Spring is coming!

We are on the verge of full blown spring.  The first of my irises are opening and the leaves are budding out on the crepe myrtles and ash trees.  

This will be our first real spring in our new house.  We didn't have our back yard put in yet last spring.  I can't wait to see all the flowers, green grass and shady trees in their full glory.  It has been a lot of work, but the pay off will and already has been huge. 

 I will post more photos when spring fully arrives.  Eeeek!  I am SUPER excited!

Crazy Hair Day

My children's favorite day of school has always been crazy hair day.  They LOVE it!!!!  This year we had an assortment of styles and some with red hair spray.

 Drew opted for the multi-pony look.

 Laney had Medusa-ish braids.

 Nate had me curl his hair and add a bit of volume.

 And Dan had a bit of a demon Elvis look.

I curled his hair as well.

They are all such fun kids.  I love how fearless they are.  They love to be silly and are not afraid to show it to the world!

Gardening Time

Richard, my darling, sweet, wonderful husband, worked for hours and hours to create these beautiful garden beds and our new watering system.  I am excited to not have to remember to water everyday.  Automatic watering is the best! This waters our whole garden in 1 minute.  The beds are all level so the water soaks in evenly and doesn't run to one end.  It is so much faster than running the hose in each section and also gentler on seeds and baby plants.  No more washing all the seeds down to the end of the bed, or holes made from the hose water.  I know it doesn't look like much yet, but there will be tomatoes by the ton in a couple of months.  YEA!!!

Josh in his Birthday Suit... hee hee

Josh has been wanting a suit for a long time, but since teenage boys grow so much, I have not wanted to spend that kind of money on a suit he might only fit in for a few months.

That was all he wanted for his birthday, so I did a lot of shopping and found one that fits him perfectly for a reasonable price.  He looks so dashing all suited up for church.  I love that boy!

More Birthdays

This time of year is full of birthdays.  Josh turned 15!  

 This one is mind blowing for me, Tim is 13!  A teenager!!!  How could this have come already?

And I turned 36.  My darling sweetheart bought me a beautiful, and comfortable, new bike along with a trailer to tote Susanna around in.  I love it!  Not only is it super duper cute but it really is so much more comfortable than my old bike.  Now I can go on family bike rides and enjoy myself.

 Of course I had to try it out even though it was after bed time.  Seriously though, isn't it SO cute!

Well, howdy partner!

Tim tried out for mascot at his new school and made it.  He takes turns being mascot with another boy, they alternate games.  So we now have a Maverick in the house.

Tim was the eagle last year at Dysart, which had a pretty big head, but it was nothing compared to this Maverick head.  The box we tote it around in barely fits in the seat of our van!  It is big enough it could knock Tim off balance if he isn't careful.  He really wears it very well and does a great job getting his groove on for half time.  He is truly a natural entertainer.

 He already has some adoring fans.

GO, GO, GO TIM!!!!  YEA!!!!!

Dec / Jan Famiy Birthday Party

We had a  soccer birthday party for Nellie, Richard, Sam, Ella, Madi, Todd, Gwen and Josh.  It was tons of fun and had three different yummy cakes!

Lots of birthday wishes were made.

Mmmm pink cake!

Much spinning occurred.

The Earls and Victor joined the Ely crew for some serious athletics.

Man, I love my family!  Good times.