. . . with blocks, that is.
Let's see . . . we have red velvet cake, yellow cake, and--er--pistachio cake? Incidentally, Joy says the green cake is for "Papa" (Grandpa), and the red and yellow one is for the "hot" (the fire that lives in Papa's fireplace).
Here Joy inspects the basil plants for nefarious, leaf-chomping caterpillars. We also have a habanero pepper plant (for Daddy), four bell peppers, two Roma tomatoes, a couple potato plants, and a few little onions. 
And as always, we have a bunch of herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, among others) in some containers. The leafy arugula and the mysterious shoots in the circular pots belong to our Korean neighbors upstairs.
The owners did stipulate that they aren't liable if anyone helps themselves to my produce, so I've recruited some attack doves to keep an eye on things.
Of course, they may not have much to guard. These rogue lettuce plants that escaped my pot and grew virtually untended in the planter are doing much better than their buddies who stayed behind in the container. I guess Mother Nature knows a bit more about growing plants than I do.
Our local congregation lent "Mormon Helping Hands" at Pasadena's annual Earth Day festival. Yellow-vested volunteers handed out festival fliers, assisted at booths, and (in my case) helped sift through trash to retrieve the compostable cups everyone kept tossing because they thought they were plastic. No one said service was glamorous. :)
the Freedom Garden booth (i.e. freedom from pesticides or from dependence on someone else to produce your food), . . .
. . . and this pre-Columbian earth dance, in honor of Earth Day.
Daniel found the whole experience captivating, as usual.
(It's Martinelli's, I swear.)
That's Joy's current word for "prophet." She knows he's friends with "Tee-tee" (Jesus), and she was pretty excited when he came on the screen during General Conference this past weekend.
Daniel was somewhat less enthusiastic about the whole business, but his parents enjoyed hearing what the Proppy had to say. President Monson's emphasis on prayer was timely counsel for me. I also enjoyed Elder Bednar's talk about the temple, and Elder Hales message about provident living.
One of Joy's favorite baby toys was Daniel's swing, which we purchased in the fond hope that it would help him doze off and save us from lots of late-night floor trudging. Alas, Daniel wasn't a fan and we ultimately returned it, but during the swing's brief sojourn in our home, Joy loved giving her stuffed animals a ride in it. Note the bunny and pile of bears patiently awaiting their turn in the foreground.
To her credit, Joy sometimes shares with Daniel, too. Today she suggested that we let Daniel hold "White," her favorite bear. I doubt Daniel fully appreciated the gesture, but I thought it was really sweet.
