More of the Yard

I will never get tired of the yard.  Here's what I found today:

I believe I said, in a post about two weeks ago, that I was sorry we wouldn't see the flower on this one as I believed the bunnies would feast on it before it opened.  I am so glad to be wrong!  It's next to these two:

The yellow tulips were standing straight up two hours before I took this picture, and I don't know if I scared them into submission or what.  Maybe they should be watered?  Or should I sing to them?  I am quite at a loss.

You know how I feel about the violets.  Indulge me in just a few violet pics, ok?

We have big patches of them in the upper and lower yards.  I am thrilled.  Here's what happens to them:

That's a very studious Anthony in the background.

Then, there was the issue of the mysterious bush right in the middle of the backyard.  It is finally doing something.  What do you think it is?

My best guess is redbud, but Mom thinks it's too late in the season.  Anyone?

We still have some late-blooming daffodils (and there's the maybe-redbud again):

And!  We have a new mystery plant:

I am stumped.

But another mystery is solved.  Well, it wasn't so mysterious, really, but my suspicions are confirmed: the things I thought were lilacs, on the north side of the yard, are.  Here's proof:

An early flower!  Not open yet, but very exciting, and a great color - I love the dark purple ones.  We have about four separate bushes, three little ones and one giant.  Very exciting.

Those of you who are not violet-lovers should just skip the next few pictures:

What a glorious yard!  Happy Easter, everyone.  The baby is half-baked today; 20 weeks!

Pizza Update

I think I'm obsessed with pizza on the grill.  Here's the latest:

Whole wheat crust (salted, peppered and oiled); then pesto, roasted red peppers, sauteed spinach, ricotta, and tiny little shreds of mozzarella.  Perfection.

Made on Tuesday, with Kyle.  Usually we have leftovers for a couple days, but not of this one!

Grilling

Now that you've seen the yard in exhaustive, and no doubt exhausting, detail, you may have concluded - as we have - that it is a party kind of yard.  Ergo, the grill.

We have had the grill since December 2007, when Anthony received it as a Christmas present.  It has spent that entire time living in a box, unopened, in Mom and Dad's basement.  We were really hoping it was ok in there.  then it moved to our garage, still in the box. When Fran, Tony, Avery and Cooper came out to see us a few weekends ago, we finally got to break it out.  Anthony and Tony spent an afternoon doing some kind of magic, and now it's assembled and in the backyard.  See?

That's the screened-in porch to its left, perfect for eating food without being eaten by mosquitos.  and yes, the grill is wearing a dress.  I forgot to take any pictures of it without its cover, so you have to use your imagination til I do.  All you need to know is that the grilling surface itself is the largest one I've ever seen.

And they did something else, too:

See that little grey line that plugs into the ground?  It's magic.  Gas comes from the house, runs through the ground (ok, in a pipe Tony and Anthony installed), and runs the grill.  No propane needed.  Amazing.

In case you're wondering what we do with the grill, here's a clue:

Doesn't that make you want to come over and hang out with us??

More Yard

I took more pictures of the yard this afternoon.  Want to see?

Here's my quince.  Isn't it gorgeous?!  It's the one on the right, not the yellow forsythia.

And here are my lovely violets:

And we have some new daffodils in the backyard:

Well, some hyacinths snuck into the first picture.  But anyway, this is the first bunch of daffodils that isn't all yellow.  They're pretty!

And here is something else fun:

We have a white bleeding heart!  But what is this??

It looks really familiar and I know I am supposed to know what it is, but I forget.  Any guesses out there?  (Edit: hydrangea?)

I'll leave you with this:

It is so cool to have this yard.

The Yard: an Update

So things are really taking off outside.  I can't quite believe we get to live here; it is so pretty!  I am very grateful to the people before us for the nice things they did in the yard.  I took some pictures this morning before I left for work, and here's what we've got:

You can't really see much, huh?  Ok, here are the details:

Daffodils, blooming on the right and not yet on the left, and a pink hyacinth in the ivy-covered spot in the middle of the yard, and little purple vinca all through them.  Here they are again a couple of days ago (I know, it's a sickness to take pictures of your own flowers every day.  Maybe I won't do it next year.):

And then!  Look at this!

More of the same flowers, but along the back of the house this time. 

A forsythia bush on the far left of the yard, just below our big oak tree.  It's a late-bloomer - tho Mom says it's called "extending the season."  I usually don't like the ones with such sparse flowers, but here it seems to fit.  I'm quite fond of it.

And there are a couple daffodils on the other side of the yard:

See their little yellow heads, about halfway between the stone steps and the tree on the right?

Then, there is the matter of this tree.  We thought it might be some kind of cherry, and now it's got little pink flowers.  Pretty!

And the tulips that I was certain would be eaten before they budded have beaten the odds, I am happy to report.  Perhaps I am jinxing it all by writing about them, but look: buds!  Two of them!  It was too late for the spotty-leafed tulip, but perhaps we'll see the flowers of the other sometime soon.

There are also some daffodils along the side of the house, by this little path to the front, on the right.

And, the very best part:

Can you see something wonderful in the grass?  Here's a clue:

My very own violets (well, ours, but Anthony doesn't seem as attached to them as I am)!!!  And I picked some and brought them in the house.  Oh, this was supposed to be our house.  It's just right, even down to the violets in the yard.  We are so lucky.