I Think Mr. Groundhog was Confused!

He SAID. .6 more weeks of winter. .

I'm not sure we even got 6 more DAYS of winter after his verdict! 

Not complainin' here! The weather has been luscious. .and it is so nice to see green across the land again, after the summer of 2011!

The signs of life have been good for my heart this week too. We were blessed with 3 very rainy. .very gray days at the beginning of the week. .paralleling my own outlook on life. However, the 2 inches of rain that came with it. .and the subsequent 70 degree temperatures. .have launched spring upon us in its full glory! And the Sun shining warmth on my back. .was a good reminder of the Son shining healing in my heart. Though, I still feel far from "myself," I am encouraged that when I find myself again. .I will be a stronger, better person. Last night, I was touched by Paul's writings in 2 Corinthians 1:6-7. .

"So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer."  

Right now. .the most encouraging things to me. .are the words. .and LACK of words. .from people that have lost their fathers like I have. .untimely. .unexpected. .and tragic. .there is just comfort in KNOWING that someone KNOWS your heart. And I know that. .because of this road we are on now. .I will be able to be an encouragement to someone else in their time of despair and need! And that comforts me. .the fact that this will not all be in vain.

Feeling better with that off my heart. .how about a cheerful tour of this little place we like to call home?!

I nearly choked on my lunch the other day as I caught sight of these little living stones out the window. They were part of my rebellion against anything that required water or cool temperatures last August. They were such tiny little things when I put them in the inferno zone between the southern exposure of our house and the waterfall. Apparently they like it there, as they have nearly tripled in size since August. .AND bloomed. 

S-C-O-R-E!! 

I have one clump of the creeping phlox left. .yes, it's hard to kill. .but I have managed to do so with several other small clumps. This one, however likes it's location. .and so do I. The succulent in the foreground will be covered with hot pink blossoms soon. .and I suspect it will be a grand show! It's a desmosperma. .ice plant. 

As I left for the hospital 2 weeks ago after dad's accident, the crocus were blooming and the daffodils were just starting to bloom. When I got home last Saturday, the tulips were making their appearance. These are coming up in the new flower bed that was created after we put up the cedar fence last fall. It doesn't have much in it yet, and my plan was to plant seeds for annuals to fill it fast. I have received several gifts of outdoor plants. .as well as some gift certificates and money to purchase shrubs/trees in memory of my dad. I have decided that I will do so. .and make a "memory" garden. .NOT a shrine. .but a quiet little garden that will touch my heart! The gifts should make short work of rapidly filling up this bed. Funny how God just prompts my heart sometimes. .that fence project came up out of the blue last fall. .and then it was like "OK, now what do I do with all this space??" He had set my wheels into motion in preparation for this day. .when I would work in the dirt, searching my soul. His gift of healing to me! WOW!

Cami has been quite enthralled with the tulips. .running from color to color determining her favorites!! I got a generic mix of tulip bulbs from Brecks last fall. .a nice assortment indeed!! There are lots more tulips just forming buds. .so I believe the show will continue for a while yet! 

Um. .all these little sprouts, I believe are sunflowers. .Need to find that hoe!!  

The pond has been the most exciting thing. .one day. .nothing. .next day. .new growth everywhere!! This little ferny plant, I was sure, was a goner last summer. It struggled all summer and finally died. .I thought. .a couple little shoots popped up last fall. .and it looks like there is hope for it again!! The height on it could be as tall as 6 feet. .I think that will give a lot of pond-side interest! 

The variegated cat tail, blue rush, curly rush, dwarf cattail, and water iris are all greening up fast!! I noticed today that the floating parrot vine plant is alive as well. We started feeding the fish this weekend, and they seemed glad to get it!

The hearts and water lily are surfacing too! I'm hoping to get one more water lily in a different color. .but I really think that will be the only plant addition to the pond. I bet it will fill in a lot this summer! While I was gone to mom's, Jeremy installed a UV light into the waterfall. .and that seems to have made ALL the difference in the clarity of the water. .hope it continues to work as well! 

My personal favorites. .grape hyacinths. 

The bradford pear has been in bloom. .as has the peach tree. .hope it fruits this year! 

Found some peonies too. .though not nearly as tall as my mom's. .which was a little surprising, since her garden is in a colder zone north of mine. 

Here's the russian garden. .nearly overtaken by this. . 

Henbit!! Grr. .I was able to clear out all the weeds from this bed while Cami was doing "dangerous" tricks with the ski rope the kids have hooked onto the swing set!! 

My redbud tree looks terrible. .hardly any blossoms on it at all. .not sure what that is all about. . 

but. .the multistemmed redbud bush, is a phenomenal sight. .the best showing since I planted it!! This was essentially the same size it was when I planted it after getting it on sale from the garden show when they were done with it. .One of the Y chromosomes around here, pruned it while no one was looking. .I'm just thankful that it recovered!! It is located on the outside of the new fenced in garden, offering a blast of color! You may notice my abundance of dandelions too. .and as much as Cami L-O-V-E-S to blow those blasted little seed heads. .I'll bet I'll have many more to come. .I have just NOT figured out how to tell her that I can't stand the sight of them when she offers me a bouquet of the "pretty" flowers. If she just weren't so cute!

The lilac bushes are forming their buds as well. It always amazes me that those big, beautiful flower heads start out as these little tiny shoots in the spring!! I can ALMOST smell 'em! 

Don't remember where I got these grecian windflowers. .but I'm glad I did. .it's their second performance here. .and they are just so sweet! 

My favorite tulip blooming today! Side note. .I also saw TWO monarchs here yesterday! Crazy!! 

As time marches steadily on. .it won't be long until the gardens are bursting with color. 

Then God said, "Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. The seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And so it was. The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was GOOD! Genesis 1:11-12

It was all in the plan!! Thanks for stopping by!