yardwork

We've  been sprucing up the front yard lately.  First we added the red mulch in the beds in front of the porch (This was necessary after the acorn-as-mulch fiasco.  You see it behind the pictures of Julia with her baby doll, baby sister Tree, formerly known as Mary Frances.  Notice their sort-of matching sunshine outfits.  Julia requested the pictures be taken.  She said it would be great summer pictures and that baby Woody - another doll - would love it.) 

Next we planted the pink annuals at the mailbox.  Last night we planted 6 three gallon oak leaf hydrangeas and 3 one gallon ones, and near the street a big potted gardenia that grew from a cutting of the one we planted in Cullman.  We hope the hydrangeas will eventually create a bit of a visual barrier between our yard and the neighbors.  It's one of the particular sadnesses of the itinerancy that we sometimes don't get to enjoy the matured fruits of our yardwork labor, so it will probably not be as big as I really want until ten years from now, when we may have had to say goodbye to this yard and even another, but a girl can dream.  Fertilize lots, and dream.

Next up is planting some irises from Nana's yard in the beds by the front of the house on one side, and planting a matching azalea on the other side in the fall.

Julia and the beanstalk

Well, it is really a cherry tomato plant.  It was less than one foot tall when we bought it.  Luckily, Nana saw it and said right away, you will need a stake for it, otherwise it would not have made it, I'm sure.  It is now taller than I am.
And Julia is making 'a silly face.'
More updates on our playing in the yard soon.

Making the Circuit

Julia's been having a lot of fun recently making the circuit through her grandparents' houses, spending time with all of them.  She's had several days where she's seen all of them.  There was even one day where Nana picked her up and handed her directly to Grammy and Poppy without Mommy and Daddy even being involved.  Julia apparently did just fine, although spoiling may have been taking place across the board.

We even got a picture of Julia and Pa eating ice cream.  Each time we've tried to make a family calendar we've realized that we don't have any pictures of the two of them together, so we finally solved that problem by combining cameras and ice cream.  Now, we've got several of them doing their favorite thing together.

Julia's continuing to enjoy talking with all of her grandparents as well as seeing them.  She's requested talking to Grammy and Poppy, and yesterday decided we needed to eat at "the Moon" with Pa.  We decided that, rather than finding a spaceship, we'd go to the Full Moon BBQ.  That seemed to suit them both just fine.  Afterward, they ate some cookies that Julia and Mommy had made.

school year in review

Julia had a great year in the older twos class at Saint Mark K.I.D.S. with Mrs. Carol Moats and Mrs. Tina Nelson.  A big thanks to them for taking all these pictures and sharing them with us.  What a blessing they were to our family this year.  Their class had an active and busy year - from the first day of school to the pumpkin patch, Thanksgiving parade, community helpers lessons, Easter fun, all the way to the end of the year with the art show and play day with water fun outside, with lots of everyday fun in between.  We look forward to Julia seeing some of these same friends in the summer fun program this June, and in the fall as she graduates to the preschool program.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

Seaside in photgraphs

My favorite artsy photos from the trip (except for Stacey's which I'll have to add later), of the 600+ pictures we took.  I think I took the first and last two of these, Nana took the sunset, and Peter the one of Julia (with his phone)... but I can't be certain except for the black and white ones.

beach fun with Nana

 

 

 

beach fun with Will and Stacey

 

Julia loved playing at the beach with you - playing ball, running, flying a kite, playing frisbee, digging holes, finding shells.  She worried over you being in the water no matter what we said.  Sorry, she got sand everywhere on your beach towels, and even your sandals!  And be prepared, she will forever remember that you once had and gave her some cheezits.  :)