Jill's birthday

Get a load of this picture from 1981. Ha!! On Wednesday we celebrated Jill's birthday! I remember 28 years ago that 2 1/2-year-old Josh and I had to go to the basement because a tornado was spotted in Wichita where we lived, and later that night it snowed. So it started out a wild day and ended pretty wild too. We were so excited to have sweet baby Jill join the family!

As you can see, Jill and I both like pies instead of the traditional birthday cakes for our birthdays. Hannah wanted to help mommy blow out the candles. We were kind and gave her 2 candles instead of 28.

Then, this week we had a load of sheetrock delivered to our back door! Luckily, Al found a place where the guys actually carry it in for you so he could just direct them where to put the stuff. It is exciting that we are going to be sheetrocking soon! I hate mudding but will help with the first coat or two.

This past winter, I decided I needed to get a little more organized with the landscaping I have. So I got me a 3-ring binder,

and began to put in the landscape plan, along with all the plants I have outside. Then I went on the computer and studied each plant; when and how to prune it, when to fertilize it, the diseases it might get and how to treat them, etc. I got some pruning done and some transplanting too.

The plants are now beginning to bud out.

The picture above is my willow tree that we planted last fall.

This morning Hannah called me. "Nana, will you come and get me so I can come to your house?" I asked her if she would like to help me go to Hesston to pick up some mulch. "Sure, Nana!"

On our drive to Hesston, we happened to pass this auto place where Keith Wiebe works. He is married to Al's cousin, Diane Wiebe, who cuts our hair (at Gina's). I pointed out Keith's work place and that he was Diane's husband. Hannah thought for a while, then she said in a real determined voice, "I don't ever want to go there again!" "Where, Diane's? Why not?" "Because I want my hair to be like Rappunzel's."

Here we are at Stonecreek Nursery. Besides the mulch I got there for the front of my house, Hannah wanted to buy something for her mommy. She settled on a miniature strawberry plant.

When we got home, Hannah was such a helper! She helped me load the mulch in the wheelbarrow and helped spread it out. I gave her rides in the wheelbarrow too. Then we watered some. Hannah decided to make a puddle and jumped in it over and over. Luckily, I had extra clothes at my house for her to change in to. It got even worse after I had this picture taken. Way worse!

I love Spring! I can't wait to plant hanging plants and pots on my back porch.

As a side note, I got an e-mail from Mark, the guy from the Etsy site who makes the pink "Cora's Playground" scrabble tile. He said he is going to be making more as he has had other requests for it. He had told me he would take more orders from me as I had a few ask me about it. But now they can just go on-line and do it. If you don't know the Etsy site, it is: http://www.etsy.com/. He plans to give 100 percent of the profit for Cora's Playground.

Joel and Jess, it was wonderful to see you guys sharing your love for Christ on tv! Awesome! I was a little embarrased that they showed pictures of our current playground! But it will be incredible when we can be so proud of the new one. I liked that "Stone of Remembrance". We talked about that in small group once if I remember right. For those of you who haven't seen it, you can go to http://http//www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=10039663 and you should be able to see it.