Planting in the Front Yard

 In April I started researching what grows well in B.  I've learned that we're pretty limited with what grows.  I bought some plants and bushes from our local nursery but most of them from J&J's.  They have such a massive selection.  I've really enjoyed picking out things.  I bought a lot of plants that I love and then just put it together.  We'll see how it turns out once everything starts blooming.

 Luckily when I was researching, I learned that hydrangeas like B.  I put several hydrangeas in the front. (Three along the front porch infant of the laundry room area and then one in front of Bridger's window)  I'm crossing my fingers they'll be happy in our yard because I love hydrangeas.

Tanner was a good helper.  I would put the plants in the back of his truck and then he would drive them around to the side of the front yard.  

 I really wanted to get the plants in before it got to hot.  So I had the majority planted by the middle of May.  Matt got the drip system all hooked up to the plants.

After researching a lot of pine trees, I decided that I wanted to put some columnar Norway spruce trees out front.  I wanted one on each side of the garage side to even it out and give year long color.  Then I put one down on the far left side of the house.  They're supposed to stay narrow (about 6 feet wide) and get 20-25 feet tall.  It's hard to imagine how things are going to look in 10-30 years.  Hopefully I'll left lots of room for it to grow.  

One of the days that Bridger was mowing the lawn, I looked out and saw this.  Tanner was following right behind Bridger.  It was so cute!  Our grass has come in really well since we laid the sod last fall.  I still love looking out and seeing grass!

Jen told me about a small tree farm that normally only sells wholesale.  But once a year, they sell to the public.  Jen happened to see their add on Facebook and told me about it one morning.  After our bike ride, Matt and I went over to look at the trees.  They were limited in what they had left but we were still able to pick out six beautiful trees.  The trees are used to our crappy soil so hopefully they'll make it!  We bought two ash trees and a Hackberry tree to put back by the swing set corner.  We bought a golden maple.  The tree whisperer said that it's the only maple that grows in Bothwell so we'll see if it can survive.  Then we bought a flowering  prairie tree and a choke cherry tree to put in our island out front.  Matt had to bring them home in two different loads.  Once we got the trees home, we realized how big they were!!  They were too big for us to move them.  So we called our sweet friends the Evans and asked for their help. They were so kind and said "absolutely!"

The next week, Mike came over with his skid-steer and dug the holes and then moved the trees into the holes.  It was impressive how slick it was with his machine.  Of course right as they started, a big thunderstorm broke and poured on them.  It made everything so muddy to work in!

But Tanner was happy as can be playing in the rain puddles.  He was soaked so after it stopped raining, he took his shirt off and kept playing in the rain.  I love his rain boots with  his rolled up shorts.

Bridger's Eye Injury

Bridger was at an end of the school year party when he injured his eye.  He and another kid were throwing a football back and forth.  He heard someone call him name so he turned and looked to see who it was.  Right as he turned back, the end of the football hit him in his left eye.  His vision in that eye immediately turned black for a few minutes.  He called me and said that he needed me to come and get him because "his eye was filling up with blood."  So Matt ran and got him.  Matt called me and said that he'd taken him to the ER because it was serious. His pupil was an oblong shape instead of an oval.  The PA said that he needed to be admitted as a patient and have a work up done.  After talking to the opthamolgist at Primary's they felt that he could stay up here and follow up with an opthamologist the next morning.  Bridger was diagnosed with a "hyphema" (blood in his iris) and retinal injury.  They prescribed steroids and dilating drops for his eye.  His eye was extremely painful!  

 Matt took Bridger to see the opthamologist the next morning because I had my Little Red bike ride.  He said that retina was still attached and didn't need surgery but things were still very serious.  He said that Bridger needed to be on strict bed rest for a week to help the retina heal.  He had to do steroid and dilating drops four times a day for a week and then just the steriod twice a day for three more weeks and then just once a day for a week.  For the first week, I had to take him into the opthamolgist every couple of days to measure his eye pressures.  Luckily everything has healed really well.  Because of this injury, Bridger will have to have yearly eye exams and it puts him at a higher risk for developing glaucoma and having a retinal detachment.  We feel so blessed that it wasn't worse and that he can still see!!!

Bridger Hope of America Award

Last week, I received a call from Bridger's school.  It was the principal telling me that Bridger would be getting a special award at the 6th grade assembly the following week.  I had just gotten out of the shower when I received a text from Mrs O saying that the times were wrong and they were doing the assembly right now.  I threw some clothes on and literally combed my hair while I was driving.  I threw a hat on and called it good.  Luckily we made it there on time.  Bridger was awarded the "Hope of America" award.  They gave it to eight students in 6th grade.  

