Monday, May 1, 2017

Good-bye April

The month of April has come and gone. 
We are well into spring...
though it hasn't always felt like it!


Our pink magnolia bloomed on queue...
for April 4th.
It is our memorial Hannah tree...
in memory of our granddaughter who was with us for a few sweet hours on that date in 2008.


Lucy invited me along on her Kindergarten class field trip to the Rainbow Greenhouses.
There was much to see...
and the take-home marigold was a real prize!


Over the years...
I have crossed this narrow bridge over the Vedder River countless times.
It will soon be history.


On April 11th...
a new bridge was pushed into place across the river right next to the old one.

Crowds gathered to watch the event...
which took seven hours.

It was rather an historic day for our community as the new bridge is the first arch bridge in the world that has been launched across a river like this.

It will be a few more months before the approaches to the bridge are complete.
 

After a very harsh winter here in our area...
we have broken all kinds of rain records for April.
We got rather used to the dark skies...


...and really appreciated the beauty of spring on those rare occasions when the sun came out!


And there were rainbows...
a promise of a brighter tomorrow.


Lucy sent me a text...
wondering if we could make peep nests before Easter.

And so we did...in her kitchen.
She was OK with having Maggie help.


Easter Sunday turned out to be quite a lovely day (no rain)...
just perfect for an outdoor scavenger hunt.
They found clues...and eventually they found their baskets (made with beach towels).


Easter dinner 2017.
Maggie read us the Easter story this year.
The basic menu never changes.
Tradition.
Cold ham, sausage and meatballs.
Potato salad.
Fruit and veggie salads.
Paska.

It's always good to have the whole family around the table! 


After fourteen years out in the rain...
our arbour needed a little a lot of help.

It came down one morning and by the next day...
it looked like new again.
Well, not quite.
It still needs painting.
I added the photo from yesteryear to remind me of how it once looked...
with wisteria hanging from the top.
Sigh.
It will never look like that again!
Unfortunately the wisteria was stronger than the arbour...
and was partly to blame for its demise.
The wisteria is history...replaced by golden hops. 
For now.

Another highlight of the month was a luncheon with good friends at Lovella's. 
Fine china, tea pot 'place-cards', scones, croissants and pastries...
mini-sandwiches and pavlova desserts.
Delightful!
We always have such a fun time together...
and the hours just slip away. 

April is also the month for 'grandparents day' at many of the schools, it seems.
We went to a luncheon at Ryder's school...
where we took in a wonderful program and had a chance to visit his classroom.


Last week I had the privilege of being 'surrogate grandma' to these two delightful children...
just for an afternoon.

Emma and Jacob are best friends and neighbours of Maggie and Lucy...
and wondered if I could be their grandma for the grandparent's tea at their school last week.

Of course I could!

I really enjoyed the program at Highroad Academy...
it was an honour to be invited!


Ryder is playing in a spring hockey league...
and we took his great-grandpa along to watch his game last week.

How special to have a ninety-five-year-old (almost) great-grandpa cheering you on!
Ryder scored the one and only goal for their team that night.

 
Let me finish off with a few photos from our local tulip fields...
taken just a few days ago.


Some tiptoe through the tulips.
Some bike!


Loved the collection of old John Deere tractors out in the field!


Some travel to Holland to see fields like this.
I travel a few miles.

The earth smiles in flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!

15 comments:

  1. The Keukenhof has nothing on you folks. Well, another pleasant month memory wise and another dud weatherwise...keep the good, let the bad drop off. It's been the same here and we see no light at the end of the tunnel for days. Gonna have to make our own light or, better, remember that He is the light.

    What fun to be your grands' friends' graandmother. They look pleased as punch.

    Always improvements going on in your corner...the new bridge...the new arbor...all good.

    Here's to a sunny May!

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    1. Oops! I forgot to check again. I am hopeless! ☺️

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  2. Wisteria has the habit of taking over....but it is so pretty, I can forgive it!

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  3. So many wonderful things here between home, family and friends! I love that your dad got to enjoy his great-grandson's hockey game! Those tulip fields are amazing!

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  4. I also want to say that I love the tree planted in honor of your wee granddaughter and celebrating her birthday in heaven when you see its blooms.

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  5. WOW ! Awesome photos and post . I like the tree planted in honor of your granddaughter , we did that for my sister last year when she passed . WOW amazing tulip fields I can imagine the wonderful smell wafting in the air there and gota love the tractors as I do and wonderful looking family at the table . Thanks for sharing , Have a good and happy May .

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  6. Wonderful pictures of your March! The tulips are amazing and those bikers sure are cute! Loved seeing your family around the table and oh that tea party!!

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  7. How special to be "grandma" for the day! All of your photos are beautiful as always. I enjoy seeing the contrast in the weather for April. The tulip fields are so gorgeous. I could sit and look at them all day long. Eager to see what adventures you have in May...

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  8. Those photos are just so beautiful! I always marvel that we are blessed to live in such a beautiful area of the world! I love those white tulips against the bright colored ones. Seeing the world from your view is uplifting and hopeful!

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  9. Such a beautiful run down of April. Love the beach towel Easter basket idea. So sweet that your grands neighbors thought of you to be their granny for a few hours! I think that speaks well of the friendship they have with your grands and your grands relationship with you. That's interesting about that new bridge. Blessings.

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  10. April has been another month filled with activities grand and small. They all make up the fabric of our days. How fun to have all the family over for Easter dinner, and what a good idea to give everyone a beach towel!
    The tulip fields look wonderful. I was at Butchart Gardens this morning and the tulips are at their peak just now. Stunning.
    Have a wonderful May.

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  11. What a wonderful April you had, Judy, even though the weather was unusual there this year. It looked like a very Happy Easter at your home. Ryder is getting so tall and grown up that I hardly recognized him! I always look forward to your tulip farm photos and this year's photos are just as beautiful as always even with all the snow and rain of winter and spring. You and Marg looked like you had fun, as well as the group at Lovella's home. Hope you had a very happy Mother's Day today and that may will bring lots of flowers to your garden!

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  12. Oh, my dear Judy! I am so late to your April post and here it is nearly the end of May! I loved every word and every photo! Your magnolia tree is just like my friend, Jutta's, in Finland. Tonight Louis Dean and I went next door to Stephanie's, to check on her house and bring in her mail. She has a glorious white magnolia that we would often gather a bloom from each spring. The tree has grown so tall that we can only gaze up at them now.
    Thank you for all the years of friendship. I love all your comments and I love you and the life you have with your beautiful family. Peep nests....and your Easter menu....wonderful! I know May is just about over but I'm hoping it was a wonderful one for you and yours!

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  13. Hi Judy! I'm new to blogging, and I'm quite enjoying the search for bloggers with similar interests as mine. I must say, your photos and scripture drew me in. :) Thanks so much for sharing.

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson