Late Spring

 Peonies from our yard brighten my day. There are only a few left but they always bloom out in a way that brings joy to my heart when I see them. I have cut a few to grace our table. Fresh flowers bring delight to my soul.

 This sweet delicate butterfly managed with Thayne's help, to be trapped in the house. It took some careful maneuvering to finally release him back to the yard.

 Thayne ran into the house yelling about two snakes dancing together. It was quite fascinating to watch them wriggle and squiggle together in their mating dance. I assume baby snakes will be on their way. Good thing we love these kind.

Our latest building project. We have designed and are building a club house for the littles. It is three feet off the ground. It now has a roof and we need to build some stairs for it. The ladder is too hard for Lydia. She has been asking for years to have her own playhouse. It will be amazing once we get it all built and decorated.
Summer is soon upon us. It feels like we are always so much busier in the Summer than any other time of year. There are scout camp, yw camp, Trek, and vacations to be experienced. Maybe there will be one week or two for just lazying around. We will see.

Happy birthday Maliea!

 Oh Maliea! How we love you so. You are smart and sweet and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. Today we celebrated Maliea's 26th birthday. Wow! She wanted to go to Oga's for her birthday lunch. We all enjoyed the Chinese buffet that they serve there. It was a great choice for a birthday lunch. Then home to open gifts. She loves this poster.

 As per many of my children's choices, She chose pie instead of cake. This was a yummy triple berry one and we all had a delicious slice with ice cream on the top.

Yes my dear, you are our sweet princess. We are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent you to our family. Thank you for being the balance to our craziness! Happy birthday my dear daughter!

Eagle Court of Honor

 On February 12, 2014 our boy achieved the rank of Eagle Scout!

It was well earned. Quayde did not have anything blindly passed off and he worked his hardest to earn each of those merit badges. His Eagle Project was quite the accomplishment. The Orphaned Wildlife Rescue Foundation will have that extra large aviary enclosure for many many years. We are so very pleased with the young man that he has become.

 This evening we finally held his Court of Honor. It started out just Quayde...then he invited his friend Josh to have it with him... then it just got out of hand and three more families joined in. It made for a delightful evening in which every one was honored and had a wonderful time.

 First I was able to pin his eagle medal on him, then he gave me the most massive hug and pinned the mom's pin on me. Michael was next; we are such proud parents!  It was then Quayde's turn to give a speech on what scouting had meant to him. I am so grateful for this program that gave him goals to accomplish and helped to make him the man he is becoming today.

 We had to have a little display of his scouting career. He wore his Order of the Arrow sash for the ceremony so we had his regular one on the table. It was hard work... no lie. The paperwork to put together everything for the National Council was crazy. Quayde's hard work made this all so worthwhile. 

After the ceremony we had cake and many more delights of the palette. There was much merriment with all the families and our guests

 We are grateful to all who made this happen for these amazing boys.

Fourteen

 See that amazing smile? That's my miracle! She is fourteen...they said she would never make it. They didn't believe in the power of her. She is sunshine, hope, and laughter rolled into a small but strong package.

She loves purple and red! She loves watching dvd movies like Cake Boss. She loves reading her scriptures and being in Young Womens at church. She is funny and silly. She brightens our days.

Fourteen....we are so blessed! We celebrated by buying makeup and clothes. We went to Cafe Rio for lunch. We celebrated her and the joy she is to our family. Happy Birthday Lydia! May you have lots and lots more! We love you more than our hearts can hold.

Happy Mother's day

I am sitting outside, while the birds are serenading and a gentle fragrance from the azaleas surround me. It has been a good day. I look at my children who are now not little and I am so blessed.

They know me so well and what makes me smile. It has been such a good journey; this life of ours and I am grateful for every moment that I have been allowed to be their mom.

posted from Bloggeroid

Best game

Today all of us went shopping to find Maliea some much needed clothing. Only problem was that Quayde and Thayne were getting bored quickly. They tried playing hide and seek but then Thayne was a little too loud for that.
So I came up with an awesome game that kept both boys happy for a really long time. It was a mini scavenger hunt. I would give them an item, they had to hunt and find it, then take a picture of it with Quayde's phone. They would return, show me the picture and I would send them on a new quest.
Best game ever! They totally worked together and had fun. Plus the girls and I got lots of shopping time. No one got into any trouble and neither boy was bored for the rest of the afternoon.
P.S. thank you to the kind man who let them take a picture of your mustache.

posted from Bloggeroid

In our yard

Oh how I adore Spring! It seems all the sweeter after a hard Winter and finally things are in bloom. The trees are starting to get that neon green that only last for a short while and I am discovering new plants I haven't seen before.

I am wondering if they have shown up this year because Spring came so late and the trees didn't block the sun as early, like they usually do.
Around the yard we have pretty blooms and a new wild visitor that has been just outside the breakfast window all week.

Living here on this property has been a time in our lives that is filled with wonder. Mother Nature is so incredible with her ever changing home. It is such a blessing to be able to enjoy each day and all that it brings.