Spring is Near

Every year in February, just outside our little town a wondrous thing happens. The daffodil field blooms. It is beautiful and we can't miss taking some springtime pictures of our little one there. This is also an opportunity for us to see just how much our baby girl has grown over the past year. I think Amelia was about 7 or 8 months old in last year's pictures:

And now she is 19 months old!

Here we are taking a stroll through the "Lello!" flowers. Amelia is discovering colors right now and her favorite colors to find are yellow and blue.

She is also learning how to wink, which is about the cutest thing you've ever seen. She likes to wink at her daddy.

We love watching this girl learn and discover.

Needless to say, we think she is the cutest girl around!

Does a rose still smell as sweet.....

If it's made out of socks?

This is a fun project I have been wanting to try for a while. It is so simple, and looks fantastic when put together! Wow everybody at the next baby shower you host!

Here's what you need:

*Baby socks

*Flower tape

*Flower wire, or any other kind of flexible wire

Take a piece of wire and bend it in half to make a loop (I used 2 pieces because the wire wasn't sturdy enough to hold the weight of the sock). Set it aside.

Lay a sock out flat. Starting from the toe, roll it up.

Then, take the opening (the ankle part of the sock) and fold it back over the roll. It will be as if you are going to fold a pair of socks together.

Adjust the center of the "rose" until you are satisfied.

Place the loop end of the wire into the sock.

Take a long strip of flower tape and wrap it, starting partway up the sock, around the wire. Pulling gently in a downward spiral will wrap the wire quickly. Pressing the flower tape will help it stick to itself.

There you have it! A rose!

Here are the bouquets for this Saturday. It will be fun to send them home with the guest of honor!

Caption Contest!

This needs a good caption:

Mormon Helping Hands

1 week after the tornado in Snow Hill, our LDS stake was able to provide some help in the clean-up. The Church delivered a semi full of food (enough to feed 300 people 1 meal a day for 2 weeks) and disaster clean-up supplies (like chainsaws and generators) for the community. 200 members came out to clean up debris. Seeing such destruction is sad and humbling. Finding item such as children's toys and wedding photos brings the emotionality of the situation to the surface.

This home has been moved completely off it's foundation.

What's left of a row of businesses. There is a truck stuck INSIDE the building.

The power of the wind was evident all around us. This floodlight post was bent in half.

It was images like this that were the hardest thing for me to see.

We cleaned an area where one of the oldest homes in the county stood. Green county had secured hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore it. The home was completely destroyed.

Homes from across the street were also blown off their foundations and across to the other side.

Paul working the wheelbarrow.

It was a privilege to serve the community and take a small part in the clean-up process. Easing burdens on Easter weekend is a perfect way to remember the Savior and his love for us.

North Carolina becomes Tornado Alley

On April 16th, 2011 tornados raked across North Carolina. Here in Greenville area we were under a tornado warning for several hours. A strong tornado passed close by in Snow Hill and Farmville. Many people lost their homes and businesses. Here is a video from Snow Hill.

Officially Spoiled

Amelia doesn't have to do much to get the royal treatment around here, and Grandpa Thayn just made it easier with her very own bike trailer! It didn't take long for this sweet pea to discover that being towed around in a private carriage is definitely the way to travel. Do you think they make helmets that small??

"To the ice cream shop, Jeeves!"

Waving to her loyal subjects.

Daffodil Forest

Early spring in Winterville would be wasted without a short drive down Old Tar Road to the daffodil forest. Filled with thousands of blooming daffodils, it is a must see!!

(Thought I would try my hand at travel guide writing, now I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking!)