Sweet Gifts

Aren't these peonies beautiful?  Last week a dear friend delivered them to me straight from her garden. So fragrant too!  This is the second time she's delivered flowers to my front door.  The last time was two gorgeous arrangements of lilacs and hydrangeas.  

Yesterday was another surprise visit from her with a coffee treat and these goodies from her herb garden.  Yummy chives, mint, cilantro and dill.  

She is such a sweet friend and a breath of fresh air.  How many times do people pick flowers, arrange them, load up their kids and drive them over just for the pleasure of bringing a smile to a friend's face? Not too often these days.  I asked her why she goes to all the trouble and she said there are many things she enjoys (like coffee and flowers) and it's a lot more fun with someone to share them with. She's just that kind of girl and I am blessed beyond measure to know her!

Pomp and Circumstance

It's that time of year again...graduations, graduation parties, cake...or in my instance cake pops.  Lots of cake pops.  My youngest sister graduated from high school last week. She had asked me, after trying some a few months back, if I would please make cake pops (cake on a stick) for her graduation party. My baby sister, graduating, all grown up.  Of course I said yes.  I love her.  She asked nicely. And I do like to show off sometimes.

The week before graduation I spent every night after the kids were in bed, baking and decorating 300 cake pops.

I did have a little help.  Georgia was on sprinkle duty.  She did a great job sorting the colors.

They turned out nicely - a little too nicely!  People thought they were decorations and weren't taking them. We had to put up a little sign so people would know they were edible.

And here's the graduate.  Isn't she beautiful?  It makes me feel a little old that she has just finished high school.  I still remember very clearly the day she was born.  I was a freshman in high school.  She started kindergarten in 2001.  Now don't you feel old?  She and three other students graduated with a 4.0.  (Someone has to be the smartest, though, right?  She had the highest ACT score.)  She is taking a gap year to do work with Youth With A Mission.  I'm a proud big sister!