Getting the back bed in shape

We are finally getting our back flower bed in shape. We have lived here for 6 years, that's right and after 6 years our attention is turned to getting our back bed in shape. Now, we have not totally neglected the area, but it has been low on the list.

After 3 years we finally got rid of all the weeds, put down a layer of bark mulch and planted one tree. The next summer we added a couple more trees. Then last summer we planted a few shrubs at the end of the season and some bulbs.

On Saturday we got 6 more shrubs (golden privet and silver euonymus).  The boys had a ball "helping" me (aka playing in the dirt) plant the new shrubs. Dave ran some drip lines and all is well!

Now, it looks like someone cares. We have 6 trees and about a dozen shrubs. My bulbs are coming up nicely and we finally have most of the heavy lifting done. I still want some day lilies, a few more shrubs and one more tree. By the end of the summer you won't recognize the place! I just need to figure out when to spray our apple tree for pests.

Saturday was a good day all the way around. I had a great time at my Mission Academy.  Each class had about a dozen young men & young women in it. They were all very inquisitive and it felt great to be there. However, after my 4th session I was ready to head home and take a wee break :)

This Saturday I might plant a few more things. I am trying to decide if I want a fruit tree (pear) or if I want an ornamental flowering tree. . . decisions, decisions.  I'll keep you posted.

Update

This week wrapped up "Toddler Time" at the library for the season. It starts again September. It is like story time on steroids. They have singing with actions, playing with toys, puzzles, they introduce a letter and have a theme with fun stories. Our library has it twice a week. It has just been wonderful. Jacob and I go on Wednesday and Thursday morning while Spencer is in preschool. So, we bid a fond farewell to Toddler Time until September.

Our library does have a summer "Music and Movement" program that I am sure we will indulge in. I just love our library.

Tomorrow our stake is having a "Missionary Academy."  They have some workshops in the morning and then a key note. I am teaching one of the workshops on Interpersonal Communication skills. I finished putting the PowerPoint together yesterday. I hope it all works out, I am kind of nervous about it.  I will be giving my 35 min. presentation 4 times. At least it is a topic I love!

The weather is getting nicer and we have been spending more time outside. I planted two Profusion Crabapple trees this week. They are small (about 7 feet tall), but it feels good to get some things in the ground. They don't get too big and are suppose to be easy to grow. We also have a big project to re-grade one of our flower beds. It will be a lot of work, Dave has already spent a Saturday working on it.  I am looking forward to planting more shrubs and flowers. Can you ever have too many flowers? I think not.

Cute boys!

The boys just got new hair cuts. . . they are so darn cute with short hair. And Jacob is looking so much older with his new do.

Easter Weekend

We had a great Easter weekend. We went down to Flagstaff, AZ. We drove down on Friday, stayed on Saturday and back on Sunday. A quick trip, but we made some wonderful memories.

The crowning event of the weekend was Daniel's baptism. Because Daniel was born only a month after our wedding anniversary, I always remember how old he is (same with my nephew Nathan in D.C., also born in 2004.) Daniel is the oldest grandchild on the Stirling side, so this is the first of many happy days we plan to celebrate. He is such a wonderful example to his siblings and cousins. Daniel was just beaming!

 Here you can see the crew of future deacons. Don't they all look handsome!

This is the only photo I was able to get with all 5 cousins. Lizzy is not looking at the camera, but in my other shot of the 5, Lizzy has binoculars on her face :)

 5 children, 5 Easter baskets, 105 candy filled eggs. . . GO! . . . and they're off

Notice Jacob's cool Easter basket? We left the boys' Easter baskets at the hotel, so Aunt Katie magically made a couple more appear for Spencer & Jacob. I am so grateful she  has some tricks up her sleeve. If it was our house it would have been a Tupperware bowl :)

 The boys had a ball playing with all the new toys.

It was long but scenic drive home. . . only 9 hours :)

I am so glad to be home. How can we only be gone for 3 days and I have 5 loads of laundry to do? Life is good here, laundry and all.

