On A Golden Springtime

While it is not quite spring yet, it is so close we can almost taste it. The weather this week gave us a creamy preview of things to come, and it felt so good to shed coats, ride bikes and be in nature even though she is still wearing a sparse brown coat.

Here are the parts I want to keep:

1. I got multiple communications from Joel this week. I am praying for him. I sent him pictures of my kids  on Sunday and he sent me a picture of himself holding Koa, his new baby grandson, born to Kaden and Sabrina. Joel looks the very best with babies and kids!

Griff ready for church from the front

And a colonial ponytail in the back. Alan thought he looked like Paul Reveere.

Eve drew a secret heart on her face with invisible ink at church.

2. While the growing things aren't really impressing us, the skies are! On Monday I got to see a glorious sunrise and sunset.

From our FHE biking to Meadowbrook Park. (Did you notice I'm biking again?! It still thrills me I can do short rides.)

3. Book club is still a great thing. This month we read Persuasion by Jane Austen, which is said by some to be her best work. I liked it better than Pride and Prejudice, which I must admit is not my cup of tea. The story seemed tighter and it allowed me to see her great skill in setting the scene and developing characters. We met at Carrie's house and had her English professor friend lecture us about the history of the English novel, had tea and scones, and got to visit just not quite enough with all those people I love. 

Eve made a dinner announcement for our babysitter on Thursday night.

4. I got to be a part of Alan recruiting his dear former fellow Alex to come work at St. Luke's. We took them to dinner on Thursday, and then invited them over again on Friday. Alan loves Alex like a brother. It would be really great for us if they came. I really like his wife Cali and they will have three kids with them age 8,9 and 10. Maybe we can get them to live across the street from us.

5. The weather and a fun upcoming Spring Break trip had us working on Spring clothes. Mariah is our stylist, and she does an AMAZING job! Here are G and E modeling some Mariah-recommended shirts.

Griff LOVES this one! 

Eve LOVES the print and the shorts but is concerned about how big the shirt is.

6. Fun food! 

Thank you Grandpa Fred and Marj for dinner from Taco Republic!

Thank you Leila for the fun pizza making class at Pizza 1889!

Glorious evening clouds on our way home from biking to Caffeteria. Then we watched Secondhand Lions because Grandma Patty recommended it years ago. It was so good!

7. Reading The Book of Mormon regularly with my kids. I started snuggling Eve and Griff in bed and reading them a chapter of scriptures as they wake up this week. It is exactly what our hearts needed. 

 Here are the harder things this week.

1. Mental health challenges are a plague. I am praying for several people I love who are suffering right now with mental illness.

2. Griffin and I are almost better from a cold, which we are sure is not COVID. But holy cow! Things like that can really make you appreciate things like breathing and sleeping when they do happen.