Nothing Better than Thawing in the Warmth of the Sun

I was beyond blessed to have today off work to enjoy this amazing, sunshiny, 70 degree day!  There is nothing better than thawing in the sun after a l-o-n-g Minnesota winter.  This week is especially beautiful because the cherry blossoms are blooming!  I was able to visit two of my favorite parks today to take in the scenery and enjoy the aroma:)

A walk through Soldiers Field this morning

Luke and Ethan playing baseball in the backyard

Nora and Luke watching Daddy mow the yard
while we set out our picnic dinner on the deck

After dinner, Brent, Nora, and I went for a walk at Silver Lake while Luke went to a movie with Gma.  We'd hadn't brought Nora since last summer, so she was super excited to see the geese and several different flocks of goslings.  We let her explore a little with one such group:)

Nora flailing with excitement over the
geese and goslings

I'm not convinced all of these goslings belonged to just
these two geese...were they babysitting???

If this pic were zoomed, you'd see the pure joy on Nora's face:)

 On the way home, Brent picked up Flapdoodles Ice Cream.  The picture below is the end of a fun-filled day for a toddler:  ice cream mustache and crazy post-pony-tail-mohawk:)

This amazing day was just what my soul needed.

Mother's Day Tribute

This is what Mother's Day is all about:

The one who gave me life

and the ones whose lives gave me the title of Mother

My Mom: Who has loved me through my unlovable moments and taught me patience and how to choose my battles.  I am continually blessed by her generous and selfless spirit.  My children are beyond blessed to call her Grandma and to be showered by her attention and love.

My Luke: Who first blessed me with the opportunity of a lifetime, to become a mom.  His caring, sensitive, introverted, sport-loving, game-loving personality blesses us daily.  He is more than we could have ever asked for as a big brother and loves his sister dearly.

My Nora: Our long awaited second child.  She has brought fullness, life, and laughter to our days in so many ways since her arrival.  Her love of music, reading, and stuffed animals is endearing and her smile, giggle, and energy are contagious.

I was blessed with a Mother's Day filled with family and several other lovely mothers.  For lunch, we were treated to a lovely meal by my father-in-law, Kerry, where we gathered and celebrated with Ruth, my mother-in-law, and Cally, my sister-in-law.

Then, we were treated to another meal for dinner at Jeff and Julie's new house (my uncle and aunt) where we gathered and celebrated with my mom, my sister (on her first mother's day as an expectant momma), my grandma, and Julie's mom and sister.

It was a day filled with great company, great food, and several generations.

My hubby and offspring also made Mother's Day very special for me.  Brent made a picture slide show set to music (Baby Blue by Dave Matthews Band) that they shared with me when I woke up and he bought me a watch I'd been wanting for a while:)  The slide show was so sweet that I cried and it was fun to watch with the kids and their excitement over the pictures too.  Luke also bought me a treat box at the Mother's Day Store at school last week and made me several projects at school.  I love his giving and thoughtful heart and how he loves giving gifts:)

After a full Mother's Day yesterday, my heart is overflowing:)

High Five for Friday!

This week's High Five is all about the little things.  They can certainly add up to a lot of good!

#1

Lots of time outside this week taking walks and runs, playing at the park and in the yard, and enjoying more sunshine!

#2

A cheap fix at Virgil's for my tire that kept slowly leaking air.  No one likes a surprise car repair, so I was super happy that the techs at Virgil's were able to find the screw in my tire and fix it up without having to replace the tire:)  Added bonus, Virgil's is a quick walk from work so it's easy to drop the car off on a work day.

#3

A trip to the dentist with Luke and healthy teeth all around!  Plus, Nora was a champ hanging in the exam room with me while I got my teeth cleaned.  The hygienist was very accommodating and Nora was a patient girl:)

#4

A relaxing weekend at home together with the chance to see a few friends too.  I may be horribly behind on house work, but I'm getting well caught up on relaxation:)

Enjoying Nutella for breakfast, just like Mommy

Trying on Daddy's shoes

Cutest butt in Levi's I've ever seen:)

Nora's first time watching Lion King

#5

I had the opportunity to take a field trip with Luke's class today to Mystery Cave and Historic Forestville.  I always love a chance to catch a glimpse into Luke's school life and to get to know more of the kids his age:)  First we went to Mystery Cave for a guided tour and to learn about the formation of the cave.  We even had some bat sightings:)  (They were very small and not flying around.)  We had a picnic lunch then went to Historic Forestville to explore a home, farm, and general store from the 1880s with actors portraying everyday activities.

Luke trying out a hand drill

Cutting wood

Feeding the chickens the corn the kids had just cracked

Mrs Parker and Mrs Squillace's Second Grade Classes

Ten Years

I'm usually the one in our relationship who remembers dates, but Brent mentioned recently that it's been ten years since he graduated from Crossroads College (formerly known as Minnesota Bible College) with his bachelor's degree.  Thinking about this made me think of several things...

• We're old.
• Brent never intended to attend Crossroads and even transferred out once but still ended up getting his degree from there. Funny how life works:)
• Brent's bachelor's degree is in Psychology, which at the time we thought he might use for a career or future schooling...turns out he's worked in banking for nearly nine years and now has his MBA.
• We made many new and grew many special relationships during our time at Crossroads (I attended the first two years after high school to get my AA).  Many of these friends are now "family friends" in that we have kids similar in age and our kids enjoy time together too.  Just this week, we've seen two of these couples and their families:)  

Our time at Crossroads was a stepping stone from childhood to adulthood and has blessed us in many ways since:)