My Own Rhubarb

 Rhubarb in my yard feels like such a treat! I didn't have much rhubarb during my Des Moines years but when I bought this house it came with rhubarb. The weather last spring was not good for the plant but this year was much better. I shared a little with a neighbor and used most of the rest to make a pie on Saturday.

Combined with a bacon, egg and hash brown casserole the pie made a great Sunday brunch. It is a taste of Spring. I think I have enough to make something that needs less than the six cups of rhubarb.

Lincoln didn't help me make the pie but the photo below was from one afternoon last week when he and I made a loaf of healthier banana bread with whole wheat flour, applesauce, honey and lots of bananas. He is a big help and adds to the clean up process too.

Graduation Celebration

Yesterday we gathered to celebrate my nephew, Jake's graduation from Mason City High School. He is such a great kid and did an amazing job of greeting and hosting all of the people who attended. It was so fun to see him with his friends. (Jake's wearing black short sleeves.) It's fun to see so many people that I don't get to see often, including three of my high school classmates and lots of family.

Mom got baby time and Dad shared his cane with Lincoln. It was a cool damp day but there was plenty of space in the garage and backyard for everyone. The kids loved playing in the chicken coop which has been transformed to a fort since the chickens moved out. There were five or six kids in there much of the time!

 It was especially fun for me to travel with my kids to Mason City. I started out driving and it brought back lots of memories to look in the rear view mirror to see Jay and Ashley side by side all cozy next to Lincoln's car seat. I was quickly promoted to the seat beside Lincoln so we could play while Dale did the driving. It worked very well for me and saved lots of gas too. It was another great family celebration. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful family so close-by.

May Family Gatherings

 We had family gatherings two Sundays in a row at my house. It was wonderful. It's not that we need an excuse to get together but life gets busy and time flies by. Mother's day was fun and Ashley shared some photos with me. So fun to have my picture taken with my kids. It used to be a tradition on my birthday.

 This is our four square game. It worked perfectly that four people could play and one could help Lincoln or take photos.

Jay and Briana brought cakes for Ashley and me. How sweet is that!

The week after Mother's Day was Ashley's birthday celebration. We did it on a Sunday so that everyone could come. It was a sandbox cookout party. I think I will plan another sandbox cookout soon!

Des Moines Fun

I had work meetings in Des Moines on Thursday and Friday so it was a long weekend in the big city for me. We got to spend some time with Val and Felix, Dale's 13 month old grandson on Friday night which was fun. Later we enjoyed a nice night at Principal Park watching the I-Cubs for the first time this year.

I was so excited for the opportunity to do some of my favorite outdoor DSM activities. It's been a long winter! We went to the downtown farmers market on Saturday and the Valley Junction one on Thursday. Since it was a gorgeous Saturday the zoo was almost as busy as the farmer's market, both filled with strollers and people. I just love the giraffes. They feel like old friends after my days of volunteering at the zoo.

 We at at lots of our favorite spots including B &B, home of the Killer Sandwich. It's not a fancy place but its got lots of character and great food. We took our sandwiches to Ewing Park to enjoy the amazing display of lilacs which were just perfect right now. As always it was a busy fun weekend filled with favorites.

Sand Project

 After another afternoon of playing in the garden dirt I decided on Sunday evening that I wanted to create a sand garden where part of my kitchen garden was last year. After our Mother's Day celebration which included four-square games, pizza, cake and playing in the dirt, I got out the shovel and started relocating dirt to the other garden areas.

 I had most of the dirt moved when Ashley and Lincoln came to help me the next morning. I had made an early morning trip to Menards for sand so I was prepared and thankful for the extra muscles and energy. Ashley finished digging dirt, Lincoln stomped down the base and we all secured the landscaping fabric.

 Then came the fun of loading the garden with sand. Ashley carried twenty bags of sand to the garden. I cut them open and Lincoln helped me dump them. We were done with the project in time for lunch! I later went to Menards for twelve more bags of sand which Jay moved for me today. That stuff is heavy! I dumped it tonight and I think that 32 bags may be enough for now. Hopefully the sand will be just as much fun as the dirt except that we will miss finding worms. I am sure that I will have more photos of the finished project very soon!

Bluebell Hike

 Lincoln and I invited his mommy and Mowgli to join us for a hike into the woods yesterday after a morning of hard work. Since the bluebells are blooming I wanted to get into the woods again. Lincoln was just as engaged as he was on our last hike. The bark on this tree caught his interest for quite a while. Although we take the stroller along he doesn't need it much. He walked a long ways and as expected he was more interested in the sticks and dirt than he was in the bluebells.

 We walked for a long time and worked up an appetite. I brought a blanket, cold water and some snacks. It was nice to lounge in the park after our hike. Walking in the woods with Lincoln is good for my soul. So glad that Mommy could join us!

Mennonite Greenhouses

Saturday afternoon was filled with family and flowers. It was such a treat to spend the afternoon with Kala, Ryan, Xavier and Thaxton. Officially Kala is the daughter of my cousin, but for us it's all family! They live close to lots of Mennonite Greenhouses near Charles City and offered to take us around. We made four stops and it was so much fun. The flowers were gorgeous. The prices were great and the selection was amazing. Best of all was spending the time with two adorable little boys. Sadly I didn't even take any photos. Now I have lots of planting to do but it's been on hold due to anther big outdoor project.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mom! Looking through photos to scan it was so fun to see the progression through the years. In 1959 I was about six months old and my mom was twenty. I think that the photo below was probably 1974 when I was fifteen and she would have been 35...such a young mom! She has been a grandma for 32 years and is now great-grandma to five. It's a special joy to watch my mom with the little ones! She taught me much of what I know about being a mom especially her expertise with babies!

Mother's Day

One of the special things about Mother's Day is reflecting how much I love being a mom. I am constantly grateful for my children and the way that they continue to enrich my life. In this photo they were six and three. How cute is that?! Happy Mother's Day to all.

Spring Plowing

 Shortly after Lincoln arrived all clean and looking at my pink tulips mommy left to run some errands and we went out back where Lincoln found the kitchen garden and decided to turn up the dirt for Spring planting. He was completely occupied for most of an hour. I helped with the turning and we both found worms. Obviously he was completely immersed in the project. We just love digging in the dirt. It might actually be dry enough to plant now too. I wonder if he will want to continue the plowing after the crops are planted.

Pink Time

My pink tulips that I planted last fall have bloomed. I was so glad that they waited until I got back from Tennessee. Pink looks like Spring to me! It was fun to show them off when Ashley arrived with her boys. Lincoln was very gentle with them which was great. Gentle is NOT his middle name!

Smoky Mountains

Springtime in the Smoky Mountains was absolutely beautiful. The new green of Spring was so bright and the streams were filled from the rain. It felt like a quick trip with more days in the car than in the mountains but we loved the exploration. Seeing the commercialism around the area was quite a striking contrast to the beauty of the mountains and back roads but we stayed out of the towns as much as possible exploring Smoky Mountain National Park.

We drove through the park and into North Carolina on a rainy day to get some BBQ, see some beautiful waterfalls and drive the southern section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The scenery was amazing and the roads were fairly quiet at this time of year. It's a good thing that Dale doesn't mind driving. We were both happy to explore that part of the country.

Joanne and Olivia

 I had so much fun playing with baby Olivia and snapping some photos for my friend, Joanne! She wasn't full of smiles but she was absolutely adorable. We did get some smiles and lots of cooperation but being a model is hard work. Thanks to Joanne for inviting me over to play with her gorgeous granddaughter!