A Perfect Rose

Our sweet girl was baptized on the 4th of July. Rose is always radiant, but when she came up out of the water, she simply glowed. I helped her slosh into the changing room and rubbed her dripping head with a towel. She whispered, "I feel so wonderful" and hugged me, leaving a wet spot on my dress. The quiet reverence of the moment reminded me of our first meetings with each of our children. Whether in a delivery room or on the 4th floor of the Lottery Hotel, each time a child entered our family, the spirit compelled us to whisper and savor the perfection of this priceless gift from God, so newly arrived from His kingdom.

After Rose's baptism, I sensed her newness once again. Our precious, feisty, exuberant child number three, as spotless as a newborn babe. A perfect Rose.

Pink porches, projects, and a birthday

Two weeks of all-quiet on the blogging front. It wasn't for lack of material, just no time to plug my camera into the computer. I refinished the porches and Cholita got one look at the pink primer and was so pleased. She sighed a happy, contented sigh and proclaimed it gorgeous.

When she saw the brown paint that went over the primer, she couldn't hide her disappointment. "Oh, Mom. Yuck."

We laid a drip line around the plants in our mound. And covered it all with mulch. The plants can get the water they need for the first couple of years and then they're on their own. My goal is to eventually do as little garden upkeep as is humanly possible, while still growing things a little more lush than cactus and gravel.

Construction on the courtyard has begun! With the help of a sod cutter, another area of grass is gone.


The current dustbowl will soon be a faux flagstone (shaped concrete) courtyard with creeping thyme growing between the "stones". Lyle made the 10 foot circular form to mark out where a water feature will go. It might be something like this self-circulating bubbling urn or it might be a small pond; we're not sure, but it will be something wet.

Lyle is totally revamping the hot tub structure and will build an arbor off the back to shade an eating area. Behind the eating area will be a fire pit and built-in grill and...the piece d'resistance....

The pizza oven. Lyle has informed me that it can cook a whole pizza in FOUR minutes. Granted, I don't know how many hours it will take to get the oven up to the scorching temperatures needed to accomplish such a feat, but Lyle is extremely excited. I suppose when a husband begs for an oven, even a seven foot tall oven, you should grant him his wish.

Our lovely Rose turned 8, and true to form, the climbing rose was in full flower for her special day.

We went to Red Robin where Rose was pestered by the mascot

And sung to by the waiters

And made to feel very special.

Much to Cholita's dismay, only the birthday girl was given dessert. Cholita's begging began politely enough, but it took very little time for her to be literally down on her knees loudly pleading for a bite.

Lyle was very involved and oh-so-helpful as the battle over the sundae escalated. I felt like Elasta-Girl yelling to her husband Mr. Incredible, "Engage! Engage!"

He may fall asleep at dinner, but man, does he get stuff done. I'll keep him.

Oh, and the sunsets have been amazing.

Still to come: The Von Trapps in our attic, Rose is Electric, and Bruder goes to Japan....

My Little Bunnies

Aren't they adorable? Don't you want to take them home? Be aware that looks aren't everything. After a night of stage lights and nervous perspiration, Lyle said to our tiniest rabbit, "Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don't wanna' smell you." Put those arms down Miss Rose.

Despite the odor, (and rabbits are supposed to be stinky, right?) we're so proud of our bunnies. This picture of Lucy and Rose was in the newspaper--taken during their first week of the play Narnia. They travel with Father Christmas, hopping along, helping to usher in Spring. I love that Rose got to do her first play with Lucy. Ninety-percent of her time on stage, she was holding big sister's hand.

Cholita was just giddy seeing her sisters on stage but was afraid of the White Witch. She asked several times, "Oohh, what she gonna' DO?" After the play, Cholita walked up on stage and looked out at the theater like she owned the place. Lucy has expressed concern that poor Cholita will never have quite the look directors are going for. Typecasting stinks for minorities. "BUT WAIT!" she excitedly said,

"Cholita will be PERFECT for The King and I!"

* And no Kelly, not the King of Siam. Please. Her hair's short but not THAT short! And unfortunately she wouldn't work for the part of Anna either, but how adorable would she be as one of the King's children? Or the love-stricken Tuptim? It could work. Unfortunately her scratchy singing voice is currently more Brian Adams than Broadway. As her Uncle Jared has said, "A good throat lozenge could ruin poor Brian's career...."