catching up

Since the last time I posted,

I have enjoyed several dinners and lunches

with family and friends to celebrate my birthday. {thank you!}

I’ve dressed to be filmed for a school promotional video

(told I must wear any color except green (against a green screen)),

and the next day wore green to celebrate the bit o’ Irish in me on St. Patty’s day!

I’ve baked oatmeal cookies with the afterschool program kids, known as

“The Producers” of what will become “HCA Gourmet,

or, the local cable network’s best film of kids cooking for kids!

I’ve scrubbed and polished ‘til my house needed it again,

and painted and decorated the guest room.

(more on that another time)

I’ve welcomed my brother for a visit,

delighted in the first day of Spring,

scraped the snow off my car on the second day of Spring,

led our Kindergarteners and First Graders on “The Lewis & Clark Expedition,”

and met with our lawyer to determine the next steps in settling my Dad’s estate and

caring for my Mom’s interests as she is in a nursing home.

I've enjoyed spending time with my brother,

pictured with my daughter, Crystal.

He leaves tomorrow.

It has been a really nice visit and I'll miss him.

{Love you, Bri.}

Now I must concentrate on The American Adventure Banquet,

(the theme changes every year) our annual school fund-raiser dinner.

There is a great deal to be done before next Thursday.

I must also “read up” on incubating duck eggs.

Our new incubator arrived last Thursday

and the duck eggs have arrived!
BUSY...
but never bored!
Blessings!

birthday bluebird

I saw a female bluebird the other day
so I figured the mr. couldn't be far away,

but I hadn't seen him yet.

This morning he landed and seemed to look right at me.



Then he struck a few poses and flew off...

Birds have always felt like a gift from God to me. :)

But today, I think He was saying

"Happy Birthday,"

It felt special like that.

 Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:26

look and listen

I've been noticing

Spring

sights and sounds.

So much of the snow has melted away.

I spotted a female bluebird on Monday. :)

The sound of songbirds fills the morning air!

I'm counting my blessings!

1...

    2...

3...

tutorial for a rainy day

Click on any image to view it larger.

Imagine how pretty these would be in in PINK

or a color to match a party theme

or white with yellow centers added to make daisies

(the mr.'s favorite flower).

Oh, What *F*U*N*

Inspiration from

Jess at livingtheswelllife

and marthastewart.com

Thank you!

snow friends

It all started a couple of weeks back, when

Crystal"Auntie Extraordinaire" & Dayton

went out to play in the snow.

They came in with

"the best snowball ever!"

according to Dayton. :)

Then they went back out to fill a ziplock bag with snowballs

to save for a snowball fight next summer! :)

Snowballs

became

snowmen...

became

snowangels...

and were the inspiration for the

snowprincesses

that Livi and I made this week...

But, as fun as it was,

We're still...

{thank you for the inspiration, Koralee! }

...and looking forward to

hanging up our winter coats,

delighting in warmer weather and l o n g e r days,

and

admiring the crocuses

as they

come

out

of

hiding.

google images

I'm ready for

basking in the

sunshine...

How about you?

with love.

in the pink

Flowers seem the solace of ordinary humanity.

~John Ruskin

There's something

quite appealing about

tulips in the snow...

 and mini cupcakes

frosted to look like

pink roses

for a valentine party...

But the sweetest little flower

I've seen lately is the

most recent addition to our family.

Introducing my 

great niece...

 God bless you, sweet baby.