Mother's Day Weekend

Working outside.  We had a landscaper come out to identify some of our plants and talk about some future plans.  He confirmed evergreens being too close to the fence and we didn't like them anyway.  So Matt decided to save money on a buying a spade shovel and just rip them out.  His back paid for it though. He also ripped this flowering, viny thing out too just because we weren't in love with it.


My he-man. :)


My little he-man!

He saw daddy rip one of these out so he thought he would pull one out too.

Maybe if I get lower...


Two are better than one.


"I like YOU daddy."

That is exactly what he is saying here.

This is our Cottonwood.
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Let me find a picture for you when it has leaves from last year.  Everything has been slow to bud due to several weeks of freezing weather in late spring.  Here we go! From the archives :)  Actually, not that long ago.  A lot has happened since this one:

As you can see, our picture taking tree.  We will miss it!

Why will we miss it?  Because it has to go.  See what it is doing to our wall, and the root that rose to the top of our grass?




I have no idea why the previous homeowners planted it right up against the wall.


Apparently Cottonwoods are rapid growing and have a terrible root system that can do damage because the roots don't go straight down.  This Cottonwood is only about 8 years old according to our neighbors.  Just not a good tree at all for this location.

It's actually kind of ugly in the winter.  But we love it in the summer..well most of the summer.  This is a female so it sheds a lot of cotton for a few weeks!  Nurseries around here only sell male Cottonwoods so I have no idea where they go this one.  Kyle and Matt were going to cut this down themselves, but I have contacted the city and they are going to do it for us since this is actually city property.  Nice of them I think since the city didn't plant it.   Anyway, it might be a few months until they get it done.  They also have to coordinate it with the division that will remove the wall for them before they cut it down and stump it.  Maybe we will have shade for a good portion of the summer at least!

On Saturday Matt & Nathan came back from Sam's with a dozen roses for me!

Nathan picked them all by himself.  He thought I would like pink :)

That night we used a gift card Matt won at the Christmas work party to go to Chili's!  We went to Monument because I like the area.


It was really good food and Nathan and Josh got me a candle I had been wanting!




Matt keeping Josh happy.


This is what really keeps him happy :)




Then we went to the Monument Home Depot.  I can't remember why, but it was fun!  We like home improvement stores.  Nathan loves to drive the "race cars"!


Josh like to be "driven."


On Sunday, Nathan and I picked dad up at the airport.


And Matt had another Mother's Day surprise for me at home.  A gym bag.


And a manicure and pedicure from Matt!  He thinks this is boring and always threatens other things, but I really love it!  It's that time of year :)



Pappy time.




Josh wakes up!  Warming up to pappy.






Josh was crazy about the water pappy gave him.  He would grab the cup and pull to him.


Colorado Mountain Brewery that night at my request.  We didn't know what Nathan was doing here at first.

Looks like a sweet, spontaneous kiss, right?

Nope!  He blew/spit on pappy's face...like we do to Josh's belly!


Booger.


Well, what do you know?  A snap of Matt and I!


Cutie happy on the ground.

With a straw.

Sorry to do this to you, dad.  But this picture is hilarious.  You eating and Nathan swooping in to put his nose in your food!


Okay, can I order something or what?

Big boy's first experience in a high chair at a restaurant!

Mmmm!  Ice cream for dessert!


Pappy & Nathan enjoying some time on the back patio.


Nathan thought he would like to sleep with pappy on the air mattress.


Daddy trying to say bye and explain to Nathan that he was going to Dallas on a plane the next day.  Nathan responds, "Can I sleep with Pappy on the air mattress?"  ha ha.  Proof already that pappy being here would make it easier on all of us for Matt to be gone for work for several days!

Well, Nathan didn't last long downstairs as we expected.  He took his socks off like pappy, and I took them upstairs.  Dad said he said he wanted his socks and that was the end of it.  We found him at our doorway!  Kid always sleeps best in HIS crib with all of his animals :)

More pictures of dad's visit in the next post when I can get to it!