Mother's Day Celebration at Goddard School

CJ's class had a Mother's Day celebration for all the mom's today.  Part of the fun included releasing their butterflies that they'd grown since they were worms.  

Spring Planting

After planting 3 trees and several new perennials last year, this year, we'd said we'd try and save the money and skip planting anything new.  ...by the end of April, we have now planted 4 more trees (and moved 1), 10 new Boxwoods, 7 new Lilac plants, and 30 Hellebore plants!  Here are a few before and after pictures.

Side of the house dividing our yard and the neighbors':

Before - big mulch-y areas, thin on the shrubs (the white flags are where the new plants will go)

After - 10 new Boxwoods snaking through the area (they'll get much bigger)

Same area furthest from the road:

Before - missing something where a tree was lost before we moved in

After - new Norway Spruce tree

Along the driveway near the garage:

Before - old Lilac trees, very old wood and one that we lost completely during Hurricane Sandy

After - 7 new plants to join the old ones and fill in the area more (not quite in bloom yet)

Front of the house, across the driveway from the front door:

Before = Big mulch-y area where a tree was lost before we moved in (no picture available).  We planted a Weeping Cherry in this spot last year, but it turned out to be a very wet spot and we were concerned it wasn't going to make it.

After = 3 new Amelanchier trees and 30 Hellebore plants 

We're especially excited about these.  The Amelanchier trees are among the first to bloom with lots of small white flowers.  During the summer, they produce small little blue berries like blueberries that song birds love and are edible for humans too!  In the fall, the leaves turn bright colors of yellow, orange and red.  Something new, all year long!  And the Hellebore plants below them are the first to bloom, even popping up through snow in December and lasting through May/June.

We moved the Weeping Cherry that previously occupied this spot to the back of the house behind CJ's playset and the garden fence.  Next year, this is where we hope to add a large fenced in area to include a vegetable garden.

Lastly, we planted these Tulips underneath a late blooming Cherry Tree last year, but they're so beautiful we wanted to include a photo here!

To see more and larger photos of these, click here.

Delhi Weekend

This weekend was a family weekend in Delhi to say goodbye to CJ and Claire's cousin Caroline Hall and support Aunt Maggie and Uncle Matt in their very sad loss.  We hope the weekend helps them both to heal and move forward as best they possibly can.

After the service, CJ and Brody became quick BFFs.  Although they hadn't seen each other since they were babies being pulled in the wagon at Maggie and Matt's wedding, you'd have thought they play together every day!

Getting ready to go fishing.

Didn't know dad was such a fisherman!  Likely that this is the first and only father-son fishing photo...

Unfortunately, they didn't catch anything...  Claire slept on the patio through it all.

What boys wouldn't love all the motor toys!

And exploring the old houses.  

Back at the house, Claire looked like a little doll in the little chair.  

Hay rides!  A first for us at Delhi.  

Uh-oh...daddy's bad influence

CJ loved riding the new pony.

Claire wasn't really interested though.

A few more photos from the weekend are available here.  

Recent Playdates

We've been busy lately as the weather has been nicer and mom is still on maternity leave.  Here are a few pics from some recent playdates.

Hanging at the house with baby Maggie.

At Marquand Park in Princeton with some of the other kids from Baby Boot Camp.  

At the Hopewell Elementary School playground with Ellie.