May 2015



The month of May began with an invitation to a wedding.  It was a beautiful day so we enjoyed the drive in the Merc and the visit with good friends.


The lilacs and lily of the valley bloomed and the scent was enjoyed throughout the house.


Mother's Day was grand!  
When this one is not performing some activity for us...


 he is enjoying watercolor art.



These days the grandkids are all about handstands....


dodgeball...


ball tag...


and headstands.


Baby birds were heard chirping all over the farm.




The warm weather called for Watermelon and Rollkuchen for race days.


The littlest one got his first piece of hardware.



Daddy's old tonka toys were brought out to move some sawdust. 


The marine air often rolled in during the morning.


The garden plot was increased this year and he bought himself a rototiller to ....
enjoy.


The sod had to be scooped out and even I helped do that.  


The garlic which was planted in fall was now found to be right where we wanted to plant something else so it was transplanted and I'll let you know if it was okay to do that. 


Job done... veggies planted ....


and rocks harvested. 



We put up a new grape arbor this year. 


Three different types of table grape vines mostly for the grandkids to enjoy a few years down the road when they begin to bear fruit.



Oh my goodness... I could have set up a peony stand this year again.


It is much more fun to give them away though!


Once the soft pinks are all finished the japanese peony finishes the peony season. 


We celebrated my brother Gerry's 60th birthday!  
I baked a cake for the celebration.
It was yummy and will eventually make an appearance on the blog.


Gerry was born in 1955!  Such a good year!



Somehow every time the grandkids come over ...
the tractors big and small come out.


We were invited over to come take down some too overgrown flowering plum trees.


They quickly made forts in the fallen trees before they were carted away.


It was a warm day and so we made a trip to the corner store for slurpees.


To finish of the month of May we went camping for three nights with our Pastorate.


We had such a great time getting to know each other around the campfire and around the picnic tables.


We camped at Brae Island Fort Langley where the irises were blooming by the Fraser River. 



It takes two of us to do a selfie.  I hold the camera while he clicks...
works for us!


There are such great hiking and biking trails there that we took advantage of in the unseasonably perfect weather.
 


A small bunch of peonies came along. 
This is our typical lunch table.  Not too tidy but that's how we run!


The Abraham Darby roses are in the midst of their first summer bloom.
Every spring they get a good dose of chicken manure and it seems to pay off.


My big bush of white peonies are nearly heavenly.


This May was the driest on record since the 1930's.  
We planted a hedge in early March expecting that the spring rains would keep it well hydrated.


But it hasn't rained nearly enough to keep the hedge alive.


The hedge is not near enough for a hose to reach so he fills the tractor bucket with water and then very carefully drives across the field to give each shrub a good drink. 



The last week of June included a trip to the casting clinic for the littlest girl in the family.
It didn't stop her from participating in her annual ballet recital!  



And that is how our May shaped up!

I can hardly believe June is here.  

I love summertime!

Comments

  1. Hi Lovella, I always enjoy your monthly review posts. You are one very busy lady! Beautiful photos of all the events and children etc. I'm glad June is here but can't believe May has scooted by so fast. Happy June to you! Blessings. Pam

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  2. What a beautiful blog post! :) Is there a recipe for your Rollkuchen on the website? They look YUMMY!

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    1. Hi Karin! Thank you for your kind words. Here is the recipe for the Rollkuchen. Enjoy! If the link doesn't work, check the Mennonite Girls website under Mennonite Recipes.
      http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2009/06/rollkuchen.html

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  3. So much living packed into one month...and documented so beautifully right here! I'm smiling...at the garden that is getting bigger every year. I see there is still more room for expansion. :) What joy! You have the nicest looking soil over there. Good luck with keeping the hedge watered this summer. I see where there is a will...there is a way!
    I enjoyed seeing your Brae Island pic's...brings back good memories of our time there. How fun to go camping with your 'small group'! Also smiling at the 'rollkuchen and racedays' pic's. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. The month of May held lots of pretty things - a wedding, peonies (my, they are gorgeous), the cake, and a bright pink cast. I recognize some of the people in your camping photo - W & S. Good times with good friends.

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    1. Lorrie, so interesting to know that you know W and S too. Love those people!

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  5. Loved seeing all the pictures from your month!!!! The camping sounds like such fun! And of course the peonies and the roses!! and the garden! Love seeing all that the grands are up to! Very dry spring here too. Hoping that doesn't mean an extra hot summer. We are off to my cousin's wedding in NC this weekend! Trying to get organized....and teen children clothed :)

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  6. So much going on at the farm. Your garden and new addition of the grape arbour will be really enjoyed by you and your growing family. The kids all have so much fun together on the farm. Looks like you had a great first camping trip of the season. I recognized a few people at that table. The flowers from your garden to your picnic table are so pretty....a good way to enjoy them when you are away. The food keeps on coming from your kitchen and trailer. A fun filled month of May.

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  7. You and yours always pack so much into a month, but I am sorry about the broken arm! So much to comment on so let me see what comes to mind...the gorgeous weather that probably needs to shift a bit for continued beautiful flowers and hedges...oh my! Those peonies are glorious! ( I need some chickens.)

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  8. Well...that was a lovely full May for sure. I enjoyed seeing you in person at the beginning of the month! Cheers to June!

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  9. Your roses and peonies and garden and grands and everything is in its glory there! I love that we can share some of these happenings and see the rest in photos.
    1955 was a good year for famous people to be born! I like those kind of fact sheets.

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  10. Nice overview of your May! Very fun to journey along and walking together part of the way. Well done!

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  11. What a delight to ready your May post Lovella!! Your pictures say thousands of words filled with love and family! I had to show my farmer the pictures of how to water the shrubs - he says that's a great idea to use the tractor bucket!!! Your garden is amazing and oh, those peonies - WOW. Mine are not quite open as yet except for an early vintage burgundy one. I took Lilacs with me on our recent camping weekend - love to do that too! I think your camping table looks just great!

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  12. I really enjoyed my visit here once again! It was a privilege to step into your world for a few minutes and see what that world includes. One thought that comes to mind, is that you can be thankful that I am not your next door neighbor, because I am just not sure that I could let my hands off of your Abraham Darby roses:) What a green thumb you must have! It was fun to see the peonies on the picnic table along with the ketchup. As it should be! I must also congratulate you and your husband on perfecting the "selfie thing". You guys look so good! You are producing so many memorable moments for your grandchildren. Thanks for sharing. Happy June!

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  13. Looks like many reminders of some many wonderful times with family and friends.... There are many beautiful photos starting with the first, but I love his innovative way of watering the shrubs, only a farmer thinks like that. From grandkids to beautiful peonies.....and I've never had a peonie in my life...my mother grew them and made beautiful bouquets and somewhere I missed out. Life is so full and we can count our blessings.

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  14. Your littlest is a trooper. The cast didn't slow her down one bit at preschool. She is a delight.

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  15. So fun to read about your month!! and love, love, love all the pictures of peonies.....that's one of the few things I miss about our old house, the big bouquets that I could cut every spring...I planted a new bush here last year but it only had one lone blossom on it this year :-(

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  16. Ahhh, those peonies!! They are gorgeous! Despite your dry spring, looks like your flowers are happy. And looks like you guys have the selfie figured out!

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