The last of April....

Wow this is the longest month it seems and it has been for us a busy one. I have to say that there isn't a whole lot to show for this business! But I did take some photos to give an idea of the weather we have had and some of what we had going on.

I love this, one morning as we set out it was raining and Isaac felt fully prepared for whatever laid ahead

As you can see, this is actually the first one I took...it was better when he smiled!

That day we had the weirdest weather and I realized after a heavy down pour and the sun came out that maybe we had a rainbow. So running to the back the house, there was the biggest rainbow I had ever seen.

It was so wide

And I could see from end to end

Then we got some snow

Yup we had snow and it stuck!

Red buds and snow

Great lumps of it on the blossom

The snow was really coming down and it was very wet snow. Just such a weird day

Bella found some friends to sit with. She was even copying how they were sitting

Another school day and a tired Louie

A happier Louie with his mug from school that he glazed. He was understandably proud of it. 

Snow gone and dafs are out

and wild violets

I love this horse chestnut tree and look how quickly they get on with the business of being a tree in leaf. I mean really, that's impressive.

Lovely blossoms

These cherry blossoms are stunning

The flowers are so massive and form sort of a bomb shape, so pretty

Now I've never seen white daffodils

This is a morning shot....and these dogwood flowers are a riot

The park across the street one morning

I really haven't done this justice but this is a Japanese maple and it is just so intense in color and the morning sun is just full on it. I like the red leaves and black branches. Brilliant contrast

I love this picture and the blur of blossom in the background is fab with the gnarly trunk of the red bud tree. The buds are tiny and they just come out all over the tree, on the branches...just amazing

Just a mass of the smallest purplest buds.

This is the fantastic blossom that is with them. Think it's a white cherry...maybe 

But every year down the side of the park the trees erupt into white pinky purple and vivid green. I just drink it in with my eyes. It is splendid

This is the side walk and I'm trying hard to capture those colors...but hard to do...

This is round two of the cancelled show from January. Tech/dress rehearsal/and performance are all in one day! We get there for around 10.00 I think and in this picture  Louie talking to his lovely dance teacher and already using the 'man newspaper gene', he has the newspaper in his hand (a prop for the dance) and he's reading it! They haven't even started the dance....

Louie starts the dance off

I love this picture. He has a quick spot where he is the 'king of new york' and this is it!

They are just being so studious waiting and eating lunch 

This is the whole gang and they have all worked really hard!

With blossoms and Louie is pretending to be small! he's far right in this one!

Onto practise for 'step in time' It can be boring waiting

I mean really boring and they have done this dance a huge amount of times!

But they really are good at it now and they nailed it for the performance

Right this is it! Show time!

Final line up

Last dance Louie...you can do it!!!!

The show was terrific and they did such a fantastic job. With new venue and not much time to prepare...and if you're wondering why he's in the corridor...it's preferable to the men's bathroom where he was allowed to change. It always makes me laugh, rice cakes are his signature food!!! somehow they give him energy?

The next day and another day another show. Just one dance this time....Elizabeth and Louie are getting ready 

And today Louie can put the chimney sweep smudges on himself!

Oh now that's a pretty plant. The bleeding heart....so delicate

Early azaleas 

And blooming rhododendrons.. you can just make out the rain drops on the petals.

So the tree guys said they could take the tree out at the back of our house....wow they were there in a matter of hours and the tree gone in minutes with the help of this crane

I nearly missed the whole thing, they were so super quick. This is just a small piece that they were moving. They managed to negotiate all kinds of wires and obstacles....just amazing

Snow but of a different shade 

Just such a lovely massive dogwood I spotted on the way to dance

 SENIOR PROM

Now this was a hard won photo. He is completely nervous and didn't really want to be posing. But felt we needed a full length shot of the Prom outfit

You looking at me?

I really don't think that Damian could look any prouder

Just straightening that darn tie Mum! But actually this is great shot of 'the hair'. I know I'm obsessed but when hair looks that good, you have to say it! REally and of course I styled and dried it! That was our deal and I think he looks....

Simply fabulous! 

and dandelion season.....they literally form a carpet...that's a lot of seeds. I keep seeing whole swathes of them everywhere.....

Louie out to dinner with me the night before last....he was posing as a model..his idea! He was without the brother as Isaac was at Prom but we had a lovely time together. 

Louie's outfit for the dance he performed this weekend...I hadn't seen it before which is unusual, but this festival they were strict and we weren't to see the rehearsals..Well it was fantastic and Louie was a magician! Just brilliant.

There is more to the story of the weekend.....it will be posted tomorrow....until then...we will sit back and relax and enjoy this first day of May!