Birthday Gardens

April is a great birthday month for our family, with Papa Kay celebrating his at the beginning of the month and NomiAnn celebrating hers at the end.  This year, Talia did a great job decorating her grandpa's bunny cake all on her own.

As a birthday present, we got NomiAnn and Papa Kay a grandparents' membership to Lauritzen Gardens.  Naturally Annie and I had to stop by ahead of time to explore and make sure the place is still worth seeing.

It certainly is! This replica of Central High always reminds us of NomiAnn and her beautiful school.

While the trains weren't yet running, Annika enjoyed watching all of the wild turkeys.  They seem to have overrun Omaha.  Last weekend I spotted a couple in my parents' backyard.

Daffodils and tulips were just barely poking through.

As our wedding flower, tulips always make me happy.

 Annika, of course, was most intrigued by the single dandelion she found.  Unlike the other flowers, I let her pick this one.

Inside the conservatory, they had an amazing Gardens Under Glass exhibit going on.  I absolutely loved the mix of created and natural beauty.

This Chenille plant was real, but the "pipe cleaners" felt so soft it seemed fake.

Glass Birds of Paradise.

Jason said I shouldn't put up too many pictures, but I just can't help myself.  They make me happy.  :)

The conservatory has grown up so beautifully since I last visited.

 Where else in Omaha can you see how bananas grow on trees?  I was blown away by the size of the banana leaves.  While serving a mission among Cambodian refugees in DC, I met a woman who gave birth in the jungle while fleeing the Khmer Rouge.  In describing the experience to me, she explained how she laid her newborn baby on a bed of banana leaves.  (At least for a moment--they moved on quickly for fear of attracting tigers.)  Now I can imagine her wrapping her babe in a leaf, almost like a blanket.

Crystal droplets falling into glass lily pads.

Jason suggested that I not put up too many pictures, but I can't help myself.  They make me happy.

Pretty pansies, albeit neither little nor purple.

The look on Annika's face in this picture is pretty hilarious.  This is what you happens when you're way too old to go poops in your undies but you do it anyway.  Yuck!

Connecting with an elephant.

We had such a great time visiting the glass gardens that we came back on Papa Kay's birthday to see them all lit up at night.

Happy birthday, Andrus grandparents!  You make our hearts glow.