment!

Total alignment! It's actually total annularity.

Next I'd like to post some progress pictures of my garden plants throughout the summer so far. This blog has always been dedicated to all of my garden growing activity so this year is no different!

Let's talk about my tomato plants first. I started ALL of the plants you see below from seeds!! When they turned into seedlings I planted them in this larger pot outside in my backyard.

May 24

June 6

July 21

Holy cow!!! Those things have gotten HUGE. And, I had no clue I even planted sunflowers in there, but apparently I did somehow. I need an even more updated picture now because the sunflowers have all bloomed. I'll try to do that this week sometime.

Next, let's talk about my rose bush!

May 24

June 6

June 26

July 21

This thing has literally sprouted beyond belief! It's amazing!

And here's the rest of our backyard for reference. We're finally to the point where we're pretty much done landscaping it. The grass actually looks even better than when I took this in June...we've been treating it very well and it's nice and thick now. Again, I'll take more pictures this coming week.

And how about the rest of my container plants? Let's just say they started out as this:

And now they look like this!!  Again, everything is from seeds!!

Ok enough of the plants. Here are some random photos I've taken with my phone over the last few months:

Back in June and early July we had TONS OF FIRES in Utah. They're not as bad anymore now that the moonsonal rains have started up in the evenings. Ramin and I drove by an apartment fire one Saturday and stopped to take pictures. It was weird seeing something like that so up close!

Here's the view of the "Alpine Fire" from my work...this was a pretty bad one.

This is the view of the "Herriman" fire that I passed on my way home from work one afternoon. 

Ramin and I had a date at the end of June (I think) where we went to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. This was one of my trials. Two of the arrows were almost near the target! I LOVED this sport and I want to keep doing it!

I had my 4th of July wreath class at the end of June. I had about 20 people sign up to come to it during two separate days. I created kits for them and showed them how to make their own. I have more pictures of this on my other camera but because I'm only posting phone pictures right now I'll post the others later. The white wreath on the left is one I custom made and sold to a sweet lady on Etsy - my second order from Etsy for my 4th of July yarn wreathsn!

Last week - July 18th - Jenn and I had double dates with our husbands to go see Wicked!! I've never seen it before and thought it was going to be really good. We went to dinner with Jenn and Matt and then drove downtown to see this. It was good - but Ramin hated it HAHA....at least I know what it's all about now!

Me and Jenn

 

Me and Ramin

Random: I've been putting our birds outside some days on the weekend so that they can get some fresh air. They seem to really like it.

I've started up my sewing habit again. I've started completing a new Christmas stocking. This one will be Ramin's. I sit and sew while I watch my favorite new show - Supernatural! I'm up to Season 6 now on Netflix.

This is a random shot of my work team. One day we coincidentally all decided to wear navy and white...we call it "Family picture day" when we all end up looking alike.  Shaun, Misty, Me, Charlie

 
Just a cute picture of Belle and Dingo on the bed.

Here's a picture of Jenn on her birthday when we went out to eat at Iggy's. This is her and Lizzy looking super cute. This was June 1st.

And that's the end. Great update if I say so myself!