Go, Go, Goers!

Spring is really here! Our lilac tree is in full bloom and it smells so good when you're standing on the front porch, and the wind softly wafts the scent through the air. Sadly, we had a storm roll through this week, and it broke off on one of the lower branches. Scott cleaned it up and it looks okay now, but seeing it broken made me really sad. And then I went down a rabbit hole of googling why some people feel grief when trees are cut down. It's a thing! Really! This past weekend, I added a new birdbath with a fountain, and one night after work, I noticed that there was a fat bumblebee paddling around in it. This is dangerous for bees as they don't have lungs, and can easily drown in a small amount of water. So, I scooped the little guy up, and placed him into the conveniently located lilac tree! He turned around in many circles (kinda like a dog does before laying down), and then the bee tucked his head and tail and stopped moving. Of course I had to google the visual di...

Both of the kids earned another stripe at TKD this week! Ava's up to two on her purple belt, and G is at one. This was quite the accomplishment considering that while they were practicing combos, Ava inadvertently kicked G hard in the arm. He took a few minutes to rest, and then went back into the class. Ava has a very strong kick so I'm sure it hurt!  We had a very nice Mother's Day last weekend. We took Deb out to brunch, and then the four of us went plant shopping, and then just G and I did even more shopping. That kid made out well - he got a new basketball and shorts. And when we got home, both kids (and I) got treats from the neighborhood ice cream van. I'm looking forward to a separate MD outing with my mom in a few weeks, as well. We're going to head to the MoA for a book signing! We had a huge accomplishment this week...we wrapped up Ava's required night driving hours! We hit the 15 hour mark on Friday night, during a rain storm. And we have less than a...

A good chunk of the U.S. was able to see the Northern Lights on Friday night - what a treat! I didn't know about it and just happened to be on social media, right at the time it was starting. I ran outside to tell Scott (he was testing out the fire table), and we both looked up at the sky and wondered where it was. We finally say faint streaks in the sky, with a sunburst right above us. It certainly wasn't the show we were expecting to see. So, just for kicks, I brought out my phone to take a pic, and that's when the colors came into focus. Apparently the human eye can't pick up the colors (due to rods) in the same way that cameras can. WOW, it was so pretty! We live in a suburban town, right next to a metro area, so there's quite a bit of light pollution. It looked even more amazing once you were away from the cities (according to photos multiple friends posted.) Neither Scott nor I had ever seen the Northern Lights, so it was a really neat experience. Ava joined u...

We are so lucky to have been selected to be sweet Pria's family. Out of all of the beagles we have owned, she's by far the most relaxed and easygoing of them all. Pria is happy to have a safe space to sleep, regular meals, fresh water, and special treats from her people. I read an article today about how dogs age (it's not the human years x7 equation that has been floating around for a while) and it turns out that she and I are just about the same age. No wonder I get a little jealous of how much she gets to sleep on a daily basis! When we first got her, she wouldn't jump up on furniture willingly, and was very skittish about being next to us. Now...she loves to join us in bed (not to sleep, but to cuddle in the mornings) and she loves to snuggle on the couch with my legs. She loves belly rubs in the morning, before getting up for breakfast Hiding amongst Ava's stuffies! Not too much happening with the kids this week...school, a few activities, etc. Scott will be ba...