Saturday afternoon with the flowers

Continuing on my attempt at blog catch-up, here are some photos that were taken several weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday spent wandering around the Botanic Gardens, one of my favorite places in the city.












I am so in love with him and just want to squeeze him all the time. Good thing, since he is also extremely trying right now. Tantrums and frustrations galore.


Bad Mom, I know. He is such a climber though, and he's fast.




Apologies for the giant portrait oriented photos.

daddy and son

Here's Daddy and Max in 2005 when Max was one. Yes, he had crazy hair, and yes it was blonde for awhile. I always loved his little teeth when he smiled. He was such a happy baby.

We were at the Botanic Gardens a few weeks ago and that photo popped into my head so I asked dh to hold Milo on his shoulders. Of course, being two, Milo didn't want to cooperate at all.


What? You want me to sit on Dad's shoulders, something I like to do all the time? It's obviously important to you, so no, I don't want to!





I was happy to get this, imperfections and all.


By the way, I thought that first photo from 2005 was awesome at the time. I had just gotten my Nikon d70 and was shooting in auto. I loved it so much I printed it and framed it. That definitely helps me gain some perspective when I see the problems with these recent photos!

Bee Macro

I took these a couple of weeks ago when the bees were swarming the flowering bushes in front of my house. They're industrious creatures, zipping around so quickly that it was hard to get a photo with good focus. I think they're cute.

Homestead Heritage

We went on a trip with my parents to visit my brother and sister-in-law the Saturday before Easter. My dad decided to take his motor home so we could all ride together. I don't know why I didn't take a photo of Milo in front of it, but Milo was thrilled. He loves trucks and cars and plays with his toy trucks more than anything. He loved riding aboard Papa's big motor home truck and so did the other kids.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and we went to a place near my brother's house called Homestead Heritage. It's run by a group of Mennonites who live there and make a living through their handicrafts and restaurant. They grow all of their own food as well as the food for their restaurant, have livestock that the kids enjoyed visiting, spin their own yarn and knit and sew their own clothes, have a mill, make pottery that they sell there, as well as teaching classes on woodworking, knitting, and other handicrafts, and sustainable living. It was a lot of fun to visit.


The mill where they sell their baking mixes and honey.


Milo loved the water wheel behind the mill and talked about it all day.






This was the blacksmith doing a demonstration.




Milo loved the turkeys.


We sat on the front porch and ate homemade ice cream. Milo's first time eating an ice cream cone, he approved.









I think because I grew up in rural Michigan, and now live in a densely populated area of Texas, I enjoy it so much when we get out of the city and visit someplace pretty and spend the day outdoors. It was a simple and satisfying day.

Easter eggs

evening light

A recent favorite of Maddie. I love moody black and whites so much.

Milo and Suzy

Suzy is Milo's wooden snail. He feeds her "birthday cake" made from duplo blocks, and sometimes he takes her for walks around the block and then swings with her in the back yard. Lucky snail.