Big Birthday Week

Nick is 18 today! It seems like just yesterday that Pete asked if I would be willing to have more children. I told him that I already had 2 daughters and I would only have more if he would guarantee a son :). And being the type of guy that he is, he promised a son! A lo and behold a son was born. He delighted everyone, except Ashley, who wanted her new baby brother to disappear. She wasn't happy about giving up her "baby of the family" status and throughout their growing up together, she did try to eliminate him a view times. Pete was so excited he sent our friend Cherie out to buy some blue spray paint. He then went home and sprayed "It's a boy" on a sheet and hung it from our garage. You know the saying...You might be a redneck if ...(fill in the blank here).
Nick has provided us with 18 years of entertainment. A boy we thought was shy thrived on the stage and in speech meets. He now wants to go off to college to be a Herpetologist....he wants to play with snakes. Ewww. He wants to go off to jungles and find the most dangerous varieties and milk them (for anti venom, for all of you going in a weird direction). He expects to go off with the Peace Corps in the summer of 2010. I think he is going to provide is with a lifetime of entertaining stories.

Here he is this morning with the traditional Mickey Mouse pancake. He is surrounded by 18 Cub colored balloons and the traditional Mylar balloon. He gave me strict orders not to post this picture. That worked out for him, didn't it?

I neglected posting on Ashley's Birthday. She turned 24 on March 30th. She was my very shy child who hid behind Mommy when someone was over. I hear the incredulous laughing now. For anyone who knows her cannot believe that would be true. But I assure you, that for a brief little moment, she was shy and if you can believe this, quiet. Later in life, she sang everything, everywhere. The Little Mermaid songs were often heard coming from the bathroom. And once, I overheard her reading the back of a shampoo bottle in an advertising type of voice.

As a teen, she angered every adult that she came across. You see....Ashley was always right, just ask her coaches! She gives a little now, but....well, just ask her husband John if she has given up that stubborn streak. But God is good, he has given her a lovely daughter with the same disposition! My mother was fond of saying that my behavior would come back to haunt me in my children.....it's so nice to see that it just goes on and on.

As an adult, she is doing very well working a personal banker and as a mother and a wife. She has worked very hard to get her life to where it is now and Pete and I couldn't be any prouder of her.

Isn't she beautiful?

I am so blessed to have four happy, healthy children! Give your child a hug every day and tell them how special they are!

Spring Fever!

I am so excited that it is finally April. This is the month that the garden comes alive! My rhododendrons have buds and will be beautiful.
I have leaves! William Baffin, a Canadian rose, has already started to leaf out.

I am not sure you can tell from the picture, but my Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is just full of flower buds. It blooms with the prettiest little white flowers. In a few months it will have berries, which the birds will eat in one day.

And this is my most favorite place to sit and view the garden. Soon there will be peonies, hostas, daylilies and daisies surrounding it. There are two Blueberry Muffin viburnums planted just behind the watering can. I hope that they bloom this year. Welcome April!