Under My Umbrella

This last weekend we went down to Visalia to celebrate Ella-Bella's first birthday! Ella is a miracle in our lives, and we were so excited to go down and spend time in Visalia before leaving for Oregon in a week. Saturday was also my brother Matt's (30th!) birthday. So I told him we were having a proxy birthday in his honor, and I sure hoped he liked the rainbow theme that Sara picked out.

Actually the theme was umbrellas, because in the fam when someone says "Ella" it's typically followed by the echoing "ella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh!" from this song. Umbrella themed things are hard to come by, says Sara, so the theme expanded to spring rainbows. So fun!

Me and the birthday girl

Sara made a rainbow layered birthday cake

I helped out with a very important task. The mother of the birthday girl wanted this shabby chic party to be complete with canning jars of white wild flowers topping each table. Sara had seen some flowers around Visalia that she thought would work and asked if I would go out and pick these wild blossoms. So I drove around to the various fields and store fronts to pick some flowers. I didn't feel bad. CVS had a whole hedge of rose bushes that were PLENTIFUL! Plus, Visalia seems to have these grass bushes on every corner, in front of every store, with random white iris type flowers poking up.

Right when I brought back two grocery bags full of flowers, we realized that the Radmacher's (Sara's amazing parents) have these BEAUTIFUL snow pea flowers in their back yard. They offered all the white flowers therein for the party. All put together, we had some beautiful bouquets.

The secret to these flowers, the Radmachers said, is to plant the snow peas in the fall, and in the spring they will bloom to their full purpose: gorgeous flowers! Snow Pea Flowers are now added to my list of future garden features.

Happy Birthday to Ella and Matt!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom!

Thanks to the Chandlers and Radmachers for a wonderful birthday and Mother's Day weekend.