Friday's Fabulous Five

1. I love working in my yard. Sometimes I'll sigh and roll my eyes and say, "It's never done." "There's a lot left to do." "This never ends." But in the end, I do it because I love it. I keep buying flowers that I don't know what to do with because I love them too. I just have so much love! :)

2. Another thing about my yard. Wednesday I finally dug out my other flower bed for the front yard. It was hard and I worked hard all day, but it makes me happy! It will be nice to have more space to put more plants! :) 

3. And another. Today I trimmed up the ash tree in my backyard. Big deal, you say, right? WRONG. This poor tree has been neglected probably since it was planted and this particular breed of ash needs some TLC every once in a while. It had gobs and gobs of dead branches hanging under it. Up so high and so very thick that I've just steered clear of it until we can hire someone to come clean it up, but today, it just couldn't wait ANYMORE. I bought some loppers and borrowed my neighbor's ladder and went to work. There were times as I was standing on the second to the top wrung of the ladder (12 feet in the air), leaning against flimsy branches and swaying with the wind that the Voice of Reason would come to me saying, "Rachel, how can I keep you safe when you are putting yourself in incredibly precarious places???" That's when I asked Hazel if she knew what to do if Mommy suddenly plummeted to the ground. -- I was giving Hazel a lecture on gratitude today (who came outside saying that she hates the sunshine!) thinking about Pollyanna, when I was suddenly hit with the irony of contemplating Pollyanna while standing on a shaky ladder, high in the air, reaching, reaching, reaching just a little further for that one last branch just barely out of reach . . . in a tree. Paralysis. Hum. Not fun. OH WELL! :) It's done and it looks awesome! Now, what to do with all the branches???

4. I have the best kids ever! I just got to rock my little baby to sleep, singing to her. She's adorable. If we're eating lunch together, she'll pull out the chair next to her for me to sit on, smiling and so happy to be spending time with Mommy. She love to sit and talk to me. It makes me happy. My Hazel and Lilie are just now finally asleep. They've been laying in their dark room for the past hour and a half talking to one another in their beds. Laughing. It makes my heart happy. Lilie loves "long-necked dinosaurs" and wearing skirts. Hazel loves riding her bike and singing songs - at the same time. My heart is full.

5. Nels tells me I'm his best friend. That is SO fabulous!