You Say To-MAY-to, I Say To-MAH-to...

I say we have them coming out our ears!!!

LAST YEAR, I planted three tomato plants, and we had WAY TOO MANY tomatoes, so, as a solution, this year I only planted one.
WELL, I do believe our ONE plant has OUTPRODUCED the three that I had last year!!!

Every time I went out to pick.....

...I got this many!

And this has been going on for a couple of months now.

In fact, last month, when Kyle was trying to think of a way (translated: badgering asking me what to do) to answer a girl to the Harvest Dance.... after throwing around many different ideas, I said, "Can't ya do it somehow with tomatoes???"  (Since there's NO shortage of those around here!) 

So, he did:

(do you 'get it?')

So, now that it's October, there are STILL dozens (maybe hundreds?) of green and half green/half red tomatoes on the plant!  It's going to start getting too chilly at night to be good for the plant, so I tried something new that I heard about.  

Someone told me that I could dig out the plant, with roots still attached....

LOOK how monstrous that plant became!!!
It started out like this:

Instead of saying, "Growing like a weed," I'm gonna start saying, "She's growing like a tomato plant!"

 (A regular scene these days on my kitchen window sill - these are all the ones that fell off during the digging it up and transporting stages)

....anyway, after you pull it out, you're suppose to hang it upside-down in your garage, and the tomatoes will continue to ripen, and you can keep using your tomato supply instead of losing them all to the cold weather.  (At least that's what I heard)

So, I did it:

After each of the kids came in from school that day and ALL inquired, in half-panicked voices, a version of the same, "WHAT THE HECK IS OUT IN THE GARAGE????" question, I decided I better warn my husband before he got home, seems as it was hanging in his parking space.

So, I texted him, "You MIGHT be surprised when you come into the garage tonight.... just giving ya a heads up. ;)"

To which he replied back,  "A new Suburban?  HaHa."

Oh, man....now THAT would've been a first-rate surprise!!!

But, so sorry, Babe - you're going to be sadly disappointed when you open the garage door.......and discover it is ONLY an upside-down tomato plant!  ;)   

My New Rank: MM

We took my son, Ryan, to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on Wednesday to begin his 2 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He will train there for just 12 days, then fly out into his assigned mission field of West Virginia (& parts of some surrounding states).  We will not see him again until he returns home, and only speak to him on the phone a handful of times on special occasions (Christmas, Mother's Day, & I've *heard* when he is at the airport, departing [but it's not confirmed]).  Our communication will only be through weekly emails or letters.  (SUCH A CHANGE from the instant communication we've grown accustomed to with texts, cell phones, & living in the same home over the past years!)

So many others who have already sent out missionary children have told me I am now a "Missionary Mom" (MM) - I didn't even know that I would now have a specific new title or rank!  They have been so kind to check up on me, share tips & tricks, send me texts, visit, and bring me "care packages" already!  :)

I got a bag full of assorted fun size M & M's (I was told it stands for "Missionary & Mom")

All my kids want to eat them, but I ask them, "Are you an MM?  I don't think so!  Run along now!"  ;)

I also got this cute card:

(front)

(inside)

And look at these bright & happy Gerbera daisies another friend brought to me:

A lot of people had told me that dropping him off at the MTC would be terrible, and HARD, and sad, and THE WORST, but truth be told, it was mostly happy!  To be a full-time missionary is something HE WANTS.  And it's something I WANT for him, too.  He was SO READY, he might as well just START!  Plus, I, myself, lived & trained at the MTC [for 8 weeks] 23 years ago, and when we drove into the entrance, I got this feeling of, "Ahhh, I'm coming home!"  And I think that helped a lot!  He's in a GREAT place!

Sure, my eyes filled up with tears during the final hugs and my voice was all quavering as I spoke my last words, but I was able to SMILE a lot, too.  And it's a bit quiet around home.  And I've had him on my mind almost constantly....wondering what he's doing/thinking/feeling.  And, of course, we're praying for him in every prayer.  And we've lost our 3rd driver and overnight "adult" babysitter!  boohoo.  But, it's GOOD!

I won't be writing on this blog about HIS mission.  A separate missionary blog has been set up for him to share HIS experiences on:
http://elderryanbrenchley.blogspot.com

Picture This: True Joy

It's no secret that sometimes we look TERRIBLE in pictures!  Just outright terrible.
(It's just that most the time, I choose to never let them make it on this blog, social media, or into my scrapbook!)

There are times when our smile just does not look good.  It's forced.  It's dumb.  It's half-hearted.  There's no reason to smile.

It might have been because we were NOT in the mood to get our photo taken.
We were tired.
We were mad at someone.
We were not excited.
We were frustrated with the photographer and had just uttered, through clenched teeth, "Just hurry and take the *&%$# picture!" - and at that very moment, they DID!

We were trying too hard.


We just weren't feelin' it!

CASE IN POINT:

Here's a few of MY less-than-stellar moments caught on "film" - or how do I say that now?  Caught in the digital world?

And Matt's had a few doozies, too:

Just trying to 'Keep it Real.'

It happens even when we're together in a photo:

(They're just NOT that cute of us AT ALL!)

AND.....we see it in our teenagers, too!

It was practically like pulling eye teeth to get Ryan to show some love to the camera when he was getting his Senior pictures taken a couple weeks ago.

His "enthusiasm" about this experience is evidenced by his scrunched up forehead,

 the look in his eyes that communicates, "My mom has such stupid ideas!",

 his refusal to smile, but instead opted to stare down the photographer,

and his "forced smile.....that borders on gnashing his teeth.

(My sweet friend/photographer was VERY patient with him!)

BUT.....then in stark contrast......check out these pictures from the evening Ryan opened his mission call.  

This event was a much anticipated, much welcomed, very blessed & joyful time in our lives.

 (with his cousin, Tayler)

 (with the "old neighborhood kids" - they first met when they were 4 & 5 years old!)

 (no cringing, no lopsided, wacky stuff, no perturbed looks - EXCEPT for Bob Marley on the T-shirt, that is!)

I specifically remember when the picture was being taken, thinking, "I don't even have to TRY to smile for this, I just can't hold it back!

 (Is that a GLISTEN in my eye?  Do we have the Orbit gum commercial sparkle-on-the-teethy-smile going on?)   

As exciting as it was to find out where & when he will be going, the fact that he is willing, and able, and worthy to go.....THAT is what is causing our bona fide smiles!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE it makes in your pictures (see photos at the beginning of this post for comparisons!) when you're genuinely feeling true joy - THE PROOF IS [definitely] IN THE PHOTOS!