Catching Up!

I bet you thought I forgot about this. I hated to disappoint my hundreds  ones of readers but I got busy and never got a chance to update this old blog. I have a problem nowadays because we are keeping pictures on the desktop and who wants to go sit in the office for an evening uploading photos? So they save on my phone until it can hold no more and then I upload them all. By the time I get that done, I am tired of messing with them and don't want to sort through them and post them. Excuses, excuses. 

So here is a mishmash of photos from the last few months. 

First off, Katie was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. We are very proud of her accomplishment. This is an academic and service honor society so in addition to  maintaining grades, she also has to do a certain number of hours of community service. 

Her history teacher

Her principal 

Next up, I got to go to our church women's retreat in this "cabin" in Oklahoma. We had a wonderful time and I got to go with some of my dear friends which made it much better than four years ago when I didn't know anyone that well because we were new to the church. 

Katie had a friend do up her hair and she looked so grown up it was depressing. 

Katie and Lizzy up-cycled an old tire into a planter. We were looking forward to strawberries, but each time one starts to get ripe, the dog digs through and eats it!

Katie took a daring leap into the pool when it was 65 degrees outside. The pool was much colder. I couldn't believe she actually did it!

Here is a pretty picture of Lizzy freezing in the pool a few weeks later. 

Update

My 2nd graders and my mentor teacher gave me such sweet gifts and letters on my last day. I had so much fun doing my student teaching in both 5th and 2nd grade. I can't wait til the fall so I can do the same thing and actually get paid to be there! 

We found a very low robin nest in one of our crape myrtles. We hope to see chicks soon!

 As a parting gift, I made my students pretty decorated composition books. We had some friends of the kids over and they all enjoyed making one for themselves as well.

Garden Journal

A friend suggested that I start a garden journal to keep track of where plants will regrow so I don't RoundUp them in the spring. I have no idea where I would keep it without loosing it, so I took some pictures and I'm putting them on here. Also, I can keep track of how things are growing.

From right to left, firebush (he's growing slow because he should be in the sun, but he's been there for several years so I hate to move him), hydrangea (I didn't get any blooms this year??? but the leaves always looked nice), elephant ears.

Pistachio tree, The little hosta that could, Boston fern (this was sold as an indoor plant and I got tired of it dropping leaves and threw it outside. We'll see how it winters)

Barely noticable, is a pink autumn sage that never grew - I think it needs more sun. Between them is a naked lady that popped up and then the abelia bush. 

My Mexican petunias Diana gave me were mostly eaten by rabbits, but I think they will come back, and the tree is our red oak. 

I'm going to trim this autumn pink sage way back this fall - it's getting too leggy

I already trimmed this overgrown vitex. I'm trying to root a cutting to see if I can get another.  Beside it is a small lantana needs moved to a more sunny spot. 

This red oak is growing so fast - I thought it'd be cool to have a picture of how big it is now. 

Next we have the two mounding abelias with the other pistachio tree in between.

I trimmed this crepe myrtle into a tree from an overgrown bush yesterday. Hopefully he'll look a bit nicer in the spring. 

This rose of sharon has pretty flowers but no leaves. Summer 2015 will be it's third summer so I'm hoping to see a more leaves. 

I trimmed this crepe myrtle a bit as well. He doesn't get a lot of sun there, so he's growing slow, but once he gets over the shed, he'll be happy.

This is the big lantana that comes back every year. I hope that next year it doesn't grow all flat like that. The elephant ears here need to be moved - they are getting too much sun.  There is a small lantana in the front left that isn't growing fast, but looks good. I had a lantana behind the tree too, but it died. Maybe it will come back in the summer. 

This knock out rose is doing beautifully after I planted it only last June. I trimmed it up a bit. I love these elephant ears here. They are my favorites. I transplanted some to the left of the roses too and they seem to have survived. Hopefully they'll come back in the fall. In the very front is the last of the three heavenly bamboo I planted last June. The rabbits liked them too much. 

This burry oak is covered in rust colored fuzzy spots. It looks like it has leprosy. I hope that is normal or not too bad. We'll see how he looks in the spring. He's leaning a lot so I want to tie him to the fence. 

Here are the baby elephant ears just coming in. 

I think this is going to help me a lot next spring! I should probably also document around the pool and out front. 

Pictures with Grandma Emmanuel

My friend, Jennifer, came over Sunday and took pictures for us with Grandma. She did a beautiful job and we got lots of lovely pictures!