The little toddler-sized bike he had before was still in great shape, and got us $20 off of this beauty. Not a bad deal considering I got his previous bike for only $10 from a thrift store!
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On the first really warm day of Spring this year, I gleefully opened the windows to air out the house, reveling in the wonderful Spring air and the bird songs pouring in from outdoors.
While opening the windows, I'd absently noticed that Jeff and Jericho had forgotten to close the gate when they left for school.
I didn't think anything of it until I passed through the living room later that afternoon...and about had a heart attack when I saw this guy leering in my window.
Then I laughed myself silly upon realizing it was just a very strange shadow cast by the awning on our porch swing.
And speaking of Spring...the bulbs I planted two years ago finally decided to come up. Apparently they experienced a freezing period sufficient to prompt their blooms.
The tulips are a beautiful color, but have the shortest stems I've ever seen...literally, maybe 3 or 4 inches from the ground to the flower.
Guess that's what I get for buying castoff bulbs from the dollar store.
A recent, heavy rainfall caused our previously barren desert backyard to suddenly spring forth with life...almost overnight it was knee-high with wildflowers, wild grasses and ladybugs.
Jeff maintains that it was his expert pruning earlier in the season that was responsible for the bumper crop of almonds growing on our fledgling tree.
Because the late Spring rain and the wonderful spate of warm weather just as the tree budded couldn't possibly have had anything at all to do with it.
Last year, we harvest 12 almonds. This year...many. Well, providing the ravens don't get to them first.
My favorite sign of Spring, however, (aside from the hot pink blooms on our Red Baron peach tree that is) are these gorgeous little wildflowers that coil up out of the desert sand and somehow manage to thrive in this harsh climate.
I've heard of them being called everything from Triplet Lily to Queen Fabiola and from Wild Hyacinth to Blue Dicks, but they're formally known as Brodiaea laxa. Photos don't do them justice, making them appear more purple or lavender, but in person in my backyard, they are an absolutely gorgeous shade of periwinkle blue.
I know they grow from little bulbs. I wonder if they would survive my digging them up and replanting them all in one flowerbed?
Awww, scratch that. Perhaps what I like most about them is that our little Judah is always first to spot them growing in the yard and lovingly rushes into the house to present me with a big bouquet of them.
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This was a rather ominous looking sky we woke up to a few mornings ago. It had been in the high 80's for a couple of days, then the temperature dropped suddenly, and we woke to frost on the roof that morning. Straaaange weather for April.
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My brother in law Butch requested our entire extended family get together at his house for his birthday this year.
He lives near Los Angeles, CA where a person can grow just about anything.
These are the gorgeous blooms one one of the large aloe plants in his back yard.
That citron yellow color is fast growing on me.
Later, uncle Butch was demonstrating with yogurt covered bunny treats how his pet rabbit Hopper will eat right out of your hand.
I was unable to get a picture of that, as the rabbit was a bit skittish around Judah. A sentiment shared by most of the pets among our friends and family, haha.
I did, however, capture a picture of his dog Jumpy and his rabbit, who live in perfect harmony together in his back yard while he and his wife are at work.
Hopper and Jumpy.
The lion and the lamb.
Their getting along so well is of utmost importance, because it was the condition my brother-in-law had set down if he was to keep the dog.
Which happened to be the same little dog we'd rescued from certain death a couple of years ago when our next door neighbors moved out overnight and left the poor thing to die.
Look at little Jumpy now...happy and healthy as can be. I do believe he is smiling!
This is Hopper.
Hopper was cowering next to the wall not because Judah was harassing him or because he was leery of all the people that were suddenly meandering through his normally quiet, serene backyard...but because of the shriek emitted when he bit our niece.
The die-hard, college-aged, animal-loving vegetarian niece.
Apparently Hopper didn't get the memo that she's on his side, haha.
:: :: :: ::
On a school night earlier this week, we made a long trip to Jeff's old stomping grounds.
