Baby Clark's Shower

I thought I could narrow down some of the photos from Baby Clark's shower to share with you, but it's nearly impossible.  Everyone had such a great time catching up, since distance keeps us apart for far too long in between visits.  I'll start my series of posts with these photos to illustrate the joy that was felt among family and friends!

Grandma Rosemary and Grandma Putz

Aunt Jeanie, Barb, Aunt Patty and Robin

Kathy and Mom

Sisters joined at the hip - Grandma and Aunt Stella

Melisa and Uncle Ron, sharing stories

Grandma, me, Robin and Aunt Patty

Aunt Jan and Melisa, chatting while a delicious tomato bisque warms up

Aunt Pam, relaxing after many hours of preparing some awesome decorations

(pictures in next post)

Handmade "gifties" from family are the best- Annie's diaper bag!

Bassinet for Baby Clark waiting at home in PA

Hand-quilted baby quilt for baby from Aunt Laura

Aunt Jan, Mom and Aunt Kath

Great-grandma with Julie and two-month-old Emily

Quilted with Love

I was so excited for a reason to create this fabulous quilt - my new niece!  Quilting really is a great way to make a gift full of love and hope for someone special.  The time you spend quilting each stitch can become long...10+ years?...or it can be short...4 months, when time is of the essence!  I love this pattern and hope that my new niece will enjoy it.  I'll be excited for the next stage of her life when a big girl quilt is needed!

And yes, Fred quilted right alongside of me!  It is so funny how much he loves the fabric.  He rarely jumps up on my lap, unless of course I'm trying to quilt.

You + Me

We have made it four years!  What a fabulous day it was; absolutely gorgeous, sunny and 80 degree weather, lots of family from far away to join us, and nothing but smiles from everyone in attendance!  I watched our wedding dance and a flurry of memories came back to me.  It was quite an event, one that will sadly never be repeated, but one that will remain dear to me for many years to come.

Tonight I was surprised by a home-cooked dinner and a dozen fresh red roses from Hubby after assuming his work and meeting obligations would keep him at the office all night.  We are looking forward to Saturday, when we travel to Wolftrap and enjoy a live performance of Garrison Keillor!

Garden Update

I was busy this morning, which means I'm exhausted and resting with my feet up now!  Here's a summary of what I've been up to and how my gardens are doing.

The tiered garden received some topsoil and compost...

and the hydrangeas to the left got fresh leaf mulch.  Everything seems happy after the transplanting so I'm just waiting for everything to grow.  Besides the azaleas, the only other plant in bloom here is the Soloman's Seal.

The summer perennial garden got some compost and I relocated all of the Lily of the Valley out front.  The plant is toxic to the cats and I have been letting them outside a lot; I didn't want any issues.  I rearranged a few perennials here, but I am waiting to add mulch once the plants grow larger and I can identify exactly what I have.

The gardens in the front of the house both received topsoil, compost and mulch.  I rearranged some of the plants on this side to give each of them a bit more room.  I've been diligent in watering so here's hoping all of my Black-eyed Susans will survive!

The sage is really starting to grow quickly!  The creeping phlox transplants in front are holding on, I think, but it will probably be next year until we find out for sure!

This photo of the daffodil and hosta garden at the top of the driveway was taken at the beginning of the week and I think the plants have already doubled in size!  Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture today because the trees have sprouted their leaves seemingly overnight night and the lighting was poor.  I haven't done anything in this garden yet, except water and wait for everything to grow.  The hostas have been slow to emerge.

I will share some more pictures with you tomorrow when my work in the other areas is complete and photo-worthy.