First Dip of Summer

This past weekend was so hot that the Brian, the Boys and I enjoyed our first dip at my Mom and Dad's pool. It was Eli's first time and he didn't do too bad. He wasn't very enthusiastic about it but he did allow me to hold him and splash for a few minutes. He was much happier when he got out and could snuggle with his Mimi.


Carter enjoyed the pool very much and chilled out in his boat. A couple of times he got out and "swam" and had fun splashing and being splashed! Hopefully next time I will be able to catch a picture of both my Boys in the boat.

My Addiction

I have this love for plants and flowers....an addiction really. It is so bad that I tend to stay away from garden centers and greenhouses, I usually buy way too much which means Brian is constantly digging new flower beds. It is amazing the transformation our yard has taken in the last five years we have lived here. I love this little guy below....I heard somewhere once that gargoyles keep your home safe, I am not sure if that is true but I just think that he adds character to our yard.

This year we added a few vegetables to our yard per Carter's request. We opted for terra cotta pots instead of a garden in the yard. We are just testing the waters to see if we want to do a larger version next year. We planted purple peppers, grape tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and Jack-B pumpkins....all were hand picked by Carter and he also helped to plant them.

This a hibiscus was a birthday gift from all my boys.....love it!

This lovely little mixed sedum pot was a gift from my mom and is flourishing....can't wait to make room to get these little babies in the ground.

Below are the plants that grow around our pond. The pond started out as my project but Brian has grown to love it and has taken over. (which is great since I struggle to pull weeds) We have had a tough pond year so far and have lost about six koi fish....I think we will stick with the cheap comets for awhile.

I am not quite sure why but lilies are one of my favorite flowers, they always seem so bright and happy.

These sweet little pansies below were gifted to Carter by the owner of one the greenhouses we frequent, we had a grand time the day we planted them.

This gerbera daisy was a gift to celebrate the arrival of Elijah last spring and I must say when it made it's way to the front porch this spring it only had one yellow leaf...what a transformation! A true survivor story!

We have been having a lot of wind as of late and Carter and I have been finding nests that have fallen out of trees. He loves them....and I must admit it is very incredible the way birds are able to build such homes for their young. These two nests have started what I am sure will become a collection. Carter and I now keep our eyes open for any fallen nests to add.

My yard is truly a labor of love and something I am quite proud of, especially since I have no clue what I am doing. I encourage you all to stop by if you are ever in the area....we would be happy to give you a tour and a nice cool drink as we catch up on the porch!

Kids...They have the Life

Carter spends most days gazing over to Joey's house waiting for him to come home from daycare so they can play. (Joey is our neighbor and ties with Jacob as Carter's best friend) This afternoon was so beautiful that we headed to the park. Joey, Carter and Eli had so much fun. Carter and Joey enjoyed running across the new basketball court at the park, climbing the jungle gym, swinging and whipping down the slide. Just good old fashion fun.....I think that sometimes I look too hard for "fun" stuff for the boys to enjoy, when it is as easy as the park around the corner.
Eli was the biggest surprise of all....he truly enjoyed himself. He LOVED the slide. He and I went down together. I then sat the bottom of the slide as he crawled up as far as he could giggling all the way and much to my surprise he would flip himself over to his back and slide down. Again and again he did this laughing and delighting in his version of sliding........

.....and while sliding is fun.......
.....swinging is clearly serious business and not to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile Carter and Joey worked on their climbing and monkeying around skills.

We are so very lucky to have such great neighbors and are very happy that Carter has made such a great friend in Joey!

Never Tired of a Party

We spent Sunday evening at Brian's Mom's house...we had a nice dinner and celebrated Jenna's birthday with a small cake. As you can see Carter NEVER misses an opportunity to blow out birthday candles.
Carter spends some time with his Nini!

Eli and Aunt Janet hang out and play.

Carter poses with Andra. Andra is engaged to Brian's cousin Gregory and they will be married next July. Carter has taken a special liking to Andra and willingly sat for the picture (that's unusual) but didn't look at the camera, of course!

Carter spends time with Aunt Jenna.

I love this picture of Eli with Brian's Aunt Janet and Uncle Tom. They were "catching" bubbles and had a grand time. It was great to spend some time with them since we don't get together enough.

Eli ended the evening with a large slice of cake and then a tubby! Good times!

Congratulations!

This past Saturday we attended Amanda and Tom's wedding. What a wonderful day and we were happy to be included! Congratulations, you two crazy kids...we wish you every happiness!

What a Handsome Devil

Elijah had his first haircut today. Originally only Carter was going for a buzz and "Aunt" Sara had a few extra minutes to give Eli a trim. I must admit that things happened so fast that in the middle of the cut I went to get my camera and had forgotten to pack it.....Bad, Bad Mommy! This adorable picture is an "after" shot. I promise at his next appointment in July I will get some action shots!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Jenna!

Today our Aunt Jenna celebrates her birthday! Have a great day and enjoy....Love you!

Jenna and Carter in Newport, July '06

Jenna and Elijah party down, April '08