A Lovely Little Flower Garden

This spring we were feeling the itch to get our hands in the dirt. Since we have a huge yard full of sand, and we aren't able and ready to start landscaping it, we decided to move a tiny bit of rock in our front yard and plant some flowers. We did a little preparation and planned to have a Family Home Evening talking about faith. The kids were so excited to make our front yard beautiful!

Matt got us started by teaching the kids how to rototill the ground and prepare it for the planting. Look at Carter use that big heavy machine!
Josie helped by sitting nicely in the stroller and not running off into the road!

Wow, Chloe is one tough cookie trying to manouver that heavy machine on her own!

Gotta love those boots too! She didn't want to stop wearing them when the winter ended!

Here comes Mason, begging for his turn to help!

After tilling up the ground and adding lots of manure and potting soil, we planted some flowers.

Carter loved helping put the flowers in the ground and pat out the dirt.

I love working in the dirt and beautifying our yard. I wish I had more time and energy to spend my days out working in the yard! Actually, I wish we had more plants in our yard to take care of. There is such a great feeling taking the earth and adding a little TLC to make it beautiful.

Then we added some nice bark.

Now we will nurture our new plants and help them grow into a beautiful garden! What a nice Family Home Evening! It was time well spent.

The Movie

Downstairs the phone rings...

Chloe answers, "Hello."

pause

She responds matter of factly, "We're watching a movie. There's a bad guy and he's going to kill the dad."

pause (Memaw, the caller, responds "What movie are you watching?")

Chloe answers, "Little House on the Prairie."

Mom, upstairs, sighs in relief...

Flowers are Beautiful

I have decided that I enjoy taking pictures of flowers. I love their beauty and the way I can capture it at their best. When Matt and I were first married I did something naughty and told him not to buy me flowers. I know sounds crazy, but we didn't have the money and I felt they were money wasted. I know this was hard for him and he has broken my rule many times throughout our marriage...which I have decided is ok. I love the way flowers bring a brightness into our home and our lives. Recently, I did rescind my rule and told him that he is allowed to bring them home on occasion, which he has done so already. (I know, I sound like a control freak! But I have eased up over the years!)

The greatest thing I love about flowers is planting them and watching them grow. I love to play in the dirt and rub it through my fingers. When I was growing up, I watched my dad plant flowers and weed the yard, and found great pleasure in seeing his strong hands move the dirt around through his fingers. In Idaho the soil was cool and damp and nice to touch. I remember spending many summer days weeding and beautifying our yard with my dad. It was a chore sometimes, but I believe I really grew to love it. I am kind of a weed freak, because I love to weed. I have thought about this often and had many discussions with family and friends and I have come to a conclusion about my freakiness. Weeding is simply hard work and instant gratification. Hard work always makes you sweat which is a result of your heart pumping harder, which creates endorphins, which makes you feel happy. The added result is that the weeds are gone, creating a little more beauty in the world, instant gratification. So, happiness and beauty combined together makes for a pleasant soul.

I am grateful for a father who helped me learn to love weeding. I am also grateful for parents who helped me see the beauty all around me. Now, I am blessed to have a husband who helps me see color in everything, with an artistic eye.
I have taken several pictures of flowers and I am not sure what kind they are...I will have to do a little research, or have my dear cousin Melissa help me identify them. :)

I hope one day I can have a beautiful flower garden to create, tend and care for. Flowers are Beautiful.

Pictures taken at Polly's Home in Gilbert, AZ

a few colored eggs and a Resurrected Jesus

We had a really fun Easter weekend. The kids received their Easter Bunny Baskets on Saturday and they had fun getting their new soccers and basketballs. Of course, some of the kids, really enjoyed their candy...and couldn't think of anything else...no need to mention names, the pictures give it all away.

And some didn't even notice the candy, they were so excited about their new ball...

Some were a little more choosy about what messed with their tastebuds,

Did I mention that some were so very happy to have a basket of candy???

Wow, and who just woke up to join the party?...bad hair day?

Did I mention that some were excited about their new ball, or was it new head?

I can't remember.

Then, later that evening we colored our eggs. Yes, it might seem a little backwards, but that's just how we roll sometimes!

Working ever so carefully...

...and ever so gently. (notice the hair cut...we noticed the need after the last picture.)

Patiently, patiently waiting...

and finally it is time to get out the egg!

Writing a secret message.

Trying to decide which color to dip in next.

Oh, the creativity!

Beautiful Bold!

Wow! The Great use of Primary Colors!

Making a golden egg?

Not sure how this picture fits, but the hat was something special this day!

Everyone wanted to take a turn wearing it!

Then, on to Sunday's easter egg hunt!

Where, oh where have the little eggs gone?

Where, oh here, they be!

Ooh, I found two!

I remember last year, these little eggs had candy inside when I broke them in half...

Let's see...what is this? Doesn't look like candy...

Let's see if it tastes like candy...

Hmm, not really... but it is interesting.

I'll give it another try...

Yep, me likey!

Ohhhh, I found one!

We had fun with all the frivilous Easter traditions, but we did not forget the true meaning of the Easter Celebration. We are blessed to know that our Savior Jesus Christ has risen from death and Lives again. How grateful we are for the truth of his Resurrection and the Atonement in our lives. Where would we honestly be without Jesus Christ? We love Him and give Him our respect during this holiday.