My sister (jokingly) said I wasn’t allowed to blog again until their weather on the East Coast got as nice as ours. I think I might be allowed now.

What have we been up to? Well…

Reed won an award for his class this month. Each month the teachers pick a child in their class who is excelling and being an excellent student. Reed got that distinction this month– for being a great helper to all and also developing a love of reading. Reed truly is a great helper at school AND home and I’m really proud of who he is becoming.

Lena’s class performed at the same assembly where Reed got the award. Lena had picked out a dress and I braided her hair. That morning, when Gus saw her, he said, “Lena, you look so pretty! Mama, is she a princess?” And Reed had pulled out her two fanciest pairs of shoes to pick from. She has such kind brothers. She’s also doing great in school– reading is her subject as well and her class is currently writing books.

Gus is… Gus. As he often reminds us, he’s “special”. He’s caught between being a baby and a clever little boy. Bubbles are still his favorite around here, with the trampoline being a close second.

I’m currently doing Couch to 5K to prepare for Bekah’s run.

And, I’m doing a personal photography project.

Aaron and I are trying to invest a bit more time into each other before summer and our busy schedules begin. It’s good to take a bit of time for us and take a break from the million directions we’re always moving in.

We’ve also decided to host another child this summer… I think all of the details for that will need to be it’s own blog post. But this was a family decision and everyone is excited.

Lots happening over here and I’ll be back to share the hosting details soon!

Yesterday was the first day of spring, but we’ve already had days and evenings that feel like summer. Especially combining warm temperatures and the kids’ spring break.

Aaron and I have been trying to appreciate these warm nights by going for a walk after dinner. He and I walk, Reed and Lena ride bikes and Gus goes in the stroller.

It is the very best, warm enough to be out as the sun is setting, but without any of the bugs.

Her wardrobe has not switched completely from winter to spring/summer yet. Winter boots + shorts and t-shirt.

Reed and Lena are getting used to be on bikes again. One night Reed said “my bike is slow tonight!” Aaron and I laughed, but we did discover that he had it in the lowest gear, so there was some truth to his statement.

This little guy isn’t too sure how he feels about the stroller, but it’s already fallen asleep in it once.

And when we’re out late enough, we all enjoy the starry sky. We’ve spotted the Big Dipper, the Pleaides, and Orion’s belt.

We’re eagerly anticipating the real summer. 🙂

Aaron was recently out of town. Ugh. I was ready to lose my sanity towards the end of it and my coworkers had caught on to this.

Then, one day I noticed a large box on my porch. I went out to find it was from my boss, full of DVDs and activity books for the kids. Her girls had outgrown them and now I could make it through dinner preparations, thanks to her generosity and Gus’s friend Elmo. It was such a fun surprise.

A few days later, another friend who also happens to be a coworker asked if she could stop by for a bit. She had something for the kids. My house was a big disaster, but I hesitantly said “yes”. And, my friend came over and hung out, playing with the kids, chatting with me, reminding us that we all in fact liked each other.

And, after she left, the kids peeked in their bags to find…

BUBBLES!

I had no idea that they liked bubbles so much!

This was the first time we’ve played with bubbles this Spring, and Gus was quickly obsessed.

Gus actually enjoyed them so much that the next day, we went to Target at 8am to buy a no-spill bubble container and a huge thing of bubbles.

He has spent hours and hours playing with bubbles. I was able to get some stuff done (which is a story for another blog post) and he was thrilled. I’m thankful for friends who help the kids stay busy when I’m a bit worn out!

The trampoline, or “jumpaline” as Gus calls it, is still very popular around here. The kids play on it every day. One game Reed and Lena have made up is trampoline soccer with a beachball.

I’m not sure there’s any real “goal”, but I’m pretty sure I’m winning with tired kids each night!

Winter feels over here. Our weather has warmed up dramatically and our forecast is looking pretty great.

I gladly welcome it, trading chilly, dark days for warm, bright ones. I even feel a bit of sun burn on my face. The mornings are still a bit rough, waking up in darkness, but the evenings, putting the kids to bed at twilight, is lovely. I can have the window open and just enjoy it.

These photos were taken two and a half weeks ago. It seems like forever ago now. It’s been a long two weeks, and I’m glad to be on this side of it.

This winter has been a season of reflection for me.

And, I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad the ice has melted and we can be sloshing into spring instead. Winter may have been full of reflection, but I expect spring to be messy. That’s okay.

This night, when we went out to watch the sunset at this frozen lake, there was the craziest sound. Eery, almost. Gus was really into Planet Earth’s oceans, or as he called it “sharks and whales”. He was certain the sound was whales. And Reed and Lena agreed, whales. Since whales haven’t been in our part of the country for quite awhile, I’m going to agree with Aaron that it was the ice.

Goodbye, winter.