A Long Overdue Update

Sometimes life just gets busy, and sitting down to write a blog post is the last thing on your mind. Then, life slows down, and you have plenty of time to write, but feel overwhelmed by all the things missed during the accidental blogging hiatus. I was discussing this dilemma with my friend Leah and she suggested to just leave the past in the past and post only about what's happening now. Since it's been a good six months since my last update (and a million things have happened!!), I'm thinking that sounds like pretty good advice, and I'm going to take it!

Summer has brought an increase in business for Capanna with all of the gelato sales. It's really nice to feel like we are just part of the local Iowa City culture now. Mike is busier at times, but we are really blessed to have managers at both stores, which helps tremendously. We were able to get away to visit my brother and sister-in-law last weekend in St. Louis and we have a Kennedy family mini-vacation planned in August, which is awesome that we can do that. We are also planning a longer vacation this fall, sort of a delayed anniversary celebration.

While I'm on that note, I guess I will look back just slightly and mention that Mike and I celebrated five years of wonderful marriage on June 4th! It really is amazing how quickly time flies. We had a fabulous date which included a movie, dinner, and coffee/dessert afterwards. It was fun to reflect on the last five years and realize how much we've grown together.

One of my biggest projects this summer so far has been my gardens. I have another container vegetable garden, which is so far still thriving. My lettuce and radishes are done, but I'm starting to get some tomatoes, zucchini, beans, and summer squash. Hopefully those will be ready in the next couple weeks. We also worked out a deal with our landlord to be able to do some landscaping at our house, which was long overdue. He payed for the materials if we kept it under a certain amount and we did the work. I've enjoyed working in the dirt and picking out my hostas and shrubs. I'm not quite finished since I sort of went on a break with the recent crazy heatwave, but it already looks much better.

And of course, it really would not be an update post if I didn't end with some recent pictures! For your viewing enjoyment:

This is my container garden in the very beginning stages. It's much fuller now and I've moved it from this spot since landscaping here (notice all the weeds!!). But in the back row I have four tomato plants, and a royal burgundy bush bean. To the far left, positioned vertically, is a window box planter with radishes (waiting to be thinned). Then in the front row there is a cucumber, a summer squash, and a zucchini. Next to that in the window box planter is my lettuce (also waiting to be thinned).

First harvest of lettuce from one of the thinnings. We got about 4 good sized salads from that tiny box!

Some of the radishes I got. Unfortunately, most of them stayed really tiny. I'm going to try planting them again this fall, but do two rows in my planter with more space between each radish. We'll see if it helps.

This is Mike and I with my brother Chris riding in the tram up to the top of the Arch in St. Louis. That thing is so tiny!! Definitely a weird, but fun experience.

A nice shot of my brother Chris and his wife Dorothy at the Penguin House in the zoo. St. Louis is awesome because many of the museums and other public places are completely free to get in, including the zoo. However, it was ridiculously and stiflingly hot the day we went, and I don't think I've ever felt as good as I did once we got inside the Penguin House!!