Roses of My Very Own!

Remember my rose fence Nate built for Valentine's day??? Hopefully to keep the deer from eating my roses and killing them! Then for our anniversary the lovely man went to buy me another rose bush (I had three--one from Mother's day last year, one from some other time, and the third from Valentine's day along with the fence:) and since the roses were on sale for one to two dollars each he brought home no less than 15 bushes!! *Swooon* ;-)

And now they're blooming!! My first rose garden ever!!!! Yay!!!!!!! :D

Here is "Charisma"

"Gold Glow"

(not looking very gold, these yellow lovelies apparently fade really fast. Still pretty though:)
"Dublin Bay"
a climber bought to replace my "Don Juan" my first Mother's day rose. I couldn't find anything nearly as dark as Don Juan when we were searching...

And... Drumroll!...Don Juan was not dead after all! :) My favorite dark red beauty in growing wonderfully and covered in buds! Yay! (Since I took this picture though the stinking deer reached through the fence and nipped the almost fully open flower and the bud next to it. Aaaaurrgggh! The wretches. There's a whole wealth of food around here, Leave My Roses Alone!!!!) This pic doesn't do justice to this color...

"Fourth of July"

"Pascali"

An amazingly brilliant white, they really do look like they're glowing

"Joseph's Coat" another climber

"Dublin Bay" again, that's the same flower as the bud earlier

Not the best pictures, but I was very excited. I have more! But, not to give you a rose overload I'll save them for another day;)

Joshua

I've been telling family members "You should come watch Joshua at Kung Fu if you can. Just to see him stand still!" :D
He really will stand still, hands at his sides, no talking for minute after minute. Waiting for class to start. Waiting for his turn to run and jump...

And a week ago he was very proud to receive his first belt:)

Mama was chosen for the traditional role of wisdom passer-on-er (yes, a technical term) through the pulling of the belt...

I think he's a little happy here... :D

My sweet boy! I'm so proud of you my dear!

Afterward he asked me what knowledge and wisdom I passed to him through the belt. We were in the car at the time and I told him I'd wait to tell him until I could look in his face. He said, "Well, I know some of the things. At least I can guess."

"Really? What knowledge do you think I gave you?"

"That you love me. And that you are very proud of me. And that I did a really good job."

So very true. And later, when I told him the other things I had in mind for him during that little ceremony--knowledge of the value of patience; strength to persevere through difficulty-- the shining of his little face filled my heart to overflowing. I love you Buddy, and I love watching you grow up.

Who Says You Need Wind

To fly kites!! :D

(Auntie and cousins visiting from Australia:)