Ah ha!

I think I've realized something about my sweet, peaceful day yesterday. With a little help from a friend. I am coming out of the fog of toddlers and babies! Bode is getting easier with each and every day and I am not pregnant or nursing. I have not felt like this in fifteen years! No wonder.

Another important note, which should probably have been mentioned first. I've been noticing that Tuesdays have been rough days. I get up early and walk for an hour with my dad, and as a result, I come home and get right into breakfast mode and never really have a good quiet time (Bible study and prayer). But after realizing this, yesterday I made it a point to spend the hour after breakfast in quiet time, and THAT was probably the reason for my great day. My mental state during that hour was one of true desperation for God. He is so good and faithful!

The picture is another "ah ha" moment. Abby has learned to ride her bike! Yay Abby! (I love that look of concentration.)

Our God... does exceedingly, abundantly beyond all we could ask, think or imagine! Ephesians 3:20

Peace

Do you ever feel guilty for feeling peaceful?

I had nothing pressing to do today. We unpacked from Sunriver this morning. The laundry was going, the house was picked up, the kids were playing or working on their school. I weeded for a little while and then made a lunch. Ate outside with my Mom before piano lessons started. My dad dropped by unexpectedly and picked up Kat from school (yay for one less trip in the car). I sat outside with Ryan and worked on grammar. Swam with the kids. Switched some laundry. Dan came home and got the boys and their practices were at the same field at more or less the same time (yay again for no driving for me). Made dinner with Kat's help. Now I'm waiting for Dan and the boys to get home from baseball so we can eat. It's been such a nice day. No stress. And it makes me feel like I'm forgetting something. Hmmm.

Pots

This is for my friend Ann, who generously helped me with her time and expertise to shop for pots! Ann, here they are! What do you think?


I'll take more pictures when the plants fill in. The middle is a darling little lavender that I thought was a blue salvia when I first saw it. I can't wait for it to really bloom - maybe after this next heat spell.

The big plant in the middle is a bright red camelia that blooms in December. Around it is white verbena, purple petunia and chartreuse sweet potato vine. The sweet potato vine looks horrible though. Brown edges on a lot of the leaves. Anyone have any ideas about that?

Check out the difference in these double blooming purple petunias. Same plants, planted the same day, both fertilized the same number of times.

These were planted in fresh garden blend from Grimms.

These were planted in I'm-not-sure-what.


Another wimpy petunia, but this gives you the best picture of the bloom.

I think I have some soil to amend!

Random Pics of Spring

I love this boy.


This one too. Though he is a little sneak. Sunday we found him under Dan's desk eating a quart of chocolate ice cream with his hands. Of course it was everywhere, on the carpet and all over his face and hands, but he looks at Dan with his hands up like "I'm innocent" when he was found out. This is the downside to freezer drawers. A little too easy to access.


This is me. Every day. My little bit of heaven. I even love weeding. I've turned into my mother and then some.


My "little" man, helping me with rotatilling.

Baseball

Love this face. Jack being congratulated by his teammates after his first ever homerun. I sort of missed it. Not totally. I was sitting on the bottom bleacher chatting, but watching too. I saw the boy get up to bat, I saw the hit, was really impressed with it, and excited to see it go over the fence. Only all that time I was thinking it was someone else, because the kid looked so big, I didn't think he was mine! Then he turned the corner at second base, I saw his face, and realized, but I was a little late with the camera. (Note to self: Jack is number 9)



But then he got a double. We could always pretend this was his homerun. It looks about the same rounding the bases.

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Glamour and Fairies

This is been a busy, fun spring! I'm going to spend the next few days catching up on posting photos.



Abby with her Hollywood look. Seven going on 27. She has a rough life. On nice days she takes her school books, coloring stuff, toys etc. to a chaise and Cade enjoys playing the waiter for poolside service.



Abby and I planted a "fairy" garden. The seed packet said they would attract fairies. This is Abby and her friend Catie discussing how to spot fairies after finding a stone path that the fairies (read: sister) made.



Sweet girls! They BELIEVE in fairies.