Our week ~ April 15

Our days have continued to be filled with busyness -- but we have had a new energy to deal with the busyness as the excitement of closing in on the end of our school year builds!

Our friend Karen had an "ABC party" -- everything at the party was themed around the letters of the alphabet.  Each of the kids was supposed to pick a letter and then wear as many things as possible that started with their letter.  Can you guess our kids' letters (Abigail had 28 things that started with her letter; David had 26)?

 

Abigail and I took a stroll around the yard one sunny afternoon to capture our spring blooms.

Azaleas

Bleeding heart (from my grandmother Minota's garden)

Phlox

Clematis on our mailbox

Mystery flower.  Identification help, anyone?!

Blueberry blossoms!

We have a mockingbird who has lived in our "topiary tree" (a holly that we cut into a topiary shape) for years.  When we did a major pruning this last fall, though, she got very upset.  We were soooo relieved and happy to see that she forgave us and kept her nest in the tree this spring!  This isn't a great picture -- my aim was a little off! -- but it's proof of a very happy thing.

David celebrated his 11th birthday on Friday (separate post later).  Here is our first family picture with an eleven year old (!!!) boy!

On Saturday, while David and his friend were outside playing, Abigail set up a beauty parlor in her room and gave Angie a curly hairstyle.

Remember that end-of-the-school-year energy I mentioned?  Here is a typical school morning for us...the kids hard at work, Mindy napping supervising nearby.  We are on the final countdown!!!