snow, now spring!

A week ago Sunday we had a hefty snowfall. Thankfully, it melted quickly and last weekend brought soaring warm temperatures. We've been enjoying the outdoors ever since. Jesse and I were able to clear the garden beds of their leaves (their winter blankets) and compost them. Currently the yard looks muddy with brown, dried grass, however, buds can be seen on bushes and trees and hints of green grass is appearing. It's the hope of Spring!

Each evening after dinner I seem to instantly be ready for bed. Our days are full of learning and doing. Once the weather is consistently amazing it will be difficult to keep a steady book learning schedule with the temptations to join the outside. So I'm being diligent now, but we'll all be reaping the rewards soon. My children have been doing well keeping focused and diligent with their work, breaking through challenging concepts. Creative pursuits are ever at our fingertips with music and art a daily occurance. 

I've always thought it would be a nice thing to have a designated space in our home for creating, so the children can begin a project and leave it out, whereas right now they have to put it away so that we can use the dining room table for eating! Jesse is working on an area in the unfinished part of the basement that will house his work office and the art room. It will have bead board for walls, laminate tile (that we'll also grout for looks) for flooring and wood boards for the ceiling. It will be slow going to finish it because the work will be done mostly on Saturdays (we don't want to use vacation days for the work and we don't want to pay someone else for the labor Jesse can do!). I've been patient for this idea to come to fruition and two walls have already been built so in no time that space will finished and enjoyed.

I included two pictures of the children because I'm astonished at how much they have grown over the Winter! I always thought their appetites waned in the past, but this Winter was different. They kept eating and eating! They currently have the blessing of not packing on the pounds but simply using a lot of energy and needing a lot of fuel. Another growth spurt always happens in the Summer. I'm not nostalgic for when they were younger (and ate less!), but love that they are growing and strong. It's fun that my family loves to eat what I prepare for them.

'Cause even though I know 

there's hope in every morning song,

I have to find the melody alone.

Avett Brothers from Morning Song

It seems there's always something I'm thinking about. I blame this on a childhood where I spent alot of time alone. Actually, I really believe God made me a thinker and someone who needs time alone. It must have been a blessing that he allowed me so much time to myself as a child! 

Lately, I've been thinking about responsibility. When I came across the music of the Avett Brothers, I was excited to find a group who has an amazing sound with thoughtful lyrics. These words from Morning Song get straight to the point in a poetic way. Each day does begin with potential hope and our lives are all singing a song. Although we don't live this life alone, meaning our song is composed with family, friends and circumstances, we each are responsible for our own melody. No one else is singing our words, dancing our steps, humming our tune. The song we sing is up to us. 

I come across many people who resigned to be dependent on outside circumstances and influences and people to determine their days, which turn into months, years, a life. My song is sung by me; I get to choose the melody. I get to choose whether to even participate and sing. God, who created and loves me, has put the desire in me for a life full of joy, peace, truth and service; what a blessing to rise each day and sing that song!