This year the seasons changing- or, rather, not changing- has affected me more than any other of my 5 years overseas. Last fall, I wanted cool nights and football games and Pumpkin Spice Latte's, and this Spring, I want flowers, and new, and hope, and freshness. By "freshness" I am specifically talking about the scent of orange blossoms hanging heavy in the air on humid Spring nights in South Florida. Heaven I tell ya!
So the longing for some type of Spring is what's on my mind. And I'm from Florida! What's up with this? We don't even really do Springtime in the Sunshine state. Wet cold directly to blazing sun is how we roll come March. Maybe it's just the pregnancy hormones talking? Prolly.
It's made the crafting bug in me want to make
felt flowers and
picnic blankets for friends.
My parenting and my wife-ing need some soil churning, water and sunshine.
(I was gonna say "fertilizer" but I think with #4 on the way...well...) Hot on my book list is
Give them Grace, and
This Momentary Marriage.
My bougainvillea plants decided to plan a timely flowering cycle and bright color is dotting my garden wall.
Oh, garden wall, you poor, greening, chipping, divider of property lines... pressure washing was a must for Springtime activities. More plants and more color are in the works...but these plans, naturally, require chicken wire and at least 13 feet of it. Our car is in the shop and so my weekend of pinteresty projects in the yard has been delayed again. More on that later...
Springtime shots from the equator.
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| Family Movie Night. 6:30pm and its that bright. By 7pm its nearly dark. Sunsets go quick here! |
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| Isaac: "Mama, can we eat outside for dinner?" Me: (genius! New chairs and table cloth from IKEA!) "Sure Isaac!" |
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My 3 year old proving he CAN have a good attitude. (I'm well aware this isn't a picture of him being told to make his bed)
Also because I know you care deeply, that wall is AFTER the pressure washing. Lemonade from lemons folks. Lemonade. |
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| Birdie-bye sporting her new adorable bathing suit sent by Grandma. It's amazing how such a big vocabulary can fit into such a small 18 month old body. |
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| No really. She cries. |
I know, I KNOW its hard to believe that the mom to such adorable kiddos
would be desiring a booster shot for parenting. This is what Immanuelle
looked like while Aunt Angie was making us homemade waffles on Easter
morning. I have yet to catch the boys arguing and get a picture of it,
but it is very very real. And my temper
(with added help from the heat
and the hormones) well, maybe I should get a picture of that too? No??? Yeah, I don't wanna see that either.
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| i4 from the inside @ 13 weeks. Skull, spine, hands, 10 fingers, all checked and in tact. And THAT y'all, is an Anthony Rivers head if I've ever seen one! |
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| i4 from the outside @ 16wks. Finished 1st trimester with ZERO vomiting making this the best 1st trimester for me. Started feeling kicks at 13 weeks. |
Ah, Spring. While not marked by temperature changes, I'm hoping it'll be a banner year because of what this season produces. In my craft room, in my garden, in my family, in my marriage, and mostly in my heart. It's all fine the way it is, but I find Spring this year just begging me to make things brighter, to dig deeper, to water a bit more. That's what's so great about this season...the hope of things to come!
I love this passage from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. It does my heart good to hear how strong the Lord is and how willing he is to renew those whose strength is failing. What a great reminder for the hope that Springtime brings!
"Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31
