Beautiful recovery

In contrast to these first recovery-from-extra-cold-winter photos (<~~ click here), here's how the back yard is looking now.

The Lily of the Nile (agapanthus) has started sending up stalks from which its gorgeous purple flowers will bloom.


The butterfly iris (Dietes grandiflora) - two in the back yard and two in the front - are looking more green than brown and have actually started flowering. Hooray!


The sago palm (Cycas revoluta - not really a palm tree!) now has a completely new layer of very green leaves. I love them!


Even my lone little gerbera daisy is sending up flowers - one at a time, but it's recovering. I thought it had completely died from all the frosts, but apparently it was hibernating!


And the day lilies just keep on blooming!


Here are three that give you an idea how TALL the trees are in the back yard.

Starting volleyball

These are photos from Kira's second volleyball game day. They have had two practices and one other game day ... and the increase in skills is noticeable! Hooray!!




The green team won all three games during this set today. Yayyy! =)

Mother's Day at the Astros game!

Here are some photos from our Mother's Day afternoon at the Astros game. Ken and Austen were working, but Anne, Kira, Parker, and I had a wonderful lunch, not to mention one of our favorite views of the game - from the far end of center field!

Parker and Kira had unlimited sodas and goodies.
Loads of fun!!

Winter's effects on plants

This is one of four butterfly iris plants in my yard, and it's not hard to see what a toll the winter freezes took on my beauties. All four are really struggling. I wonder if I should go and cut out all those brown leaves and make room for them to put out new growth and flowers.

My one and only sago palm had some damage, too, but since it's planted under the big trees in back, it didn't freeze quite so badly. It's coming back just fine.

Poor thing!

The day lilies weren't affected at all! They're just as beautiful this spring as they've ever been!

4th graders' field day today!

Today was the 4th graders' field day at Kira's school. I got there as they were playing the last of the games -- the water-bucket relay!

All those in pink shirts are the girls in Kira's class. They were having a really good time and getting good 'n wet -- cooling off!

All the teams had finished when I took this one, and the pink girls were enjoying themselves, rolling in the water all over the cement after all the buckets and barrels had been dumped out! That's Kira who's flat on the cement, rolling around!

After the water sports were over, all the classes went back to their picnic areas. Kira shared bags of the gourmet (flavored) popcorn we bought from the KO band fundraiser!

And here is the very wet Kira near the end of the field day, just before they went in for prizes and then were released for lunch.

And finally, here's a fun little video showing the end of the water relay! They all loved it!