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...

Lazy Days of Summer

This is the second week we haven't had swim team and it has been LAZY!  We've watched some of our favorite movies, played outside, swam, taken Mo for walks at the park and hung out in our jammies.  It has been great, but we can't stay idle forever.  We need to get back on track.  Abbie has been working some late nights because of IT problems at work.  He has a business trip coming up and then we go on vacation.  After all that hubbub, we'll need to get back on schedule so school won't blast us out of bed completely.

Today, we slept in, hung out and I did housework and played with the guys.  We tried to swim and within three minutes of getting wet, it started thundering.  Then it went from a completely lovely day to something wicked this way comes.  Big storm, lost power, lost of thunder and rain.  And it came from the northeast, so from the totally wrong direction.  Strange weather patterns we've had this year. 

We got out, ran in and waited it out.  Played and talked.  After, quite a while after, we went back out and I let the boys swim again.  I wasn't going to get wet again, so I trimmed back my herbs and started some clippings indifferent pots. And here's what I found while trimming my mint.

This is the second time I've spotted this rare pink grasshopper.  He's munching on a fallen bloom from my mint plants.  I had tried to get photos with my iPhone the last time I saw him, but they didn't turn out.  This time I ran in for my real camera. 

Mo continues to do well.  He's getting hair more and more.  I hope it all comes back.  If not, he'll be one shivering pup this winter.  Small dogs don't do well in extreme temps, so I'll have to buy him some kind of sweater.  Abbie will have a cow - owning a dog who wears clothes.  He'll be humiliated.  He's already making "yappy dog" jokes.  He doesn't yap much though, just when he sees people out in adjacent yards.  Here's a few shots of today.

This kid is a survivor.

And I got pics of the boys, but that is a whole other post.

Yardage

 Mexican petunia bush with bloom below.

 Butterfly Bush

 Lilies from my sister.

 Can't remember the name of this one, but it is a very pretty and interesting plant.

 Hooch running pappy.  Nah, it's just a pool sample to take in.

 Fuzzy plant from my sister.  Once it gets a little bigger, I'll plop it in the flowerbed.

 Hot, tired and thirsty super heroes.

Life of a Rose

April 19, 2011.  Chicago Peace, tea rose.   Just opening up.  It had rained the night before and that morning.

April 20, 2011.  The next day.  Opened more, more of a blush.

April 22, 2011.  Just about to finish and drop its petals.  Fading, but still beautiful.

This is the only bloom on the bush when these were taken.  Since, no new blooms.  This may be it for the year.  But, I hope not.  The bush is a little runty, but I have high hopes. 

Easter and such

We had such a nice Easter this year. The weather was beautiful, as was the church service and the activities leading up to and following it. We had an egg hunt on Saturday, with a church brunch following. After Easter service, we met my sister's family and spent time together. It was a very sweet weekend. And we got to fiddle in the yard some too. My sister gave me pieces of rose bushes, clematis, and some lilies. They were in dirt within 30 minutes of our van hitting the driveway. I hope they all take. Church started with Christ The Lord Is Risen Today and it always gets to me. Just amazing - the whole idea of Christ giving himself for our sins is amazing. I don't think I'll ever fully comprehend until I'm in heaven with Him.

Pastor Kenny sharing the Easter story with the kids

The younger group.  The older kids did their thing later in the afternoon.

The boys had a great time.  We made their egg bags earlier in the week.  Puffy Paint is fun stuff.  They did the designs and I did the finishing touches.

By Grace performance

Puppet Ministry

 This is the rose in its final form - fully open.  Getting delicate and getting ready to finish.  Still beautiful.

Pansies by the front door.  Love'em!!!  The floral photos were all taken on Saturday.