Discovering spring in our new yard

Because we bought our house at the end of last summer, it has been lots of fun watching all the new plants and bushes and blooms popping up and coming to life in our still-new-to-us yard. Around the time of Birthday Week last month, we were overloaded with daffodils and tulips. I didn't get many good pictures of the beautiful blossoms, but here is one of our Flower Princess proudly pointing to the prettiest pink tulip in the garden.

And while we are still slaving and stressing over trying to sell our old house, our new yard is being very much neglected. It has a lot of potential, and I can't wait to get my hands dirty and start cleaning out the weeds and such this summer. And I'm really looking forward to my parents visit this month so that my green-thumbed mother can help me decipher what's good and what's junk. Because right now, it all looks bright and pretty to me. Even the thistles and weeds. Hey, it's all nature, right?

And because today is Friday and Taylor's day off from preschool, we decided to take a quick tour of what is currently abloom in our yard. Come along for the journey.

Our crabapple tree in the side-yard is abloom with pale pink buds and flowers.

Right now Luke is saying, OH NO! because he picked off a handful of future crabapples. 

My models posing next to a big white azalea bush, and in front of a small pink azalea bush, in the front of the house.

We've got hostas!

Another beautiful azalea bush, surrounded in what I'm guessing are lots of weeds.

I don't know what this tree in the front of our house is, but I'm in love with it.

For the past week it has been teasing me as the buds have swelled and started to open, revealing glimpses of bright pink underneath.

Here are what the fully opened buds look like on the top of the plant. Stunning. 

This is where the daffodils and tulips used to live. And now it's just weedy and confusing.

But look what popped up in the gardens lining the driveway last week... IRISES.

And I was so convinced they were weeds before I saw them in bloom. So it's a good thing I'm too lazy to clean out the flower beds.

I LOVE THEM! And there's a reason I didn't get a picture of the kids in front of them, as I didn't want little picking fingers too close to these gorgeous blooms.

The Japanese Maple and other big Maple in the side yard are fully flourished and almost growing into one another, creating a shady area underneath that a big black bear used as a napping hangout earlier this week. 

I don't know what this is, but it's pretty. And it's on the other side of the creek, so it might not even be ours. But I like it anyway.

We lost the big weeping willow in our side yard this winter during a wind storm, but it looks like we've got another one growing in the corner of our property. I'll have to flag this one to stay out the path of Chris's chainsaw.

Just finishing up our yard-seeing adventure.

Pookie loves being outside. And putting his hands in his pockets.

Right now Taylor is begging me to go inside to get a drink of water. Being a model is so strenuous. 

So there you go, Bloggers. I hope you enjoyed the tour. If you have any gardening tips, suggestions, critiques, what-have-you, please share.