Milestones

When I think about milestones in my life there are many that come to mind, some you don't remember like learning to walk or your first words these are things that your parents remember. But the ones that you remember the most I think are learning to tie your shoes, riding a bike, learning to swim, able to stay at home alone, driving a car and graduating from high school. You remember these because they represent independence. Independence is what we all strive for when we are young. But once you have reached that point in your life there is more to come, college graduation, first jobs, marriage, the birth of your own children and finding the love of your life. For me I have reached all of these milestones and now I am experiencing all of these again through the lives of my children. It is an amazing feeling and brings a whole new prospective.

Darcie and Anthony's Wedding.

Holding my grandson.

And most recently Jason's graduation from Gonzaga University.


I am happy and content, but always looking forward to the next milestone!

Purple Passion

I always find it amazing that the garden blooms the same colors at the same time. In the early Spring it seems I have a lot of yellow and red. The other morning I went out to take some pictures and I was amazed at the amount of purple I found.

Dwarf Iris....one of my favorite!

Columbine

Big Iris.

The garden has suffered this year with all the cold weather...things have had a tough time blooming! I think the flowers are wanting the warm weather more than I.

Sizzle's birthday!

As usual things never go as they are planned! The day was hectic the evening was even more so picture taking of the birthday party was limited! And unfortunately my camera did not want to cooperate either!

Sizzle with her party collar on! Sorry for the red-eye:(


Aiden was much in the party mood either!


Maybe next year!

May to May

May to May, a span of 12 months. It was this time last year that I had decided that I needed a puppy! I know what was I thinking! I had plenty of dogs in my house but my heart was aching for that one special girl. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason and you have to take advantage of them if the time is right. The time was right and I found that special girl. She came in the package of a determined, wild, confident, beautiful, smart and most of all loving little red-head. She wore the all important pink color collar as a baby which from those who know me is a tell all that is the one I am going to choose. We named her Sizzle and she was a fireball from day one, she has been a challenge and a delight all in the same breath. I can't believe that she is going to be a year of age on the 19th of May. She is not a cute little puppy anymore but she has grown into a beautiful dog. She has won my heart and soul from the moment I saw her.....hence her name "Wingate's Heart and Soul"

Sizzle, 3 Months


Sizzle, 6 Months


Sizzle, 11 Months

Garden Time 2011

As I get older I can't seem to understand why time goes by so fast or at least it seems to. I remember when I was a child the school year seemed to go on forever but once it got to be summer that seemed like a long time too! Funny thing what age does to you! Once again it is Spring or at least it is suppose to be! The temperatures are still dipping into the 30's at night and we barely have gotten into the high 50's during the day. We have been blessed with a few scattered sunny warm days here and there, just enough to give a person the gardening bug! So last Sunday on one of those rare days I began to prepare the garden beds for planting. Darcie has been itching to get things planted and coming from the warmer climate of the South is having trouble waiting this cold spell out! So we started, in between baby Aiden cat napping she came out to help me. She planted some lettuce in perfect little rows as Jeff commented on, some radishes, beets, carrots and I am not sure what else. We moved all of their St. Louis herb pots out to the garden area and arranged them in a neat order. We still need a couple more garden beds and some more dirt but we are getting ready....So come on Sun and Warm Weather we are tired of waiting!

I have been composting shavings and chicken manure all Winter long so I moved some out of one bed to fill up another and till it all up.


Prepared bed and ready for planting!


Perfect little lettuce rows!

Garden area...still more work to be done!



The girls benefited from the nice day too....they got a clean house and freshly cut weeds to scratch through....


They also did a lot of sun bathing!

So as you can see we are ready.....so let the gardening season of 2011 begin!