Easter Weekend in Texas

It was a quick trip, but it was fun and packed with a lot of memories. Despite all the bad storms the drive was uneventful, in fact, wind and sunny skies were all we had to deal with. The kids were very well behaved, and we made awesome time. Our first stop was Tyler TX. Where we stayed the first night, It was fun and really relaxing. The kids did a lot of swimming in the over chlorinated marriot swimming pool. and then we had a fun dinner, and off to bed to get ready for the next day. Which was in Corsicana TX to attend the memorial service for Chad Grandmother. From there we were of to Austin. We spent a few hours talking, and settling in for the evening. And then it was off to bed. Sunday we woke up got ready for church, had a wonderful Easter service. Then an awesome easter egg hunt, one with CeAnna and Sameenah, and then a mega hide for the boys. It took them a long time to find all their eggs. Good thing I didn't use any chocolate eggs. In the process they found a baby opossum. Then after a wonderful Easter lunch/dinner We spent the afternoon and evening playing games and just talking. The Monday morning it was up bright and early and on the road again and home in our own beds, in a messy house Monday night

The pictures that won 1st place

 
 

She won again

CeAnna entered a 4-H photography contest a while back. (They do 4-H in the school twice a month) Anyway she took first place in the school and got to go onto county. Well today she won 1st place again this time with a $25.00 prize. Now she gets to go onto regional that will be the end of May.

Tis the season, Spring is here and the Bradford Pear trees are the first to bloom, Their flowers come on before their leaves, and are very beautiful. They line the driveways, border roads, and frame front yards. How ever NOT IN MY FRONT YARD. Why you might ask, well here is one of the reasons, quoted by several other people.

Abundant large white, early spring. The blossoms smell like rotten fish. Some years this is worse than other years. Some years it's so bad we can't open the windows or go outside!

Celebrating the petal fall!
(We celebrate because pear blossoms
smell yucky!)

In spring they were abloom with pretty white flowers like those of a real pear tree, though their scent is nothing like real fruit blossoms at all.

Okay, this may seem like a strange question, but do Bradford Pear trees smell bad when they are flowering? Hub and I were outside the other night and noticed a strange odor -- he thought it was garbage in our neighbor's yard. But I smelled it again in the parking lot at Lowe's (where they have some small pear trees), and then when I got home and was walking my yard - phew! The only thing I see in common is the Bradford Pears (we have 3 huge ones in our back yard that are all abloom).

I used to have a Bradford pear which had a very, very unpleasant aroma reminiscent of a boatload of dead mackerel.

Shortly after moving to that house, that tree burst into bloom in all of its pungent odiferousness; I was walking through the yard one evening and the smell hit me like a punch and sent me reeling. Once I regained my footing, I investigated, and was intrigued and revolted at the same time--the tree was being pollinated almost completely by flies!

My opinion, It smells like a mix of something dead and a skunk, with out the sharpness. Just really nasty and negative. And after a wet winter, the smell is even worse! I was gaging as I went to my car after a stop at a shop where they border the parking lot.

Pet of the Month

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Busy Week

This week has been soooo incredibly busy, and stressful I don't even know where to start if I were to actually write it all down. I have spend time busy in scouts getting many wonderful donations! I have been getting ready for CeAnna's birthday Party. The banquet/pine wood derby next week. Dr appointments, and then HUGE surprise! Wow I still haven't even read much about the Merit Badge class I am going to teach on Saturday. And the Party is tomorrow, crap I better get some b-day presents! Anyway to start the week out, I went to Church like any other Sunday, except, I got sick. Really sick. Sarah doesn't puke but she broke this rule big time. I finely got home and relaxed and got and what ever made me sick passed quickly, thank heavens cuz I really didn't have time to be sick! Well tonight while I breezed though a baby shower my neighbor asked me if I was feeling better. I looked at her really confused like and asked in all honesty, "Was I sick?" Both of my friends were there that I had talked to on Sunday, and ask them to make sure there was plenty of help in Nursery, I wasn't going to be there. (BTW ADD moment, if you haven't checked out the new nursery manual it really rocks! go find it on LDS.org) Anyway both Shawn, and Summer looked at me and said ummm Ya you were sick Sunday. Oh ya, and wow did I look stupid! It was a good laugh anyway. And one of those you really had to be there.