This is what the award says "About 40 years ago, the Bonneville Kiwanis Club of Salt Lake City, believing that the strength of our nation was directly related to the strength of our schools and our students, started an awards program for 6th graders.  This award is called the Hope of America.  This award was created to honor outstanding students who demonstrating during the school year, leadership, good character, scholarship and a willingness to serve others.  The Kiwanis motto is "We Build."  our clubs honors those beach year in our participating schools who are willing to "Build" a better tomorrow.  The Hope of America award recognizes and encourages students who have demonstrated academic accomplishments, leadership and good character.  Winning the coveted Hope of America award might well be the first spark in stimulating a lifelong effort of outstanding accomplishment and leadership.  The hope is that these students will be potential leaders who will sustain our democratic way of life and exhibit outstanding citizenship traits."  

(I didn't know anything about his award so I had to research it afterwards because I could tell it was a big deal."  

This is one of Bridger's core teachers, Mrs. O.  She and Mrs. P were so excited for Bridger to get this award.  Afterwards, they both gave Bridger big congratulatory hugs.  They been such wonderful and influential teachers to Bridger.

Mom's 70th Birthday

We were down for an A family party on Saturday.  Maddie and Chase came up with the plan to have Chase stay down and sleep over at the W's until grandma's party on Monday.  Monday morning (in the middle of the night) I saw this on instagram....."Birthday breakfast for Grandma!"  Maddie and Chase went and picked up grandma and took her to McDonalds.  They wanted to get smoothies but their machine was broken so they just got fries.  I love this picture of Maddie, Grandma and Chase.  I'm grateful for the relationship they have with one another.  I also love this picture of Marilyn and Mom.  I don't remember ever seeing this picture of them together.

Happy 70th Birthday mom!!!  Mom only wanted a 70th birthday party with her immediate family.  We had the party at Mylissa's house.  Dad told us to come out front and wait for Mom to come.  Mom came around the corner with Maddie and Chase in a SIDE BY SIDE with her.  Mom started honking.  Everyone was screaming and jumping up and down.  The kids were ecstatic!  Dad and Mom finally bought a side by side last week but didn't tell us.  I was very impressed that dad forked out the bucks for mom!  Smart man!  Mom and Dad had big smiles on their faces.  Mom was so happy she couldn't contain herself.

The kids took turns going for rides in it.  The kids are just as excited as Grandma!  

After dinner, Mom took Marily, Mylissa, Shan and me for a ride.  This is giving Mom a new lease on life!

Shantelle made these cute "70" signs.  We took some fun pictures with Mom and the kids.  I think Mom was really happy with her party.  

I talked to Dad and made sure he was ok with it.  I arranged to have the Sign Gypsie come and put a big Happy Birthday sign in their front yard for Mom's birthday.  Sunday night around 10:30, Dad went to mom and said "those damn grandkids have toilet papered our front yard."  Mom and Dad went out front and then Mom saw the sign.  At first Mom was like "what the heck?"  But then she started laughing and smiling.  Dad said that Mom was super happy about the sign.

Bridger's Spring Soccer

Bridger was debating quitting soccer during the early spring.  He wasn't enjoying practice and they hadn't started games yet.  I told him to hang in there and wait until they had played some games.  Luckily, they did really well!!  He got his love back for soccer once games started back up.  He played so well this season!!  He was ranked the number one player on their team.  He was their top scorer.  But he was very humble about it.  There was so drama in February and the team appointed the assistant coach as the new head coach.  We were very happy with this decision.  Bridger loves Coach Alex!!!  He has helped the team improve SO much!  Last fall they came in last place.  This season, they lost only three games and they were all really close!  Bridger is very focused at practice and during the games.  He gets frustrated when kids goof around and don't take it serious.  He is so disciplined.  His coach has implemented a conditioning practice of running once a week.  Bridger has excelled in this!  It's made him even faster.

His last game was a rescheduled game.  It worked out that it was just a few minutes away from the A's.  We were having a Memorial day party at their house after the game.  So everyone came to the game and watched Bridger.  Bridger scored two goals.  In the second half, Coached pulled Bridger and had him play goalie so our goalie (Coach's son) could actually play some soccer.  I was so nervous watching Bridger play goalie.  But he only let one goal through.  He did a great job of defending the goal.

Bridger and Bentley have become really close this season.  Bentley comes home with Bridger after practice because they finish up at 4:30.  (His mom is still at work).  Bentley is a special kid!!  He and Bridger just click!  They play so well together.  Bentley has become one of the family.  He's so easy to be around and he's always so polite.  I'm so glad they've become better friends.