The Bees knees.

 My brother Matt invited us to join him in his company suite for a Bees game on May 28.

We were super lucky to all get hats, tons of snacks, and the perfect ballfield dinner.

(L's smolder tho)

I reminisced about my dating days attending SL Trappers games at this field. It was much more of an old school baseball field in those days.

After the game, anyone who wanted could snap a pic with Bumble. The kids were all over it.

I love that CalB is a brave soul who's not afraid of a giant bee haha.

He's ready and willing to share his beloved binkie with Bumble.

There's something about a summer night at a baseball game. Since I missed hitting a Rockies game this year, this filled that baseball-game-attending void perfectly.

THANK YOU, Matt!

I beg your pardon.

Have you heard that song before? It's old. I haven't heard it since I was very young.

{Link here}

I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.

This was our first spring with flowers in our backyard.

Can I just say that these beautiful flowers have brightened my quarantined pandemic days on numerous occasions? 

This rose bush is my absolute favorite. The roses are BEAUTIFUL, and they smell divine.

We purchased this full-sized peony bush this year. This bloom was amazing, but the rest of the buds didn't open fully, and some just dried out. I'm hoping that the plant was just experiencing some transplant shock and that next year it will be healthy and beautiful.

I had two peony bushes in my front yard produce flowers this year. We have another 5 bushes that are in their second year of growth, so I'm hoping next year is their year. These are my favorite flower, and we planted another dozen from tubers in the backyard this year. It will probably take a couple years to see blooms from them... hopefully I'll be here to see them.

Isn't this bloom amazing? Can you see the dark ruffled edges in the center?

I was worried that I would miss some of the beautiful blooms while we were away from home, so it was SO WORTH cutting a few and bringing them inside to appreciate all day long for several days.

This rose bush has totally taken off and seems so happy - unlike my sad peony bush. There are tons of new buds on this bush, too. I look forward to enjoying them all summer.

Along with the sunshine,

There's gotta be a little rain sometime.

**After some rain {and hail} on June 26**

Boo.

**Brighter days ahead**

Peony love.

At last.

Our first peonies in the Castle Rock house.

These beauties survived 3+ hailstorms (after blooming... more than that pre-bloom), and after church on Sunday I noticed that they were looking quite heavy for their wimpy little bush (even though Bill had staked them a week or two ago), so I decided to cut them and bring them inside.

Oh how we have enjoyed them.

I am excited to see how this bush does next year.

We also have about 6 other bushes that are teeny tiny this year... but alive. I can only dream that they'll each produce 4 blooms next year, then be full, lush big bushes in following years.

I can't wait.

Holding on and letting go.

"Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to

LET THINGS GO."

(Can you see the leaf in the mid-fall? It took me a dozen shots to try and get a "fall" in action, even though the leaves were dropping all around me.)

I started this post last week... this tree is now nearly bare.
And it took Bill a good two hours to clean up those leaves, only to have the rest of them fall within days.
I think it's beautiful.

My emotions have been on the surface lately - I think due to the realization that Mauri is a senior... which means she's gearing up to leave me. She's soooooooooo busy, so I don't see her much right now, but she's getting college applications ready, ordering her cap and gown for graduation, and talking about what's coming up next. I know I've mentioned before how I'm not sure what's next for me... my priority has been mothering {children in my home} for nearly 30 years.
I have loved it. 
Maybe not EVERY moment, but overall it's been everything I had hoped for.

I have to say that I have loved mothering adults, too.
And I can't say enough about grandmothering... which I have many many years left to do (I hope!). I'm not as seasoned in those areas, so I know there will be lots of growth opportunities ahead of me, but I'm going to hold on tightly for a few more months to my cherished role of mothering a child in my home.
I know... mushy... and sentimental. I can't help it.

I found out today that Lex and Jase are moving to Alabama. That's VERY far away. Lex may stay with us for a few months while they build a house, so I'm excited to have her and M here. You can read more about what takes them there here.

Up next: Halloween 2018

Spring fever.

Last week I made a trip here:

It was so beautiful, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. And it smelled like heaven.


Then on Saturday, Mar and her friend Annie sang at the amphitheater at the MAC.

A percentage of the food truck proceeds went towards CV's performing arts programs, so Bill and I decided that was something we could support haha.

(Can you spot the incline in the above pic?)

They performed the same song they did for the talent show, but I think this is a little better recording.



They whipped together another song, which they performed a little later. The event was for the Tri-M Honor Society at CV - the "musical" honor society, which Annie is a member of (but not Mar). Annie said she had to perform so she wouldn't get kicked out. It was such a neat event, but wasn't very well attended... possibly because it wasn't well advertised..? Mar was a good friend to help out, and Bill and I always love watching Mar perform AND being outside on a lovely day, so a win-win for us!

I just have to say, the weather was BEAUTIFUL on these two days last week. There were also some cold and snowy days mixed in between. I am itching for warmer weather, longer days, and later mornings! I only have a week and a half of seminary left... 3 more lessons + 1 lesson by a substitute + 1 review day + 1 test day + 1 test correction day + 1 party day.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Mar has her final choir concert this Thursday night, then we are getting up early early Friday to drive to UT so she can get her wisdom teeth out. I'm excited to spend time with the fam while we're there and to attend Emmett's baby blessing. Then Britt, Scarlett, and Ellis will be making the trip to CO to spend some time at my house.  So many good things to look forward to!