March Part One

So many flowers...they keep me hopeful that Spring will return to Minnesota eventually.  Pure white carnations...so pretty.

We took a quick trip to the farm, it always makes me feel better when the sun is shining and I can give my favorite horses a hug!

I think that the Cardinals are getting tired of the winter too.  He's eyeing me like it's my fault!

Lilies on my kitchen table...closed flowers always give me a sense of hope, waiting for the beauty that is soon to come.

I usually pull the pollen off the stamen to keep the lilies fresh longer, but sometimes I leave it because I think that the flowers are prettier with it....until it falls and stains everything.  Then I wish I had pulled it off while I had the chance!

Mr. Cardinal as it snows again.  The moisture is great, but I'd rather see rain.

Pretty lilies.

Flowers and birds, birds and flowers....and so it goes.

My great niece had a fun 3rd birthday party.  She had to take a little break to feed her new baby.  So sweet.

And back to the flowers again.  Can you tell that we are in between sports at the moment??

I bought a Watch 'Em Grow pot, a pot of bulbs that you water and watch them grow.  These little iris were the first to bloom...they blossomed before I noticed the buds...that was a fun surprise!

The full Watch 'Em Grow pot.

Molly...I found her snuggled underneath a pillow on Brian's bed.  She wasn't amused about being woken up.

The daffodils were the next flowers to bloom in the Watch 'Em Grow pot.  So spring like!

Now if it could just be a little more spring like outside! Melt snow melt! Thanks for stopping by.  I hope that Spring has come to your neck of the woods!

February Part 2

I think that who ever figured out the calendar did a very good thing in having February as the shortest month of the year.  Anything that can shorten winter is a good thing in my eyes!

We went to a boys High School Basketball game in February, they were supposed to honor the football team in front of the crowd for winning the State Championship.  They didn't honor them after all, but Billy got to pick up his Championship ring and we got to see a decent basketball game.  Swoosh.

There is a big dance in February in Eden Prairie, it's called Selgaes...which is Eagles spelled backwards...or Seagles if you count the "s" which sounds like Seagulls to me but what do I know?  Anyway, the girls ask the boys, which is sort of backwards, but really shouldn't be...because why can't the girls ask the boys to any old dance any old time??  Again, what do I know.  Anyway, Billy went with a girl and a few friends and had a good time...and looked mighty fine if you ask me!  The picture is of Eric helping him with his tie pin...he tied his tie on his own. :-)

Billy's grandparents came to watch one of Billy's basketball games.  It was a fun game, a good one for them to see.  When did they all get so short?  Maybe it's just that Billy is 6'5".

Flowers make my day...especially stargazer lilies.

My friend Kris and I made the wrist corsages for Billy and his friend Tyler's dates.  Well, she made them while I watched and learned.  Anyway, it meant that I had to buy several bouquets to get the right flowers...which meant that I had lots of flowers around the house...yay!

The stargazers were from Valentine's day...the other flowers were from the bouquets for the corsages...flowers every where.

Even the broken flowers are pretty in a tiny old shot glass.

Hoops again.  My pictures are pretty predictable.  Sports, flowers, sports, flowers, family, sports, flowers, cat, sports, flowers, horse, sports, flowers, birds, flowers....and so it goes.

We had a weekend of hoops with the season ending tournament.

Eric was volunteered to be the coach for the last game, since the regular coach couldn't make it.  Billy had his first dunk...ever.  A fun way to end the season.

Oh look, it's the cat...

...and flowers.

...and more flowers.

It's enough to make you a little squirrely!

And with that, I'll say see you in March.  Thanks for stopping by!

February Part 1

I had good intentions of staying caught up, now I am more behind than ever I think!  Here are the first two weeks for photos from February.  Tulips on my piano.

A much needed fire in the fireplace.  This has been the coldest and longest winter in Minnesota in a long time.   Not sure if that is true record book wise, but it sure is true in a my old bones can't warm up way.

Billy playing hoops, I like that he doesn't take it too seriously.  Some players...and their parents...are sort of intense about the whole thing.  It's a GAME dang it!

This is a horse sculpture in my living room.  I was trying to find something different to take a photo of...and the light in the living room was nice that day. :-)

Back to hoops...push, shove, all to get to a silly ball.

