Rare Swimming Footage

This was our first swim of 2010. It was April 10th--notice the wet suits. These are not great photos, but these and two photos from 2009 are the only ones we have of the boys in the pool. We were always afraid of the camera going in the water like it did last year. In fact, the camera has never been the same since then and even new batteries will only last for one photo session. That is why new posts have become somewhat scarce. Oh yeah, and we moved across the country with four boys and started a new job. Stay tuned, we will eventually get caught up.

Spring in Memphis

I had to take more pictures of the Memphis Spring. It is the most amazing season I've ever experienced. It goes on and on for months with more and more gorgeous surprises. Every four days a new kind of flower or tree blooms all over Memphis. This picture does not do this pink justice. It was an intense fluorescent violet pink.

This pretty flower draped over the trees is so deceptively pretty. But if you pull back... You'll see that it is a kudzu vine, or the "vine that ate the South." This intruder grows a foot a day and puts down 12-foot roots, making it almost impossible to remove. It causes all kinds of havoc on power lines.

Here's a wide shot of a Dogwood tree. They are so lacy--it's like the blossoms align themselves in multiple horizontal planes--it's hard to keep your eye on the road when you're driving by!

There is a legend of the dogwood, that its leaves represent the Crucifixion. The four petals resemble the cross, and there is a blood red spot in the outside edge of each petal representing where Christ bled from his crown of thorns and the nails in his hands and feet. These trees always bloom around Easter time.

Roses in our backyard.

Another rose bush or it may be a member of the azalea family, also in our backyard.

About the time all the flowers are finishing blooming there is a 24-hour period in which ALL the trees go from naked to full-leaf. It blew my mind to see that full-canopy materialize so suddenly and leaf packets were strewn all over the ground everywhere.

A Long time ago...Tal turned 9

The blog is sorely out of date. We left off somewhere around Easter...And about that same time, April 3rd to be exact, Talmage turned 9. It broke my heart actually, because Clint had to point out "He's half grown!" Say it is not so. I'm so glad Talmage is the oldest of our boys. He has such a sensitive, sweet heart and he thinks deeply. He prays nearly every day that "the brothers will be nicer to each other." And we're getting there, ever so slowly...I think...I hope! For his birthday we had breakfast on couch, presents, a night of cake, and later a trip to Lazertron with Dad, Cole and his best friend Kaleb Schauerhamer.