Welcome SPRING!

What a fun run yesterday!! A 5k at Blue Heron! I loved it. 

Willem, Merit and I participated in this -- Grandma Kris and Sandy too! And lots of other Longview Elementary supporters.

Merit and Willem did so well! Each placed third in their division.

yummy smoothies from The Smoothery! 

We got home and Willem, Hazel, Nellie and I did a hike and a golf cart ride. We had some pretty cool moments of soaking up the beauty of spring. 

I remember when baby calves were born on my parents property in the spring and how my mom just loved those baby calves, that new life. There they would be standing in the field, wobbly legs, drinking from their mothers. Fresh new life. The blossoms of spring were something else she always appreciated.  The spring she passed away, she told my sister Lesha she was excited to make some pillows for her bench on the front porch. March is a strange month for a death, because there is new life all around us. After my mom's passing, baby chicks, baby calves, spring blossoms, daffodils, tulips didn't seem as joyful to me as the springs before my mom's passing. These were really wonderful things to share with my mom. The last time I saw her, we bought tulips together. And then a couple of years later, my grandpa Ken passed away on the anniversary of my mom's death.  And I didn't have my mom any more or my dear Grandpa. March was the month of a very heavy loss and also a month of new life. This March, something has changed in me. More joy, less pain. And oh my goodness this is welcomed! 

Yesterday, after the run, we cuddled these chicks! 

Came home and tried to talk Vance into some. ;-)

When I met Vance I don't think he knew the depths of baby love I have! People and animals! Heck, I don't think I knew.

So I made this decision that spring could be about new life. On March 25th, my mom left this world for new life with Jesus. I miss her like crazy. I want my siblings to have her here. I want my children to have her here. She would love being a grandma. My dad misses her so. So does her mom! Her siblings too, many family members, many friends... but we have each other and we have a lot of good memories. I just decided to embrace and love the blessings of SPRING! Especially this spring.

But, life throws us curve balls. Hazel has been more challenging this week than she has been in months. She is a pretty easy going girl! But the last couple of days she is testing her authority.

 I got a difficult phone call last night, so that started to squelch some of my joy.

But you know, when it is all said and done, if we choose joy, it is there. Some days we just have to work harder at that choice and pray to God that he will show it to us.

Blog posts like this sometimes take me an hour or more. I don't want anything to be wrong with my thoughts. But this time around I am less concerned about that too. It is from the heart and it is honest. I welcome March and spring! And know I will see abundant blessings!