Well when I said that the new year was going to go off with a bang, I guess God really meant it! We have been so busy embarking on new things and enjoying a little time together. Matt has spent a lot of time on the road, so I have been both taking care of the household and enjoying teaching 2 Zumba Fitness classes around town.
February brought a fun Dad and Big Sister dinner for Valentine's Day. Matt took Lily out for a delicious sushi dinner and they had a nice time spending some one on one quality time together.
March brought us some much needed time spent with our families. We went to Phoenix to visit my family and to help my dad along with his recovery from surgery. It was a family reunion of sorts, as all of us sisters were able to visit AZ at the same time. With all of our rapidly changing schedules, we were all able to coordinate times and enjoy being together. All of the grandchildren were there and that greatly helped my dad through the recovery process. We got to go to the railroad park, play at the park and go for a lot of walks. It was very relaxing!
We also got to visit Matt's family in San Diego! The kids got to play with their cousin and enjoyed being back in California. Timing was on our side again as Matt's brother in law was home from work travel as well. Lily was excited to ask her grandma if she would take her to get her ears pierced. Lily had been waiting to ask grandma to do something special with her. She was a brave little girl and actually laughed when it was over! We played at the Wild Animal Park, saw some shows at Sea World and just enjoyed the beautiful San Diego weather!
The month of April brought on some crazy weather and Easter fun! Oklahoma is notorious for all sorts of weather patterns so I'm not lying when I say that we could have a gorgeous spring day in the mid 70's only to be under a tornado warning later on in the evening. We could have anything from a severe thunderstorm with golf ball size hail to just severe 60 mph wind gusts. And then the next day could bring a freeze warning with highs in the 30's. Yes, we could go from 70 degree weather to 30 degree weather in a matter of 24 hours! No wonder we have such bad allergies and colds here!
Lily had her school Easter party last week and she and Sophie wore their Easter dresses that their Great Grandmother bought for them. They chose the same dress! I actually let them pick out their own dresses this year and they go with the same dress! I guess years of conditioning them to dress the same for special events stuck with them!
On Saturday, we went to our church Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Party! It was a perfect Spring day and our Children's Ministry Coordinator did a wonderful job of setting up crafts and games inside. She also set up a Bible walk that brought us through different "stations" where the kids learned what Easter was really about. We then closed with an Easter egg hunt outside the church grounds, on the field and in the preschool playground. We had a wonderful time!
Now that things have settled down a bit, we are on the move again! I am looking forward to the Summer and preparing for the Fall where I will have 2 kids in school, instead of one. Time flies and sometimes we forget to stop and smell the flowers. I am thankful that I have been able to live life and be with my family instead of tying myself to a computer, checking my email and blogging or surfing the internet. We all need a little down time and I always see my blog as journaling and therapeutic, while keeping our family in touch with our goings on. But I am truly thankful to have been able to actually BE with my family, PRESENT in both mind and body these past few months. It's always nice to get back to the basics and rethink what's most important in life. Family, Friends and Memories!
The sunshine gleams so bright and warm,
The sky is blue and clear.
I run outdoors without a coat,
Spring is almost here!
Then before I know it,
Small clouds have blown together.
Till the sun just can't get through them,
And again, it's mitten weather!