Unless it's Billy that's playing, I think I'll stick to watching birds.  Cute little junco at the snowy feeder.

A cardinal under the feeder at dusk.

Winter days are short, sometimes it's hard to get a photo in while there is still some natural light...but this one worked in spite of the sun quickly going down!

 Brian was home from college for a weekend....it's always nicer when all the birds are in the nest!  We had overnight rolls for breakfast...hot and butterscotchy....yum.

And then it snowed and I took a picture of a bird.  My life is obviously too exciting to blog about!

Our sweet dog is getting old, so many friends have lost their furry friends this winter...going to take pictures of her while I can!  Typical retriever, always is carrying something around with her.  We call her stuffed animals her babies...she always knows what we mean.  Pretty cute.

I did actually make a craft that I could blog about...fire starters!  So easy...I think I'll just explain it here.  Pop some tea light candles out of their metal or plastic base and set them aside.  Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Put one tea light in each lined muffin tin.  Put them in a 250 degree oven until the tea lights melt.  Carefully push the wick to one side and put a pine cone into the wax.  Let it harden and then remove it from the muffin tin.  You can either leave the paper on or remove.  I've left mine on.  Just put it at the base of your wood in the fireplace and light the wick.  They work great for getting your fire started!

Ok...back to basketball.  Jump kiddo!

And I'll finish with Valentines day.  Roses, of many colors.  Grocery store bouquets really are one of my favorite things.  Gotta brighten up these long winter days some how!

I won't make any promises about getting caught up with the pictures...but I will say...Thanks for stopping by!  Come back again sometime. :-)

January Part Two

January part two of my photos of the day.  Trying to get it done before the games.  Two basketball games for Billy, and then the big super bowl game after that.  Fun day ahead!

I'm designing the button for a local festival, it's my 5th year.  The last few years I've taken photos for the button.  It's the raspberry festival...so it's a picture of raspberries of course.  This one didn't get used in the design, but I liked it just on it's own.  Yum.

I took a quick trip to the Como Park Zoo on a warm January day.  The temps were supposed to plummet following that day, so it seemed like a good time to go.  Everyone else seemed to think so too.  It was crowded!  The warm day (35 degrees F) made the polar bear very sleepy.  I took this shot of his huge paws through a very thick layer of glass.  I like it.  I'm calling it bear foot. :-)

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 The weather turned as cold as they predicted, it was a good day to be inside with the cat.  She gets to sleep a lot more than the rest of us.  Maybe she's awake all night...how would we know?

Sunday hoops.  Tough to get the boy, his arms, and the ball all in the same shot.

Someone didn't like me opening the door to let the dog out.  "You lookin' at me squirrel?"

 More hoops...a free throw.  I think he made this one!

I had the hankering for chocolate chip cookies...so I made some...and took a picture with my cell phone.  I put nuts in 3 of them...because I'm the only one that will eat nuts.  And then I was only really tempted to eat three...for breakfast that is.  Cookies and coffee...counts as breakfast to me!

I was missing the early years with the boys on this day, this sculpture reminds me of those special times.  They were awfully cute. :-)

Eric and I had a date night, we went and saw Mary Jane Alm at the Chanhassen Dinner theater.   The service there was awful...it took over 45 minutes to just place our dinner order....thought we were going to miss the show.  The show made up for it though, it ended up being a really fun night.  And extra fun to watch someone that we know a little bit.  Wish I had brought my real camera.

We took a quick trip to the farm for a bonfire and wiener roast.  It was COLD...but not too bad out of the wind and by the fire.  My dad used to love a wiener roast....now my brother is carrying on the tradition and had one for his sweet granddaughter, my niece Avery.  I think she liked it!  

Back home for a basketball game.  I think our weekends will be looking very different after Billy graduates.

 Tulips in my kitchen...trying to bring a feeling of spring into the house.

I moved the tulips into the living room for different light.  These have fine little ridges running through the petals...very pretty in person.

My pictures seem to be of Billy playing sports, flowers, and the cat.  I need a new hobby...

...or really need to get out more.  Maybe when it warms up a bit.  The forecast says that the 30's are coming next week.  It gives me hope that we just might survive the winter after all!

I hope that Spring is just around the corner for you too!  Thanks for stopping by.