Smith Family Ice Cream Scoop: Our Yard's a'Bloomin'!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Our Yard's a'Bloomin'!

I can't believe how fast everything pops out in the spring! We have quite the yard... I think we'd call it the "overgrown half-dead" style of landscaping... we work really hard to accomplish this! ;)

Our cute little pear tree has beautiful blossoms right now!

I love these happy yellow flowers... they look soft enough to lay in, but I'm worried I'd smash them and they'd never recover...

I don't really know what this is, but it's old, and it has beautiful colors. That's enough for me to take a picture of it! (This is what I mean about our landscaping... there are a lot of things here and there that might have been here forever, or might just be junk... who knows? ;)

I LOVE apple blossoms! I hope we actually get some apples this year!

Apparently we're pretty good at growing seashells. They are ALL over the place, and the kids have had fun lining them up.

We're also good at growing little teeny tulips. I don't know if they're supposed to be small, or if they're just not getting what they need. (Have you got the idea yet that we have NO clue what we're doing? )

And, the cherry blossoms. I already showed you the apricot blossoms a few posts down. Yes, we have a bazillion fruit trees.

Last, but not least... we are AWESOME at growing these cheery yellow flowers ALL OVER the yard! I see so many sad plain green yards... maybe someday I'll teach them how to give their yard that extra bit of color. ;)

6 comments:

Rachel Holloway said...: GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS!

I love your landscaping! Simply beautiful!!!

Coveting your lens...totally coveting it. :); 12:57 PM
Rebecca Adams said...: You take pretty pictures! :)

(I've always thought dandelions were flowers, not weeds. Haha!); 2:11 PM
Annalee Kelly said...: those cheery little flowers are miraculous. They seem to grow well in our cold climate as well!; 3:00 PM
Julie N. said...: Thanks for stopping by my blog! Visit us any time. I loved checking out yours, you are one talented girl! And your pics are amazing. You even make weeds look awesome! Oh and don't stop posting on the 24 blog, you inspire the rest of us!; 7:47 PM
Brenda said...: I actually really like dandelions. Too bad they're weeds, cause that'd be one flower I couldn't kill.; 9:10 PM
V and Co. said...: our neck of the woods is still too cold to grow even the dandilions. we had a couple of pretty days last week though. when you coming down here and visiting f and me?; 10:02 AM

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To Do Today

* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.
* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.
* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.
* First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don't permit anything to detract you from this awareness.
* You cannot communicate with God unless you have first sacrificed your self-oriented natural man and have brought yourself into the lower levels of meekness, to become acceptable for the Light of Christ.
* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.
* Pause to ponder the suffering Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the awareness of the depth of gratitude for him, you appreciate every opportunity to show your love for him by diligently serving in his Church.
* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.
* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.
* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.
* When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.
* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.
* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.
* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.
* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.
* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.
* You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do.
* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.
* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.
* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.

from "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit by F. Enzio Busche