Happy Fall, Ya'll!!

I've been missing in action around my blog lately!!

Lots going on for sure!

This one has had LOTS of things going lately. .

He had his senior pictures done a few weeks back. .

Only 60 edited prints that we will have to choose from now. .

Can you spell. .

I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E??

Yeah!

Me too!

Cami was taking pictures of Becca taking pictures :-)

He and I went to Beloit last week to check out their Vo-tech school. .

We loved it. .

From the program facilities and instructors. .

All the way down to the indoor pool and cafeteria!!

Seems like he will be studying carpentry and heating/air for the next two years!

 

Graduation packets and invitations lists. .

Scholarship information and ACT scores. .

Musical practices and 4-H activities. .

AND. .

social life!!

This guy. .

Is mostly busy with his social life. .

He has been working after school with his dad. .

And studying hard.

He is also starting to think about post-graduation options. .

But mostly is concerned with his girlfriend!

He is our official chauffeur. .

And makes sure his sister gets to her after school church group on Wednesday!

Now he will also be getting Devin picked up after his practices.

Devin has his FIRST basketball practice TODAY. .

We have never engaged in pee wee sports. .

So the opportunity to now get to be a part of that game. .

Is pretty exciting to him!!

He's really been enjoying 6th grade. .

And is on a leadership team as well. .

He is in a close family competition with his oldest brother for the "most extroverted!"

And wants to be a part of EVERYTHING!!

Little girl. .

Has had a very exciting week. .

With lots of things to "count down."

We got to go see her "adopted" sister perform in a college music program. .

We met all the far, far away cousins Saturday. .

at a really fun pumpkin patch (photos will come later). .

And our annual Halloween bash was Sunday afternoon. .

WAY more excitement than one little 6 year old girl should have!!

The younger two had a pumpkin decorating contest at school last week. .

Seemed a little early. .

But glad it is out of the way!

Devin took 1st place in his age group with his carved pumpkin. .the photo isn't great. .

But his jack-o-lantern has eaten the kid who was attached to the leg and shoe!!

This little girly-girl. .

Continues surprising her mom lately. .

With her tomboy ideas. .

She chose her brothers pirate costume to wear for Halloween over her princess dresses. .

And she opted to make a FOOTBALL painted pumpkin!!

She did ALL the work herself. .

And got 1st place in her age group of unassisted pumpkin artists!

TWO happy kids!

Tristan and I have been going through his senior pictures and our family pictures. .

Considering which will be blown up. .

Which will be wallet sized to give away. .

Christmas cards. .

Graduation invitations. .

AHHHHH. .

SO much to think about!!

I can't WAIT to show you all of  my favorite pictures from our session. .

But I need to find a little time to upload them to my computer!!

Hers are MUCH better than the ones I snapped. .

And were a LOT of fun to look through!!

The weather has been DELICIOUS here. .

nice brisk mornings, warm afternoons, and cool evenings!!

I'm picking tomatoes by the plenty now. .

And SALSA day is coming up next week!!

I love spring because of the promises of new life. .

But I LOVE fall. .

for the reprieve in the temperatures. .

the VIVID colors in the landscapes. .

the change over to comfort foods. .

And long, lazy evenings curl up in bed and read and study!!

Wishing you all a FANTASTIC Wednesday!!

More fun photos of our life to come. .

Hopefully sooner than later!

November Blooms

The weather has been so wonderful, that it doesn't even seem possible that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.  I usually have some of my snowmen out right after Halloween (just cause I love 'em!). But I can't get motivated to make the change yet.  This morning I took a stroll around the yard before the wind came up. Here's what I found!!

Jupiter's Beard has made a comeback since the weather cooled off.  The purple salvia behind it is re-blooming as well. 

The new corner garden continues to do well.  The mums that I transplanted last spring all survived and are now blooming--yellow, white, and purple.  The orange snapdragons didn't bloom really well until about September.  If you look closely, behind the snaps is a red twigged dogwood. His leaves are turning crimson/purple and the stems are transforming into the characteristic red twigs! 

Here's a close up.  I have purchased 6 of these little devils.  The one that has done the best and got the biggest started dying mysteriously late this summer.  I noted that the twigs just came loose at ground level. Not like rot, and not like some little heathen took my cool snippers to it for a haircut either.  There were some termites in the cotton seed hulls at the base--but I don't think they did it either. I'm scratchin' my head--the other two along that same area have just flat gotten too hot and too dry.  The dirt is poor there too, and that may be the whole problem. However, the one above is looking great--I hope it lasts!! 

Double knock out roses are still putting on new blooms. I couldn't believe it!! We got patchy frost last week, and the morning temp was 27.  I thought these girls would be goners!! 

Hard to believe that I was so worried about this Hidcote lavender plant last fall that I dug a small root and overwintered it in my greenhouse.  This one survived the winter, so I gave the overwintered lavender to my friend Becky.  This sucker has quadrupled in size over the summer and I love, LOVE it!! Some day I will learn what to do with the dried stems to make nice smelly things. 

I just love the tiny blooms on the lavender plants.  I am hoping that the two new ones do as well as this one has.  I took a cutting of each a couple weeks ago and put them in soil in the greenhouse. So far, so good there! 

These tall pink snapdragons have lived for the last 3 winters. They stay green at the base all winter long, and put out the prettiest blooms late summer/early fall when the temps cool.  Crazy little things! 

This shot is in front of the west deck. There is a gallardia, one of the Denver daisy plants, and a couple of mums planted many years ago.  They should be divided next spring I think! 

Here's the new tomato soup coneflower planted last spring.  I bought three sale coneflowers at that time, and I am waiting on the last one to bloom. It FINALLY has a bud on it--so there's a chance we may get to see it bloom before the weather gets it! 

Seriously. .this is a slightly confused hollyhock ;-) 

The petunias in the old washing machine are still bloomin' their little 'ole hearts out! 

Purple mums bordering the pond 

The planters on the deck look great. .finally!! Container planting is NOT my forte. . . at ALL! 

Here's a picture of my new little spruce bought when I went to my sister's a few weeks ago.  It is a dwarf Colorado blue spruce called Baby Blue Eyes.  I LOVE him! With any luck, he will get to be about 15 feet tall, but only 6 feet wide--so should accent the front of my house and the pond perfectly.  

This little $2 mum from Lowes turned out beautiful! None of them were blooming when I got them--I went based on the tag as to which color they would be. I am totally thrilled with this one because I don't have yellow mums that look like this.

When the container mums are finished, I will transplant them to the bigger garden beds.

The weather gurus are forecasting some much needed water for us later this week! It looks like the temperatures will be decreasing as well which is alright because today it is 81 degrees outside!! Hoping to get some Christmas lights up this weekend, before it gets really cold and windy!! Wishing everyone a beautiful week!