Botanicals

Yellow Butterfly Bush

On a recent Saturday we went to the Botanical Gardens in the late afternoon. Our deadline for landscaping is coming up (don't EVEN get us started talking about the rules of the homeowners' association here), and we needed some plant ideas.  To make the trip more fun, we got Daughter #1 and her family to join us. And now you can come along!

Granddaughter #3 thought it was a hoot to play with Grandpa and get him to hold her upside-down.  Would that we all would similarly relish the opportunity to look at things with a different perspective from time to time!

Granddaughter #2 was such a little cutie, running around and pointing things out to Oma (me). She's not really smiley for photos, but her momma got her doing it for this picture.

Love, love this photo of Grandpa and Granddaughter #3 in front of the camellia bush!

This was some kind of vine that I liked.  It was huge. We won't be planting it at our house, but it was lovely in the gardens.

More camellias.  We are definitely planting a couple of these bushes by our house.  They're so pretty, blooming in the middle of winter.

Granddaughter #2 was getting a little talking-to from her daddy. She had run ahead and around the corner, where we couldn't see her.  I love watching how the kids talk to their kids in all those "teachable moments." They're so patient, and they reason with their children intelligently, respecting their children's ability to make choices.

"Oma, I'm gonna CATCH you!"

Granddaughter #2.  I always wonder what kids are thinking when they get this faraway look in their eyes.  Maybe nothing, but then again, it could be really interesting!

Here they are: Daughter #1, her fine husband, and their two girls.  We're so blessed to be living near them!