An update in the new year, for the old year

School year and holiday busy-ness aside, the primary reason I haven't posted much recently is because I haven't been taking many pictures.  We took another trip to the beach this past September and I took pictures then, but when I got back home and looked at them I realized that they were nearly identical to the pictures I had taken from our last trip to the beach two years ago.  The only difference was that there was a fourth kid now.  :-)  I wasn't moved to post them; and then I posted my Halloween pictures on Facebook and didn't feel like repeating them here.  So what you'll get below is some miscellany and the best of our Christmast 2014 photos.

 We had another November freeze. These are rocks covered with fountain spray.

 Eve's first piano recital!  She played two pieces solo, and then a duet with her teacher.

 Solomon and the Christmas tree.

 Christmas Eve photo op.

 Isaiah chose the design for and helped construct this reindeer ornament (and then won a prize for it in a school contest!).

 This was Eve's ornament contest entry.

 Not feigned enthusiasm, Isaiah was more excited about this gift from Grandpa than anything else he received.

 Advent wreath turned Christmas wreath.

 A star in the sky?  A reflection of our Moravian star, in our stairwell window.

Mom and Dad's 40th Anniversary Celebration, part 2

And now we come to the party itself.

 Brian pinning on Mom's corsage.

 Then and now.

 Br. D!! (and Gary and Nancy Sims in the background)

 This picture sums up the whole party, pretty much. 

 Two of my favorite guys, hangin' out.

 Family photo.

 Favor boxes.

 Because it's not a party until someone tries on a funny hat.

 Sarah triumphant.

Mom and Dad's 40th Anniversary Celebration, part 1

My big project of the summer was organizing a party in honor of Kim and David Kluge's 40th wedding anniversary, and their actual 40th anniversary is today, Sept. 7.  So, Happy 40th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!  I'm glad you stuck with it!

And now here are more pictures than is right and proper, but it was kind of a big deal for us, so I'm making a big deal of it here. First, the setup pictures:

 A bunch of centerpiece arrangements on Mom's kitchen counter.

 Mom and Dad's wedding photo collage. 

 The cake!

 

Set up and ready to go.

 Eve with the kids' favors.

 Isaiah!

Max (thanks again for helping us set up!), Brian and Solomon.

Sweet summertime

Here's a sampling of what we get up to around here in the summertime.

 I think this golden beet was called Boldor, but I called it the Tequila Sunrise beet.

 Salsa verde, here we come!

 Front porch flower baskets.

 Picnic on the back deck.

 Picking blueberries in the back yard.

Mary garden, phase 2.

In praise of tomatoes

I love working with my tomato plants.  I could sit out there with them for hours, poking, pinching, trimming, weeding, and just breathing in that unique tomato-plant smell.

 I love the little stem hairs, and how they catch the light.

I love the crazy, shooting-star-like blossoms.

 

And then oh, the wait....

Summertime: pools and plantlife

Here it is, the time of year we gardeners live for and dream of.  All times of year are beautiful in their own ways, and my favorite season will probably always be Fall, but there's a grandness to the beauty of summer that cannot be denied.

 Exhibit A: Roses.

 Exhibit B: Buddleia and Crocosmia

 Mary keeping watch.

 Fun with shadows.

 Exhibit C: tree lilies.

 Exhibit D: orange beets.

 The buddleia, aka "Butterfly Bush", lives up to its name.

This is one of the views from my kitchen sink.

Solomon's first birthday

On June 1, Solomon celebrated the first anniversary of his birth.  Drumroll, please.

Happy birthday to my sweet baby boy!  

 ...and yes, it appears I have pulled off another blue eyed child.