Monday, April 27, 2009

My Favorite Flowering Trees

With my kids I try not to play favorites. But with trees--I can't help it. After all, they don't have feelings, right? All the flowering trees have been so beautiful over the last few weeks. I have tried to capture some of their timeless beauty to show you here. However, today I am here to show you my all-time favorite of the flowering trees. I have 2 in my yard because they are my favorite. I like the leaf and the beautiful richly-colored blooms in the spring. They are especially beautiful right now. I present my flowering crab apple tree.



I am so happy they bloomed so beautifully this year. Last year there were only a few blooms. I hoped for better luck this year and my wish was granted.




And now for my second favorite of the flowering trees. I only have one picture to share because I don't have this tree in my yard and so I had to photograph a neighbor's. Sadly, while photographing it, rain began pouring down so I only got a couple. Hopefully, I'll get another chance. I present the flowering cherry (I think--any experts please correct me if I am wrong.) I just love the full ruffly (probably not a word) blooms. They look like little miniature pink pom-poms.



Do you have any favorite trees--blooming or not? I'd love to know what ones you love.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Magic of 80 Degrees

We have had a little rule at our house for the last 7 years that has saved me hours of discussion and arguing in the Spring. This rule originated when my kids were small. The minute the snow started melting and the sun started shining they were always asking if they could swim or run through the sprinklers. Sometimes the temperature was only in the 50s when they would ask me, so I made the 80 Degree Rule. The rule goes like this--there will be no water play until the outside temperature is at least 80 degrees. This rule has turned 80 degrees into a benchmark of sorts for my children. This last week, they watched anxiously to see if we would hit the magical 80 degree mark. When they checked the thermometer and it said 79 degrees, I caved. In the blink of an eye they had the sprinkler spraying on the front lawn. And because water is like a drug to children (okay--at least to mine and some others I know), it wasn't long until there were 12 kids outside playing. Now it looks like we will have a few cooler days before we have any more warm ones. That's okay with me because my house and I need to recover from all the fun :)!



Wednesday, April 22, 2009

A Fun Engagement

I love it when I get the chance to take engagement pictures. These two were very relaxed and fun to photograph. They met at a BYU Basketball game where they were set up by some friends in a tricky sort of way. Hope you like.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Trees Are Blooming and The Bees Are Buzzing

I thought I would share a few more blossom pictures taken over that last few days.




These are just opening. I can't wait to see them fully bloom!


Today, I was out taking some pictures of the kids playing and I wandered to the blossoms on the trees. There were lots of bees checking out the blossoms, too. I caught one. I guess I am a little like the bees!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sunday Inspiration

Saturday, April 18, 2009

In Color

My husband requested that I post the color version of the black and white picture I posted yesterday as it is his favorite. Since I do everything he says ;), here it is!!

Friday, April 17, 2009

An Outing Amongst the Blossoms

It has been Spring Break for us, but there has been little "Spring" involved because of the cold and snow. I wanted desperately to spend some of our break (after all--because we home school any break is a break for me, too) to get out and take some photos in the Spring blossoms--something I can't easily do most days. The snow ALMOST deterred me. It did deter most of my children. One was still willing. Here are a few of them.




And, as much as I love the color I decided to try a black and white. I liked it. What do you think?

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Goodbye Spring--Hello Old Man Winter

It is APRIL 16th and this is what we woke up to this morning. Six inches of snow. In April!?!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How Cookies Might Come To Taste Like Lysol

Last week, like many families, we celebrated Easter. Each year we color eggs, and each year I PLAN to make Easter cookies. I say "PLAN" because it doesn't always happen even though I PLAN to do it.


When my oldest daughter announced last week that she would like to make some cookies (BTW, she has become quite good at baking and following a recipe) I suggested that we make sugar cookies in Easter shapes. She was totally on board and made the dough--following the recipe exactly.


