Beloved

 Today during our makeshift seminary study, we learned that the 'be' part of 'beloved', means "fully".

So if you say someone is beloved, it means they are fully loved.

Isn't that the best? 

Today I met my brand new little beloved spring bulbs...they are taking a peek around.

We have a snow storm coming in tonight...I'm confident these little babies will do as they must and snuggle down in the leaves. 

In Bloom

 What a difference!

New beds, new compost, all the green!

Unfortunately, my garden is the only thing that is thriving. The maple trees dropped a bumper crop of helicopter seeds and the precise moment we got lots of rain. 

Look at this mini forest! We have saplings everywhere!

I started paying a penny a tree....before I realized we could lose our retirement in one afternoon. 

That's one expensive salad. 

Spring Garden

I love the flowers that come up without any help from me! The irises and Johnny Jump-ups are blooming!

I planted my peas early and they are looking good!

A good start on a bean tower

The most darling corn sprout with the most darling water droplet. 

Poppy pods be poppin!

When we put in the garden beds, we left just enough space in between the beds for the mower to fit. I failed to take into account that we would need to turn around. 

No biggie...I was just thinking that I'd like to do even more hard labor! 

Removing the sod, adding week barrier and laying mulch will keep my out in the garden for a good long while. 

Not mad about that!

Spring Break Mini-Bucket List 2019

We did not go to the Bahamas.

Some folks do.

We is not those folks.

BUT! We most certainly do know how to have a pretty sweet time in our own backyard. Kansas City is a fun place to live, and there are loads of things to do on the cheap.

A few of our adventures:

Lunch at BD's Mongolian. There was some anxiety over choosing raw meats and letting them touch other ingredients, but the coolness of the big grill won the day.

Swimming at the community center. Only $8 a person and a few years shaved off our lives from breathing pure chlorine for two hours.

This is Anna soaking in the first hint of spring sun and eating a bowl of melted chocolate.

Lots of sister time inspired by taking the bunk beds down. There is no floor space at all, but the girls love a change! It's very slumber-partyish.

Lunch at MOD pizza...cheesy goodness.

Petting all the sweet puppies at Petland. It's free and the puppies are too expensive for us to be in danger of bringing one home. (We were never in any danger...this momma's done).

Riding the Ferris Wheel at Scheel's. Everly was not feeling that and I was more than happy to send the others with Mathew and Megan. Something about getting up so close to that ceiling is so unnerving. I was loving the sunshine streaming in through the glass. It has been such a dark and dreary winter. We are sunshine hungry!

We always have extra rides on the escalator. It's free.

We finished up the day at Freezing Moo. They flash freeze your ice cream on a cold plate and roll it up for you, then they dump on the toppings. Fun!

The girls have one more day off on Monday, Ethan has Senior Skip day and poor Mathew is the only one that has to go to school. We'll sleep in and go on a bike ride in the sun. Sun Sun SUN!

Signs of spring

I never thought I'd say this, but I've come to love the weather of the Midwest. The seasons in Kansas feel like they're on steroids. Both the summer and winter can be so intense, they border on painful. Suffering through the ice storms and the sweatlodge humidity of July, inspires us all to feel joy and rapture at the blossoms and breezes  of spring and cool crispness of the fall

The maple in the back yard is working on its new leaves!

It took 6 years, but we finally have the most adorable blueberry blossoms.

Our lilac bushes in the back yard have finally outgrown their awkward gangly phase and have decided to get actual blossoms this year. It's a good thing, cuz I was having murderous thoughts.

Now I love them! And they will not be ripped out and flung over the fence. They will be sniffed and loved and gazed upon through the window.

I have a nice crop of Arugula! I am dreaming of delicious pear/arugula/blue cheese flatbreads....

Found a little house at the dollar store and popped it in with the vincas and a sweet potato vine. Cuteness!

This plant has fought the bunnies and survived for 3 years. You go, plant.

Our pink azaleas. Still a little anemic...but doing what they can for our curb appeal. I have hope for the future.

The best hanging baskets this year! Purple petunia perfection.

Asparagus babies

Oh, hello little sweeties! Look at your cute wittle puwple heads.

I wuv you so much!

The EGGS

How about that? We are painting eggs BEFORE Easter this year! We are so on top of it!

Megan is working on a two-toned egg. Hand cramps! They really should invent a tool for this....maybe a wire doohickey in an octagonal shape?

Those egg painting kits I got at the dollar store three years ago are really cool. Totally got my money's worth on those.

This is the look of a boy that thinks he's too old to color eggs. Don't worry. He'll realize how wrong he is sooner or later. (Maybe later?)

Eggs are awesome!

See?