Long overdue Update

My blogging is about like my library books these days - way past time to turn them in!! :) Fortunately, I renew the books online and the blog police don't come get me when I go so long without posting!
Anyway, here's what's going on:
1 - Joanna and Alex Carr are engaged!! Last weekend at the beach he proposed and we got to meet his parents and grandparents who drove all the way up from Alabama just to be there to celebrate. They've now set the date for Aug. 15th at 2pm and we are already into wedding planning mode!
2 - Uncle Carl and I got 44 more trees planted last week right before some very long, heavy rains. And today (Sunday, 3/29) we saw the first green budding leaves on three different varieties!! Wooohooo!! I can't begin to describe how beautiful those little green buds look to us!
3 - School was pretty good last week, we got through a lot of the basics but not really any "extras" like field trips or art projects. However, on Wednesday Ethan began the school day by picking up a poem book of Emma's and reading a poem to me with very little help. He then read 4 or 5 "Rocket Readers" (Level 1) and begged for me to go find Level 2 readers. (Thanks, Karen W for these - they have been great!) All of a sudden I have a reader on my hands - a glorious day for any Mom who has dealt with a very reluctant reader!
4 - Last night we had a "Blurt" Blast and then followed it up with a Pictionary contest after we all shared a meal of homemade lasagna, tomato/basil bread, salads and key lime and chocolate pie (not homemade!) for dessert. All 6 of our children (remember that Katy is now my daughter, too, Shelley!) plus my soon-to-be-son were here and I felt very, very blessed to have such a great time with all of us together. I thought of my dear friends who have family around them except for a son who is overseas serving our country and what a gap that leaves in the "family circle" and said a prayer for these brave young men and their Moms who sorely miss them.
Have a great week and I will try to do better about updating the blog.