Tackling the Backyard

What better way to celebrate the first weekend of Spring and weather in the 70s than to turn our ugly backyard into a real garden. So long ugly holly bushes and thick layers of white rock and mulch. Ethan did all the hard work - digging up the bushes and filling bag after bag of rocks.

Before

Ethan has some major blisters after all that digging...

No more white rock and mulch mixture.

After

Ethan made my job easy - after he spread the new soil, I planted! Here are my sweet peas. I also planted bleeding hearts, dahlias and wildflowers. I still have some salvia and columbine seedlings growing indoors and will plant some veggies in a few weeks. Ethan will finally get to grow the peppers he's been dreaming about for years.

Weekend in Florida

Ethan and I went to Jacksonville in February to visit his sister and her kids. It was a great escape from the snow and cold we had up here! The weekend was full of birthday celebrations (Maddie turned 11!), dock walks, tasty vittles and kayaking. We had a fun time and are so excited for them to move to Virginia this summer!

Maddie and her Kit-Kat cake

Presents!

Graham and his hand print in his school lunchroom. We had lunch dates with the kids at their school.

Uncle Ethan, master tank builder

Happy the tank is complete! And Uncle Ethan is too....

A walk on the dock

Spanish moss - do not touch or you might get an unwanted visitor - chiggers.


Rope swing

Dock gymnast

Graham is getting ready to feed the fish some bread.

Our nieces are growing up so fast!

Mother and son time

Dinner at Whitey's Fish Camp - here's the tasty vittles! We tried the gator - I liked my shrimp better. Fun dinner outside by the speed boat dock.

Cuddles

Kayaking at Amelia Island

My rowing partner - thank goodness for her gymnast arms because I got tired out there!

Ethan and Kira

Kira LOVED the water!

A beautiful way to end the visit.

Thanks Erin, Maddie, Kira and Graham for being such great hostesses/host! And we are glad the sun showed up for us too. We can't wait to see you all (and Mark) this summer.