Yiddle birdies and outdoor fun...

Hello Beaker! maybe you'll grow into your beak soon! and then start pooing all over my porch...

adorable.

from what I can see, there are THREE little birds!

this is where they sit...under the rafters of our unfinished upper porch (which I love in spite of it's need for siding, caps, cedar paint, etc etc)

they remind us of Muppets.

Levi, showing his mad jump jump skills. over and over..."Hey, Mom, watch THIS!!"

Today, we enjoyed a visit from the K ladies....and in spite of the torrential, speedy rain (no lightning), they swam anyway. love those girls!

gotta love the creative titling on this post, eh?

Life is slowing down a bit. At least for the kids and I. This is the time of year that I enjoy being home and find it difficult to be away from our ever-changing home.

Except for the bug/amphibian issues...gigantic spiders, tree frogs, wood roaches....I could do without. I hope you enjoy the baby birdie pix above as much as we have. I have not enjoyed the uber protective momma bird's endless pestering when we are outside....she flies around and around till we go back in...yesterday, though, her babies hatched and we have had a lot of fun spying their tiny, fuzzy, gray heads bobbing in their perch.

Time to shut the 'puter off...we are enjoying an early summer thunderstorm....adios amigos.

Yeah...

It's ONE of THOSE days....

twelve

In less than two weeks, this cat will turn TWELVE (12)!

I don't know what I'd do without her.

~first daughter

~longest delivery - her chin was up.

~earliest delivery - only kid to be born in the wee hours of a morn.

~most adaptable kid

~biggest cheerleader

~sweetest spirit

Melanie, you are a beauty, inside and out.

Resting in the Lord...

this pic pretty much sums up our past year...

he may not be thrilled that I posted this but ya snooze, ya lose. right? (snicker...hee hee)

It was nice to hear him sawing logs after being gone so many weeks at a time...it's always nice when this high energy, never stopping, intense guy slows down! I love you, David....Your kids and I appreciate your out-of-this-world dedication and commitment to providing for all of us.

Happy Tuesday to y'all...I hear that tomorrow, the sun may be making an appearance. I'll believe THAT when I see it...nevertheless, my little seedlings are sprouting and that rocks!

Piper graduates top of her class....Go PIPES!

speechlessly cute...

the "infamous" photo board

Jazz hands...P is on the right, in the front...

just a little taste of the future....and yes, we did all tear up when we heard Pomp and Circumstance.

P getting her diploma from her cool teacher, Mrs. L.

A little graduation song!

Piper's Nana and Papaw hosted a little gathering afterwards...and we got to initiate the new screened-in porch...very nice!

Amanda and Becky...friends for the long haul.

The gaggle of kids...

Melissa & David...still fun after all these years.

Molly was trying to sneak into P's cake pic. nice try punk.

things got crazy and Maria, Nora, Molly and Piper started dancing on the table...

everyone gather 'round for some delish Boyden's cake...this was the main reason we attended. forget my adorably cute niece and her Kindy graduation...:)

Just wanted to get the Kindergarten grad pix on before time got away from me...

Hope this post finds you enjoying the last evening of your weekend...I am NOT ready for Monday to show up again.

Peace...

a li'l update...

Nora got to get in the hot seat...I merely suggested that she get her ears pierced. Not thinking that she'd actually get what I was talking about. Becky was NOT thrilled with me. sorry for that.

Mel with Annie and Sarah...I think this was before Sarah got her ears pierced. I am a loser and failed to get any pix of Sarah's turn, for I was trying to figure out her mom's phone camera...such a cute brood of girls!

Melanie did such an excellent job and so did the chick that pierced....she wasted NO time in getting the earrings in, leaving little time for the piercee to get scared or chicken out.

I think this is right before the second ear was completed...I am not sure what I'm doing here...as usual, my pix are sadly out of order.

_______________________
May arrives and wham! things just go craaaazaaay.

I keep trying to slow things down because before we know it, September, October and November will be here and I'm NOT ready for that...I love being able to use our porches again. I love that I can walk outside along my walls and be barefoot. (that so didn't sound like proper English...) I love the longer evenings and planting zinnias, sunflowers, petunias, hydrangea, peony, and whatever else I might fancy....so dang promising and very exciting.

And if THAT wasn't enough. We are getting the pool ready for hours of good, clean fun. I really should've gotten pix of my brave sons scooping out the crud today...

Busy fun weekend on the horizon....Kaleo tonight, after a busy, crazy week of ear piercings, Kindy graduations, and having David back at home. Soccer all day tomorrow, Church on Sunday and then hang time with the P family on Sunday night. David will be going to a live musical show with James...while Jen and I stay back with the brood of chitlins. I like nice, low key weekends.

I need to go finish dinner that Vince started...how many people can say that they have their good friend working with their husband and when he comes down to do woodwork, he throws food that HE BOUGHT into the crock pot? God is so good and surprising...never ceases to amaze me.

Up next: Piper's Kindergarten Graduation...what fun we had!!