Easter morning

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Easter basket goodies

The Easter bunny left spencer & Jacob stuffed animals. Spencer is already snuggled up with his giant turtle :)

Flagstaff

We are in Flagstaff, Arizona for the Easter weekend. It had been wonderful. We came for Daniel's baptism that was this morning. We also had an Easter egg hunt this afternoon.

It is going to be a quick trip, we head back to Utah tomorrow morning. Fast, fun and great memories. I will be sure to post lots of photos when we get home.

So cute when they are sleeping

Road trip 2

Road trip

Yogurt Face

Our sweet Jacob turns 2!

Our sweet boy turned 2! We had a great celebration yesterday. Grandma & Grandpa Stirling came over for dinner, cake and presents. It was so fun to celebrate Jacob and what an amazing little boy he is.

Spencer and I made the birthday cake. We did a 3-layer 8-inch round cake, we layered it with whipping cream between the layers and topped it off with Chocolate Ganache (and yes when you are talking about a topping that good it needs to be capitalized.)  Here is the recipe:

Super Easy Chocolate Ganache

Recipe by Our Best Bites

8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate

8 oz. heavy cream

Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Heat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted and can be whisked and incorporated into the cream. Be sure and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure you don’t find any globby bits of chocolate when you start working with it.

The ganache will thicken as it cools, so if it’s a little too thin for you, hang tight and it will be ready pretty quickly. When it’s completely cool, it will be thick and fudgy and can be used like frosting. Store in an airtight container. You can reheat it to achieve your desired consistency.

 

 Spencer was an expert with the whisk.

Jacob was an expert with licking the whipping cream.

 Presents. . .

Spencer was a very good big brother. . .helping to open some presents and testing out the toys. Jacob got some leggos, balls, books and a "popper" that you push and the balls "pop." I think he really enjoyed the presents and staying up late (7:30PM). It was so great to have grandma and grandpa here.

Dave made a fabulous dinner, white chili with tortilla chips and Patti brought a divine fruit platter.  After dinner we sang happy birthday and dove into the chocolate cake. I was just thinking about how last year on Jacob's birthday he was still in China and now here we are. . . home and life is so good with him.  His transition could have been smoother.  He instantly slept through the night, bonded to Spencer and simply was our son from moment one. We are just so lucky to have him be ours. Jacob knows he is ours too.

Before Patti and Wynn left Dave and I asked Wynn to give us each a priesthood blessing. It was good to hear the love and counsel. After I had my blessing Spencer asked if he could have a blessing too. So after Dave and I had our blessings from Wynn, Spencer received a blessing from Dave. It was sweet to see Spencer's faith and hear the blessing.

Jacob was sitting on my lap during the blessings and when Spencer's blessing was done, Jacob got off my lap walked over the chair we had each been sitting on for our blessings, got on the chair and folded his arms.  He was ready for his turn. He knew he was part of the family and if we each sat on the chair and received a blessing,  he somehow knew he needed to be part of it too. He sat on the chair, arms folded and looked expectantly at his dad.

We weren't quite sure what to do. I was wondering if he would sit still all by himself, but he stayed there and seemed very expectant. How could we say no? Dave gave him a wonderful blessing.

Jacob is ours in every way, what a blessing this little boy is! How we love our Jacobite!

Sorting it all out

Yesterday was a very hard day. I think emotionally it was the hardest day for me since Monday. I have not been sleeping well (having lots of dreams about losing the baby or dreams about Spencer and Jacob becoming severely ill.) So, I have been so exhausted. Yesterday it just all hit me and I slept for 3 hours in the afternoon. All the sorrow and grief just hit me and it was unstoppable. I just felt the loss so keenly. I know there are good days and bad and you just have to ride the ups and downs.

I feel so blessed to have Dave and the boys. They really are the light in my life. Yesterday was Jacob's birthday and it a good evening, even if the afternoon was hard. To celebrate his life and remember where we were a year ago on his first birthday. This past year has been pretty jammed packed with experiences.

So, onward . . . ever onward.

Birthday Boy

Happy 2nd birthday Jacob!

Birthday brother