Blackberry Bliss

We have been picking blackberries like crazy lately.  Our hands are thorny and stained purple...but our refrigerator and freezer are FULL of those sweet little berries.  We have 9 & 1/2 gallons so far.  We've made cobbler and jam.  I think I am going to try sorbet next!

An Xtreme Weekend

We participated in an adventure race on St. Patrick's Day.  It was an annual event put on by the MWR at the base that Jim works for.  Average completion time is ~ 7 hours.  It was a grueling day, but we had a blast.  We did challenges that included canoeing, rock climbing, running, biking, marksmanship, orienteering, ziplines, rope bridges, etc...and we finished in under 5 hours!  We can't wait to do it again next year.  Here is a before and after shot of our team: The Sand Crabs!

R and R

I made these chairs over the past 2 days.  What a fun and easy project.  We're all set for some warm summer nights!

Mission Accomplished!

I did it!  I ran my first 1/2 marathon this weekend.  All of my hard work payed off and it felt GREAT to cross that finish line.  I ran just under the time I thought I would.  I can't wait to do it again!!! 

Waiting for the race to start

The crowd before the race

Finally moving

Crossing the finish line.

My Vera Bradley bag and finisher's medal!

My cheerleader!

The lawn after the race

How does your garden grow?

Ours grows in layers!  Well, the foundation is in layers.  We are using the lasagna gardening method to fill our vegetable beds for spring planting.  Here's what our layers look like.

 And here is what we will be planting in them...

Lots and lots of tomatoes!                                                   

And these wonderful heirloom seeds :o)                   

      

We have also been putting a lot of hard work into our green house.  Here's the progress:

Now, all that's left to do is install a door and some gables!

Better Late than Never

It has been a while since we've updated the blog.  A lot has been happening in PCB.  We spent our Christmas in NC and had a wonderful time.  

We have also been working on a lot of projects around the house.  We are in the process of building a monster-sized greenhouse.  We have the structure complete and are awaiting the shipment of our poly-carbonate panels. I will post more pictures when it is complete. 

We have also decided to put in some raised beds for our veggies this year.  We have a bunch of seeds started and can't wait to get them in the ground!  There is nothing better than home grown veggies.

I have been diligently training for my 1st 1/2 marathon, which is in 2 weeks (eek!) and Jim is 2 weeks into P90X.  We just signed up for a 3 person adventure race that will be taking place on St. Patrick's day.  

I started a new job.  Something that is a little more in line with my degree and interests.  I am now working for the FWC in the terrestrial mammal research division.  I have been there for 2 weeks and everything is going well so far.What a lucky break for me!   As you can see, we have been busy, busy but that's the way we like it!                 

Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and a Whole lot of fun!

Jim and I took a quick mini vacation to Orlando this week to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure.  We had such a good time.  They did a great job recreating Hogsmeade.  We got in the park an hour early and got to roam around before the crowds became overwhelming.  We had no wait time for the rides.  It was great.  We drank butterbeer (which was delicious), and wandered through Zonks, Honeydukes, and Dervish et al.  It was a blast.