Signs of Spring

Spring has definitely sprung here! Strangely, one of our first signs was this cheery little robin. Why strange? Isn't that traditional? Well, I have lived in Arizona most of my life, and never saw a robin here in the desert until this spring! Now my dad says that he saw plenty of robins when he was a kid here, but for me this was a new and exciting experience. The little robin and his mate spent nearly a month in our backyard. With that delightful introduction to spring, here are some photos around our yard and the many signs of new life this past month...

Peach trees in the front yard.

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Our new nectarine tree.

Warm enough to wear shorts!

Broccoli blooming and going to seed.

A little nest in the compost tumbler!

And a sweet little hen setting there.

New leaves on the grapevines.

Cabbages almost ready to harvest!

An abundance of sugar snap peas.

Our filly, Stardust, munching on sweet spring grass.

Ponies, dogs, and kids, kicking up thier heels for the pure joy of Spring!

Happy Spring!

Kaiser's Day Out

Every now and then we have a visiting peacock that wanders over to our house for a few days. He struts in front of our peahens, and generally drives our peacock, Kaiser, crazy! Well...last week it was just too much for Kaiser and he somehow broke out of his pen. Fortunately, he didn't seem to wish to fight with the intruder. They just paraded around and squacked at each other.

Kaiser is pretty tame, so it wasn't too hard for Lucy to retrieve him and return him safely to his home. He had flown up onto the barn roof though, so she had to climb up there and then figure out how to climb back down with a slightly nervous peacock in her arms!

She held him gently and securely, spoke to him calmly, and he settled in to her arms while she carefully came down the ladder to safety. He is such a beautiful bird!

Sweet 16 Unbirthday Party

Lucy and her cousin Sarah decided to celebrate thier 16th birthdays together and have one big, Mad Hatter, Unbirthday Tea Party! We met early Saturday morning at the movie theater to watch the new Alice in Wonderland movie with friends and family. (It was amazing and delightful!) Then we came back to our front yard where the setting was perfect for the birthday tea...

Lucy, dressed as Alice, oversees the festivities.

It was an enchanting day for everyone ~ perfect weather, great food, beautiful surroundings and good friends. Both of the birthday girls had a wonderful time!

My Sister's Shop

My sister has a delightful etsy shop that she has put so much love and creativity into. Why am I posting about it today?

Well, she has graciously agreed to put a couple of my sweet little snuggle babies in her shop! I am not quite ready to open a shop of my own, so she is helping me to "get my feet wet" so to speak...

Here is a sampling of the things she makes that can be found in her shop:

Isn't this the most adorable shamrock? I am seriously considering buying it myself!

She makes beautiful holiday kitchen towels, absorbant and sturdy and so pretty in the kitchen!


And here is where she really shines! Missy makes absolutely gorgeous heirloom dresses for babies!! Wouldn't this be the sweetest Easter dress for some lucky little baby? You should see the detail that she puts in these dresses - french lace, hours of delicate embroidery, vintage buttons, and every dress comes with a dainty little slip!
Hop on over to her shop and take a look at the other fun goodies waiting there!