Spring adventrues have begun....

We have been so looking forward to spring. I love to see the sun finally come out and the leaves start to grow. It has seemed to me that this winter was incredibly long and very hard to handle. so I am so grateful now that spring is here. I look at spring as a rebirth of ourselves. Kind of a way to clean out the yuck that is there and bring in the new. I look forward to spring and summer, to be able to have that "cleaning out" time. It seems like it's these months that you seem to have more time to really look at things clearly and clear out all that is there that seems to get shifted around in the winter months. Spring is like a refreshener to me spiritually.

As I usually do I started spring cleaning the house a long time ago and it is just trying to finish up with everything so that I can begin a new outdoor project or two. The kids are certainly loving having warm weather too. It has seemed harder and harder to keep them on their schedule now, especially in the evening cause the days are longer and they think they don't need to go to bed until it is really dark and much later then usual on school nights. But we are SO thankful that the warmer weather has finally arrived. We look forward to many warm and beautiful days.This was a lovely Sunday afternoon after church.. I didn't let them change their clothes right away and they weren't to excited to take a picture or two, but I had to get a picture of the beautiful flowering Louisa tree that we have in the front yard. I love it. I'm so glad to finally be rid of all that SNOW. I have had enough of indoor days and no sun shine, so I say "Spring adventures have begun so let's go outside and have some fun" That little phase I created and put on some foam board and I velcroed it to our TV screen, the kids know that when the sign is up they have to go outside and play, instead of being indoors watching tv or playing the computer games. Yeah....it's warm enough to play outside...
Here is another one of those must have pictures with all the lovely tullips in full bloom. To bad they don't last a little bit longer then they do cause I know that I sure enjoy their beauty. Amazing that the kids were all looking in the same direction too.
Needless to say that Carl and I have been busy this spring, we are doing our usual outdoor cleaning up projects. Carl is such the "green thumb" he loves to be outdoors and loves to either be in the garden or planting flowers for me. He has been working hard this spring on creating more flower beds. He has put in more in the back yard, on the south side of the house and also farther down towards the corn field. He is always experimenting with what "new" plant or veg. or fruit will be able to grow here in Iowa. This year he has planted kiwi fruits. I don't know if they will grow but he seems to think they will. He says he does this all for me, but if truth were to be know, this is his way to unwind from his job. I say it is the best "Therapy" that money could buy. It is really his way of relaxing and unwinding. As for myself I have a few other ideas that come to mind for me to unwind...none of which I care to share either. I just know that my way is just as effective. I can't really complain cause all his unwinding certainly makes for beautiful landscaping projects and such. And deep down I know he really does do it for me..
Here is a little photo of logan, he is really getting to that "fun" stage. The only thing that isn't fun is that he doesn't let mom out of his sight, and if he had his way, he wouldn't be out of her arms either. He is just starting to walk along things and trying at times to let go of objects to "stand" on his own. I've been trying really hard to lesson his connection with mom, but I certainly am not doing it very well. He is certainly a moma's boy. He doesn't go to dad very often and most of the time if dad tries to feed him, Logan throws the bottle at him and screams. There is nothing like a mother.....I guess.

I am so looking forward to having the kids out of school here in 8 more days. I am certainly ready for them to be home with me, less running around and more "fun" time together. And yes, not having to have them up and out the door by 8:00am will be a HUGH bonus. I know that by mid August I will probably be really ready to send them back to school by then too. At least that is usally how it seems, but who knows maybe this year will be different.

A little catching up to do

Ok I admit I am not the best at making myself sit down and complete this blogging stuff. I guess I haven't really jumped in with both feet. I found myself thinking the other day that I can't really believe that it is almost April. I really don't know where the time has gone this year so far.

McKade outside in front of the house

Since the first of the year it seems like our lives have not really been our own. After new Years, My Aunt passed away and so I headed out west to her funeral and bach again to Iowa, in which a couple days later, Carl and I took a much needed trip to Texas. It was nice to get a way from it all and just spend time alone with each other and kind of catch our breath.

After that trip, we have just been busy at home learning how to deal with ALL THE SNOW that seemed to come our way. We have had almost record amounts of snow. It was so amazing the amount of snow Northeastern Iowa got this year. There were so many school days that the kids missed that I was truely losing my mind. My schedule was so out of whack, that I didn't know what to do when. I have to say that the kids had a blast though. I took them sledding a few times but for the most of the winter the kids have just played outside and built snow forts and had a lot of fun. Mom has had lots of fun, (lol) putting on snow pants, hats and gloves and boots then 15 minutes later taking off snow pants boots and hats and gloves. My kids have loved it the winter, but they are finally getting to the point where they are just as sick of snow as us parents. They really won't like the fact that they will be going to school in June.

Snow on the side of the streets outside Carls office

I have included a few of the pictures that I took of all the snow that is around us. Just so you can get an understanding of how much we really had around.

Driving down the road Snow along old highway 20

Since all of the snow, So much has seem to have occured during the last six weeks, I once again traveled west for a family issue and I must admit that since that time I feel as if I have been living in a fog. All I can really say is that the last couple of months have been very challenging for our family as a whole. Our family has been dealing with some issues that surround my brother and it has been a challenge for all of us in one way or another. Even though we all knew about this last fall, and we have had time to process it in some sense of the word, it certainly wasn't easy once it arrived. I think right now the hardest part is to continue to put your faith into our heavenly father and in his plan. I often times find myself struggling with just the understanding that I'm seeking in what ever challenge is before me. I have often times never had the understanding or purpose of some trials that I wish would come, and that is very hard for me to deal with. I recognize that our challenges are there for us to become stronger and closer to the Lord but I guess the natural man side of me sometimes overcomes the spiritual side and I lose that faith. Right now, with all that has been happening during the first part of this year, I kind of just feel completely numb. Just almost like I'm just going through the motions, I am looking forward to spring and going through the "spring cleaning event" that occurs every year at our home. Maybe then things will begain to even out and become a little more normal. As for my brother and his family and all we are kind of in a time warp, not knowing the outcome and how all this will play out and the effect it will have on all of us is kind of still hard.

I guess the Lord didn't feel that we had enough with all that was going on, so we had additonal challenges our youngest son was hospitalized for 6 days with samenella poisening, bronciolitis, and phenomonia. I am thankful that he finally has recovered.


Easter has come and gone and it is really hard to believe. Our Easter was fairly nice, we did the traditional Easter egg coloring, which I must say went much smoother this year then in years past. I only had one color fall on the floor which made me happy, it was pink and much easier to clean up then the darker ones. The kids loved coloring there eggs and eating them too. They were eating them almost as fast as coloring them.

New Year

Here is a little bit of our christmas, we had a great christmas and really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part of christmas is just being able to stay home with everyone here and not having to rush out anywhere. This was Logan's first christmas and as you can see he really loved it. He is such a happy little guy, this picture really shows his personality.

It is amazing to me how fast the year seem to go bye. It is very true as I look at each one of my children, how fast they grow up. I wish for one moment that I could capture time and keep it still for just a little while.

As I look upon each one of them, I"m so thankful for each one and the joy and excitement that they bring to our home and family. Hoping that all you have a super year.