Destination Joe's Pizza in Moreno Valley, California.
Back in the day, this place was to Jeff and his buddies like "The Max" was to Slater, Screech, Zack and the gang.
Jeff, Don and Eric. The Three Amigos.
Back in the day, Jeff did wear his hair like Slater.
Or so he's been told.
At Joe's Pizza, Judah and Jericho sat next to Don's wife Christine who doesn't look a day older than the day she and Don married.
She is also my age but has not yet had to dye her hair, and routinely donates long thick pony tails to Locks of Love. Sooooooo not fair!
I tried to console myself with the fact that their son (who was on a school outing with his grandfather that evening) was a calm, more docile child than the daredevil type that Judah is, and that was why she had not sprouted a single gray hair to date.
It didn't work.
I sat beside their two daughters, the eldest of which is going to graduate in the Spring.
I don't want to embarrass him, but a certain adolescent in my family agreed wholeheartedly with my comments in the car on the way home about what beautiful girls they were inside and out.
Especially the one on the right, who, as he said, "Had beautiful yellow-brown eyes and a beautiful smile." Oh, dear.
And she does. As does her sister. Sweethearts, both of them.
It's just really hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the girl on the left was just weeks from being born at Jeff's and my wedding. Wowza...how did THAT happen?
There was much reminiscing and guffawing coming from this particular table. These guys have a loooong, hilarious history together.
The following was the only non-blurry snapshot of Eric's entire family (sorry, Monique).
Amazing how fast their kiddos have grown up.
They are also some of the sweetest, best-behaved children I've ever seen, conversing quietly with those around them at the table. They didn't dance on chairs or nearly knock over a waitress with a full tray of drinks or anything. And their little girl can sing like an angel.
Judah seemed rather neanderthal in comparison.
We were excited to learn that they had been looking at homes while visiting her folks, with an eye on relocating back to the area from their current home back East.
It's easy to envision many more such gatherings in the future.
:: :: :: ::
Today, my dear friend Chrissy and I took a little road trip to beautiful Camarillo, California to visit our friend Cecilia for a (belated) 50th birthday celebration. Inclement weather a few weeks back prevented our being able to be at her actual birthday party, so today was our make-up day.
We had a fantastic time catching up and hearing about all the wonderful things that the Lord has been doing in our friend's life lately. The birthday girl has had some difficult 'storms' in her life these past few years, but I must say has weathered them beautifully, the Lord blessing her for her faithfulness.
After visiting with her, I couldn't help but to think of the scripture passage from Psalm 16:5-8,
"LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
It was a wonderful day, with wonderful friends, blessed by a Wonderful Lord.
3 comments:
Hi Becky!
I certainly admire your thrifiness where Judah's bikes are concerned. Getting twice out of what you paid for the little bike - YOU GO GIRL!
I love this time of year when the flowers start making their appearance, too. My tulips are coming up now, but have flowered yet like yours. Some of my most favorite flowers are the ones that also grow wild around here - although none have such...eh hem, interesting names associated with them as your lovely little blue flowers. LOL
It's wonderful you've been able to meet up with so many old friends here of late. That's always such a treat!
Well, the timer just beeped letting me know it's time to rinse the dye out of my hair. You're not alone here, Sister!
XO,
Pam
I say Cecilia is not a day over 35 and even that is stretching it!
Fun times for Jeff and his buddies! It's nice that you all had the chance for this "reunion" after so many years.
Hoppy and Jumpy, eh? Tell Butch I'm surprised at the names he's given his animals. I'd have expected something like Jaws and Killer. He must be mellowing a bit in his old age! Haha!
I'd dearly love to come take a peek at your garden and all the flora and fauna of the high desert! You can, by the way, buy Brodeia bulbs. I'm jealous that they will live in your harsh climate and expire in my mild one!
Oh, yeah, I was gonna also mention that you might want to put some bird netting on your almonds. How exciting, having almonds growing in your back yard!!!
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