Never trust a rudbeckia

After dreaming and scheming about it ever since we moved into this house, I finally chose and planted perennial flowers to grow alongside the path to our gazebo.  Brian was critical to the success of this project, which occurred about three weeks before Solomon was born.

To mark the ends of the flower bed, I decided to plant some rudbeckia (the plant family from which black-eyed susans come).  I bought four identical plants... or so I thought.

 Plant #1: This is how I expected them to look.  So far so good.

 Plant #2: ...what the... half the plant is producing double flowers?

 Plant #3: Oh come on.

(OK, this turned out to be my fault, I grabbed a dwarf variety by mistake.) 

That's what I get for trying to plant according to a plan.  And now I present the purple potatoes I grew for my oldest boy, who loves the color purple.  Their sheen is almost metallic.

Solomon Sebastian Dostal (a belated introduction)

Solomon Sebastian Dostal was born on Saturday, June 1 at 2:32 p.m.  He was 21 inches long and weighed 10 lbs. (!!)  As of this posting, he is two months old, and yes, I am running way behind with the pictures here. 

 Welcome to the world, Solomon.  

 The kids were beyond excited. Eve had been hoping for a baby sister, but any cute baby would do.

 For all his wild, sometimes violent energy, Isaiah adores babies and had been longing for us to have a baby of our own. 

 It took Samuel a little while to get up to speed, but he has now embraced big-brotherhood.

 There's the money shot.

 Solomon, newly de-heathenized, with his godmother Aunt Janet.

 Say what?

 Awwwwww....

                .......geez!

(Power to the people! says Solomon)

 Yay for those first baby grins!

OK that's enough thank you all goodnight.