April Showers Bring May Flowers

Who does this make you think of? Hahahaha! The highlight of the video store is the gumball machine.

Anyone who knows me knows that Spring is my favorite time of year. I love it. Color poke's it's head out of the ground it so many different fashions. Buttercups, daffodiles, tulips, iris', lilacs, oh, and my favorite. My absoulte favorite....roses. If my entire yard were roses, there might be enough. Cut back on the need to mow now wouldn't it?

So for my birthday/Mother's Day (which where three days apart this year) my husband and children (mainly my husband) worked like borrowed slaves on the front flower bed. The front flower bed I thought would take maybe a week or two to put in. (throws back head and laughs like an insane person - calm down honey) Um....more like two months. That man. First he helped remove all the block. Not so bad -eh? Well, I have tennis elbow so I'm pratically worthless. (not that I've done the intelligent thing and quit using it. Are you kidding? Too easy)

Yeah, remove all the old block. Easy. Then he got a sod ripper. Never heard of one of those. They're cool! Then, ha, then he pulled out the bushes that were way too close to the house. That poor, poor man. His body hurt so much when he was finished.....that night. He worked till after 10pm the first night.

Next, the block. Oh yeah. The block. Load about 60 of them in the truck with some sand and head back to the house. I would never in my life figured it would take this much work. Wow. And he is very particular about doing something right. Well, I have to say, it does look much better when it's done correctly.

This is just the right side, well, most of the right side.

So, we lay block. Get everything correct. Pull up all the block, lay black paper, plant the bushes where we want them. Go to bed. This was NOT in one day. Or one side for that matter. This could get into one of those long drawn out stories.......(ganders up at all that's written already) Okay, so he and the girls go bring barrow full after barrow full of dirt to fill in. Fast forward.

Next side, same thing except......well, now he has to dig out dirt to lay down the paper and make things level. Lots and lots and lots of dirt. Oh my word. I'm trying to help and he's telling me to quit hurting myself. But...but...he's all hot and sweaty...and he hurt himself. As I said, he worked like a borrowed slave for me.

This would be the left side. See the plants I'm getting ready to insert? Pretty pretty!

This spring I've had such big plans. (rubs hands together in glee) Oh the things I have planned to do. However, reality has set in. This won't all be done this year. Like....the rose bed. I was hoping to move all the roses to a specific rose bed. Cause it should have growing options.

Each morning we have a routine. We wake to the sounds of the blue birds that are nesting in our blue bird box. The buzzing of the hummingbirds drinking from the feeder. The neighbors rooster, the bleeting of the sheep and the crows that are so begging to be removed from existance. We watch the red winged black birds diving in the fields for worms while we look to see which rose bush has more buds on it. All of this right outside our bedroom windows.

I love it! I noticed that after so many years the rose bushes are providing me precious blooms like everyone else was getting. Hmmmm.........call a friend. One who takes her rose growing serious. Oh what a nit wit. I had planted them too deep. Sigh. Crud.

Now that I've taken care of the problem, my precious babies are blooming their hearts out.

This is the tequila rose that bloomed yesterday.

While we were doing the front flower bed, my sweet hubby got the family this wonderful toy. Now I have never driven a four wheeler - not from lack of desire of course. But this this is SO MUCH FUN! First it comes in a box of pieces. Not, "tighten bolts". HA! Good thing Dad has a serious background in mechanics. Open the box and pieces fall out. Serious pieces. The engine was attached. That's pretty much it.

This is now my favorite toy.

See, we get this put together and Dad is showing me where I can go and places to play and such. No rules other than not to mess with farmer's fields. Something about messing up the hay. Alright.

So while the kids were still in school, the boy and I would strap up and go have fun. (fortunately, the straps will adjust for him) Down the road we go and into the woods. Oh how much fun was this! I found a four wheeler path while we were exploring. Down a hill it went, around a pond, through the creek twice and up this ... way up this hill. Well by golly, if they can do it, we can too, right? Ummmm.......maybe.

I get across the creek, I get 3/4 the way up the hill when my toy won't go forward anymore. The wheel is turning but we aren't going anywhere. There's a pretty steep drop off to my right where my child is sound asleep in his seat belt. (with his hands firmly wrapped around the container of tadpoles) To my left, right next to my head is a huge tree. We aren't getting over the root barely sticking out of the ground. There is no where to turn around. Ummm.....hmmmmm.

