Last weekend in April, 2012

We put some finishing touches on Elmer's grave.  He has a stone over his grave and I plan to get a stepping stone kit so we can put his name on it.  Thanks to my private student's mom for the idea.  We planted a rose bush on either side of Elmer.  The boys helped and got good and dirty.  When they weren't helping, they were climbing fences and tees and rolling around as much as possible.  We also went to the church parking lot to ride bikes - Jackson Wynn is weaning off his training wheels.  The big back church lot has the perfect grade for coasting and learning balance.  Hopefully, a few more tries will have him riding free.

Once we got in last night, they were both filthy.  I had to chisel the dirt off of them in the bath - they were even too dirty for showers.  JC's knees, elbows and feet were black with dirt.  I had to scrub him like a dirty carpet.  Jackson Wynn wasn't so bad, but he got a good scrubbing too.  Once the pool is open I won't have to worry so much about keeping them clean.

I've been playing with more gardening projects - starting a bunch of forsythias to add on one side of the yard and a bunch of begonias for this summer and hopefully to winter over in the house.  I've also got to find a spot to put last year's crepe myrtles and a couple of butterfly bushes that have sprung up.  My rose of Sharon bushes have come back strong and there is one spot in the yard where they have sprung up.  I'll have to eradicate them from there, as they are invasive.  I have them in big pots and so far, that's the only ones to wander into the yard.

 My rockabilly baby.

 JC's hair is too curly to stand up, but I think he looks like John Kennedy, Jr. 

Also, my roses have started blooming in my little rose garden.  So beautiful.  As usual, I've taken a zillion photos of all the blooms.  Here's one of the last ones before the rose wilted.  Loved each and every hour of this bloom...

It just keeps changing and getting better. And here are three of my ultimate favorite blooms...