While the dough was cooling in the fridge, I asked my kids to clean up their "zones." At our house, "zones" are the areas of the house that each child is responsible for keeping clean each day. The zones rotate each week. My middle daughter had the kitchen zone. She cleaned it up haphazardly while watching a show. As the last step in cleaning the kitchen, she wiped down the counters with Lysol. I saw her LIBERALLY spray the counter with Lysol spray and then went back to what I was doing. The next thing I knew, my oldest had sprinkled flour on the counter to roll out her dough. I asked whether the counter had been wiped down well and allowed to dry BEFORE she spread out the flour and dough. She nodded and continued cutting out the cookies.



After they had baked, but before they were frosted, I snatched a piece of a broken cookie. It tasted extremely bitter. I couldn't figure out why it would taste that way. I quizzed my daughter about the ingredients she used. Sugar--yep. Butter--yep. Baking powder--yep. Salt--yep. However, after a few minutes and another taste or two, I remembered the Lysol on the counter. That HAD to be the problem. She had rolled out the cookies before the Lysol spray had been wiped up. We ended up throwing all the cookies away. We saved the frosting my girls had already made in hopes of attempting the cookies again. Last night, we again mixed the dough and rolled out the cookies in Easter/Spring shapes. But this time, we left out the Lysol. They tasted great!!

Photo Tag

6th folder--6th picture

This is my niece Kaylee. I took this at Thanksgiving time while trying to chase her around for pictures.

Monday, April 13, 2009

It's Beginning

Occasionally, as I drive around, I am seeing some of the flowering trees bloom. This one is just starting to open up. I wonder if the cold weather we are supposed to get this week will affect the blooms? Just one for now.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

It's been 5 WHOLE Days.....and a winner!

It has been 5 whole days since I last posted here--and although in reality that is ONLY 5 days and less than one week--it feels like forever. It has been a busy week. We took the computer to be fixed, painted eggs, made Easter cookies that tasted like Lysol (don't ask), watched the basement be "walled" with sheet rock, brought the computer home (because they said it was going to be 4 WHOLE days and that is TOO long to be without a computer), tried to fix the computer ourselves (with some advice from a friend--so far so good), traveled to visit family, picked lots of expensive stuff for the basement and celebrated a wonderful Easter weekend! That is the quick sum-up.







And the winner of the picture of their choice is. . .

Send me an email. I'll send you a picture!!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

102--Yeah!

I noticed a month or so ago that I was close to 100 posts. I even saw it creeping into the mid 90's. However, last week I somehow missed that I had hit 100 posts. I am attributing it to the fact that things have just been so busy around here with construction of the basement (a more likely answers is probably my mommy "dementia".) So, in honor of my forgetfulness and my 102nd post, I would like to choose someone from among those who leave a comment on this post to receive an 8x10 (or smaller) of any of the pictures that I have posted on my blog. For some of you, that could be a picture of yourself or family. Just post a comment here and Sunday I will have my girls pick a winner.

I found these yesterday. They are beautiful!!



As a side note, I will be without my computer for a few days (I hope that is all) due to some computer issues. Posts here might be in limited quantity for the rest of the week.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

A Thought for Sunday

Just a little thought for you on this Sunday.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Photographic Torture

Yes, you can officially turn me in. I admit that today in an attempt to get some cute 10 month pictures of my son (yes--he is that old and yes--I can hardly believe it) I performed a form of baby torture that resulted in the following pictures:




And although he is obviously sad in these pictures, I can tell you that I think his sad face and wrinkly nose are worth recording. They might come in handy someday and they make me SMILE!!

The best of the day--he was one-thousandth of a second away from crawling out of the frame--his most common trick for escaping the camera.



P.S. I have attempted to post a few times today (and even once yesterday) however, my computer keeps randomly shutting down. I am still somewhat in denial, but I believe this may be the beginning of a serious problem that I will have to have checked out. If I have to go multiple days without a computer--I may be insane when I return. Just warning you!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Messages

This is the message that I am getting from my baby lately.




And this is the message I have for Mother Nature: "Umm. . . Hello. . . Are you serious?"