I can't exactly get out and push cause as soon as I let off the brake, it's heading down hill. Well. Alrighty then. Now I'm praying, "Oh God. Please don't let me hurt my baby. Dear God, please don't let me hurt my baby." We backed that thing straight backwards. Whew! I get down the hill, look where we were and contemplate trying again. Ummm......maybe we should bring Dad down here first. My thought is, "I'll be the one to flip it end over end. Probably ought not with the child in it." Drat.

When the girls got home that weekend they were excited as well. They strap in and Dad lets the oldest one drive. Oh my! I knew there was going to be trouble when she says, "I'm a crazy driver like you, Mom." Dad and I are working in the flower bed when I look up to see wheels in the air.

My heart stops. Oh snap. It lands on it's side. Okay. Then my other daughter is screaming like a mad woman. Crap. Now I'm going to have to deal with broken bones. I go tearing off through the yard. Dad is telling me to stop and calm down. Are you nuts? These are my babies over here. In a car accident. They need me! Call an ambulance!

I get there and they are both standing up. The oldest looks at me, big ole eyes, fear, "I am so grounded." Grounded? Not dead? Blood? "Umm, wanna get out?" "How?" "Through this big hole in the top called the roof?" "Oh" I look them over feverishly. No blood. No bones. Are you all right? Drama Queen shows me the back of her leg. A small scratch. No blood.

"What was all the screaming for?" "Oh, well she was screaming she couldn't move her leg, it was stuck. So I picked it up off the steering wheel and handed it to her." I look at the go kart. I hear yelling across the field. "Pick it up and set it up right!" Oh yeah.

This oldest daughter had a birthday shortly after that. Ever chased a two year old around a skating rink and successfully keep him out of the floor. No? Me either.

Doog Boog is on the right. Can't believe she's 12 already.

I can't believe they make skates to fit someone so small.

Not only did he insist on having his skates on, but he wanted to skate alone. That didn't last long. We take make a few laps around the floor but the ball toss and the guns at the arcade were much more intertaining to him.

"I Daddy gasses. See? Bubby, I cool!"

Today we had lessons. B-Bug has been after me about a few things. She wants a later bed time, she wants to shave her legs, wear makeup and she wants to mow. Mow? You wanna learn to mow baby? Alright, Momma show you how to mow. Yeah for me!

Isn't she precious? And she did such a good job.

Remember, I'm not supposed to be using the arm. Make a couple of laps around the flower bed and such. That gal took off. She'd miss a patch and just when I thought I'd have to stop her, nope, she'd back up and get it. All right B-Bug!

Her older sister and I were watching her and making comments. How long you think she'll be excited before we have to take over. We chit chat. "Hey, are we standing on a hill?" "No, why?" "Cause I'm having to look up to you to talk to you. I'm not sure I like that very much." She just gleams and laughs. God love her, she's already a head taller than me.

Dink got the joy of playing with the boy while we worked. Poor Dink. (yeah right)

We get to mowing. Get things going and the kids come running in all excited. "There's a snapping turtle outside. Cool! Now Mom has issues with snapping turtles. My first experience was this huge great, granddaddy of a snapper that was on the highway. My mom tells me to get out of the car and go carry it across the road. Okay, the thing weighed almost as much as I did (back then). When I reached out and grabbed it, this huge retilian neck stretches out to unbelievable lengths and now his head is facing my finger tips. What the devil?! I tossed it, trying to aim for the other side of the road. All these cars going by, "Just pick it up, it won't bite you." Ha ha. You're so funny. Therefore, Mom's a bit leary of them.

Our morning visitor that Bubs thought he ought to make friends with.

Haha, and the conversation as we speak (or type) is how I woke everyone this morning. I was watering the front flower bed when I happen to notice that the girls' windows are open. Dare I? Of course! Life is short and I need to get mine in before they are teenagers. I sprayed every last one of them through thier windows and laughed so hard I almost wet myself. B-Bug got a kick out of it. (she was the only one)

Did I mention I cut my hair? Took the first wack and realized, oops, wrong layer. Well, it looks healther than it was before. Thank God Doog-Boog can cut straight. Well, that and my other friend. (from the looks of things, I may need to start doing some upper body work out)

He was supposed to be in bed sleeping. Guess the sand man tagged him right as he was escaping.

And that's a wrap.