Spring

 

“Spring is when life's alive in everything.”

—Christina Rossetti

One more day…

and we officially start Spring Break.

Can I say I am so excited?

I’m so excited!

JoAnn

♥

Sisters

Yesterday,I hung out with some cute sisters.

It reminded me of something.

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I’m grateful for the sisters in my life!

Have a nice weekend!

JoAnn

Kids…

I spend my days associating with little people.

(Sorry, it’s Saint Patrick’s Day and Darby O’Gill is on my mind!)

They are a source of joy

and

frustration.

It is exciting to see them finally catch on to a topic they have been struggling with and rewarding to watch as they gain confidence and skills.

It is frustrating to teach them when they don’t want sit still and listen.

I love hearing about their adventures and dreams.

I worry about their personal challenges.

Sometimes I complain about the endless paper work.

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Other days, their papers make me happy.

(These notes came from the Kids in my primary class at my church.  I was “heart attacked” on Valentine’s Day.)

I drag myself home on Friday afternoons, positive that I’m much too old to keep up with them.

By Monday mornings, I’ve recovered a bit and head back to start all over again.

So…..

Even though it isn’t always easy,

I guess I count myself lucky that I have this opportunity.

This quote I saw on Facebook pretty much shows how children embrace life!

 

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 I I hope you have a nice St. Patrick’s Day.

(I only got pinched once today!)

JoAnn

 

A little road trip…perhaps?

My husband and I have been talking about taking a little vacation.

I suggested Europe.

Not in the budget.

New England would be nice.

Too far to drive.

(That would require air- line tickets, car rentals, and hotels.)

I hate Las Vegas.

We’ve been to Washington quite a few times.

(We do love it, however.)

California?  Maybe.

We will probably end up driving up the California/Oregon coast and then spending a few days in Portland with our daughter and her husband.

We are just in the beginning-to-talk-about-it-stages.

Wouldn’t it be fun to have one of these?

 

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(Check out this blog.)

I would be perfectly happy camping in a beautiful little meadow full of wild flowers.

Some rugged mountains would be nice surrounding us.

Maybe a quiet little beach.

Sigh……

I don’t know where we will end up going, but it is fun to think about it.

Now, let’s just hope gas prices don’t keep going higher and higher!

JoAnn

 

There’s nothing a little rest and relaxation can’t fix….

 

Ever feel like life is going too fast?

Is there more to do than time or energy permits?

Want to stop the world for a little break?

Wouldn’t it be nice to just fall asleep when you really need to?

-No matter where you are,

-or what you are doing,

-or what you might miss out on.

Liz and the girls at Disney World (with their other grandpa).

Liz and Ken twenty something years ago at Disneyland.

Joshua during his lunch time.

It has been a very long week. 

EVERY NIGHT has been busy.

We’ve had two nights of conferences with parents at school and I went to see the play “Zorro, The Musical”, too.

(I’m not complaining about the musical night.)

Maddie having a restful time in an unconventional spot.

Yes,

Life can be very busy.

* * * * * *

I almost had a “house-guest” to sleep in my new room.

The night of our play was a snowy, windy evening and my friend Peggy lives half an hour away.  We thought about just keeping her here and sending her off to work the next morning in the same outfit.  It would have been fun to sit by the fire, sip some hot cocoa, and talk about the evening, avoiding the slow and dangerous drive home.

However,

Due to the fact that it had been a very busy week, the house wasn’t really “guest worthy”.

(Visions of clutter, some unwashed dishes, and bathrooms that didn’t get cleaned on the weekend due to a short trip to Idaho, quickly sent my brain into a panic mode.)

(Could she just enjoy the bedroom without having to venture out to the rest of the house?)

Peggy decided that her own bed (and a fresh start in the morning) was worth the extra time driving home so she didn’t end up staying. 

I was secretly relieved, yet a little disappointed, too.

So,

Here’s my real problem.

How do people do all they do

and still stay on top of everything? 

(Please don’t remind me that during the time I wrote this blog I could have cleaned a bathroom!)

How do you keep up with everything?

JoAnn

P.S.  Thanks for the pictures, Liz and Irene.

A few more changes….craft bedroom

We’ve done a bit of rearranging in our little guest/craft/spare bedroom.  We upgraded from a twin to a full size mattress.  An old metal bed that lived in the garage got a coat of paint to match the little table.  The room still needs a few final touches, but it is available for a guest. 

If you chose to visit you could:

1.  Read old Trixie Beldon or Nancy Drew  books.  (I know, pretty hard to resist.)

2.  Count the buttons in the jar.  (Or, match them to the colors on the bedspread.)

3.  Work on some of my unfinished craft projects.  (Knitting, anyone?)

4.  Recline in the chair and do absolutely nothing at all.

If those reasons don’t make you want to jump in your car and come for a visit, then remember that we live close to Trax, malls, movie theaters, sport arenas, and live entertainment (G rated-not what you were probably thinking!). 

Any takers?

JoAnn

 

A family connection

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It seems like every year it gets harder and harder to keep up with our extended families.

Two of my sisters live in Idaho, one of Ken’s sisters lives in Washington, and some of our nieces and nephews live in neighboring states, while others live clear across the country.

We don’t always get together as often as we would like.

(Besides, weddings and funerals are just not the best times to enjoy each other’s company and catch up on all the news.)

My niece Kelli is living in West Virginia while her husband is attending medical school and she has taken on the responsibility of keeping the family united through a family newsletter.  Every couple of months she sends us a reminder that it is time to shoot off a little update about our family.  She then compiles them and emails them to everyone.

Some are really long and informative.

A few are short and sweet.

Most include some fun pictures and updates.

It is always fun to see what is going on in each household and to feel a part of their lives.

Here is a little sampling of the Hall family news:

Good luck to Aunt Mardene as she has cataract surgery this week.

Thanks, Jeff, for taking care of her!

Congratulations to Lynzi and Regan as you head off to different colleges.  Good luck with the soccer and softball teams, Regan!

Yeah to Karli for getting to start dating!

Hope your Blueberry Morning cereal tastes delicious Joanna and Eric. (Your kids are so cute!)

Happy first birthday, Lincoln!

Congratulations on passing your exam Julie!

Hope your foot heals quickly, Linda.

Have fun on your trip Michelle and Katie!

Did you enjoy the ducks at the farm, Joshua?

Glad you had a great vacation Liz and Karl!

Jenni and Brady, we love the new cabin!

Holly and Preston we look forward to seeing you soon.

Audrey, I love the baby quilt and the house projects.

Melissa, good luck at the new Nordstroms opening!

Chris and Ally, can’t wait to see little Blake.

Diane, we both have boring lives!

Anyway, you get the picture. 

It is fun to read about  and see the little day to day happenings, celebrate the big occasions, and support each other during times of illness and sadness.

THANK YOU, KELLI, for organizing this and keeping it going!

Families are important.

(I think everyone agrees.)

♥

JoAnn

What do you do to keep your extended family connected?