the Southland

And there's somethin' 'bout the Southland in the Springtime

Where the waters flow with confidence and reason
Tho I miss her when I'm gone,
It won't ever be too long
'Til I'm home again to spend my favorite season.
When God made me born a Yankee, He was teasin'.
There's no place like home and nothin' more pleasin'
Than the Southland in the Springtime.

I've always loved the gentle strains of this song, but until you spend a Springtime in the South, I don't think you can fully appreciate that 'something' about it. The air is heavy with the fragrance of blossoms. Everything blooms. Everything. Breathtaking is too simple a word for the splendor of it all.

On a rainy night, during my first Springtime in the South, I entered the hospital, heavy and laboring with Baby. Amid the turbulence of that blustery night, my boy was born. Broken. A few days later, his life hovering and fragile, I was released and sent home. With heavy heart, I watched as the world passed by outside the car window, same as always, while mine seemed to have come to a halting stop. And then, as we rounded a bend in the freeway, the most spectacular sight was before me: an entire hill, the median against the cement of the interstate, covered from top to bottom in blooming daffodils. I gasped. I'd never seen such beauty. The glory of God's green earth had, in that moment, reminded me that after each winter comes the welcome, glorious Spring!

Each year after this, as Springtime approaches, I look with anxiety for the signs: buds beginning to show, leaves unfolding on the trees, flowers sending out their shoots. One blossom, above all others, says "Kentucky" to me: the dogwood. I have never again lived in a place where dogwoods were common, and oh, how I miss them when April rolls around. Four years ago today (plus 10 days...I'm a little slow with the post) I was enjoying the glory of toddlerhood and Springtime and memories of miracles, all among the dogwoods.

The symbolism of Springtime will always have an extra special place in my heart, for my 'home' in Kentucky and for my own Springtime miracle boy. Of this I am sure: when life places the bleakness of Winter on your doorstep, God will always, always send the Spring.

I {heart} cowboys

Two specific cowboys, to be exact.

Have you been following this season's 'Race?' In addition to making the GREATEST comeback in Amazing Race history, these brothers are, quite possibly, my favorite 'Race' team EVER. Holy Gravy! They are down-t0-earth, genuine, honest-to-goodness cowboys. I love their expressions (Oh, my!, good golly), their tenacity, their sportsmanship. I haven't been head-over-heels in excitement about an Amazing Race team since the Hippies from several seasons ago.

Why are they refreshing? No whining. No complaining. No blaming. No backbiting or name calling or manipulating of other teams. They are just doing their thing, honestly, and whooping up on all the rest.

Go, cowboys, go!

Spring.

I've been given my first "I-Love-You-Mom" dandelion bouquet of the season.

It's officially Spring!

little piggies

Once upon a time, a long-prayed prayer was answered.
These cuties were purchased before I even knew if my little one was boy or girl, my heart filled with hope for the day little flip-flop-clad feet would toddle about. And, today, I am in awe of my blessings....oh so, so many!


P.S. I'm also amazed he KEEPS them on! However, this is my child who still doesn't say 'mama,' but DOES love to roam the house, collecting various footwear, and saying 'shoes,' 'shoes,' 'shoes.'

ruler

My kids came home from Primary with CTR-modified Burger King crowns. The spent the afternoon playing king and queen. As I was unloading the dishwasher (for the 2nd time today), the "king" informed me that, since I didn't have a crown, I was the servant.

I smiled, and nodded, and handed him a stack of clean cups. He reflexively put them away in the cupboard.

That's what I thought.

news!

in like a lion...

They called it a 'snow day,' those big-wigs at the school district. Sure, there were some flurries this morning, but by mid-day, this was the view out my window.Oh well. We decided that in order to make the most of our day off, sugar would most definitely need to be involved. After perusing my stash of 'treats-to-make-someday' recipes we came up with the idea to make homemade doughnuts! Dal and I mixed up the dough while Kate was at school (yes, our preschool co-op will carry on, no matter what those yahoos at ASD20 say the weather is going to do!) Turns out, this recipe makes a LOT of doughnuts. I started making phone calls to round up some doughnut eating helpers.We ended up with 2 dozen doughnuts, 2 dozen doughnut holes, 11 kids and 3 moms.
And, lots of yum!P.S. I followed the recipe linked above, but didn't make the glaze. Instead, we made a simple powdered sugar/milk/vanilla glaze and used chocolate syrup as another option. The kids also enjoyed 'topping' their treats with sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, coconut or chopped up chocolate chips.

look what came today...

Tulips...from my favorite two lips!

Sweet!

Last summer my kids and I took a tour of the Sweet's Candy Factory in Salt Lake City. If I could have moved in, I just might have done it. Pipes move pounds and pounds of CHOCOLATE around the facility. Taffy rolls off conveyer belts in waterfall-fashion. Everything smells of sugar. It was heavenly.

One place I found particularly interesting was the jelly bean-making room. Giant vats, resembling cement mixers, spun round and round, each with a different color inside. The tour guide walked us through the process of making a jelly bean, from the mold of the jelly on the inside to the hard candy coating on the out. To my amazement, she said it takes 7 whole days to make a jelly bean. A week. Really? I don't even like jelly beans, and yet these candy-makers spend a week getting their treats from start to finish.

This little bit of candy trivia has made me appreciate jelly beans in a whole new way. And, now that Easter candy has arrived (the best candy of the year, don't you think?), and jelly beans are available in so many different flavors, I just couldn't help buying a bag (or five). I still don't like plain old jelly beans, but Starburst jelly beans, Nerds jelly beans, Sweetart jelly beans and Jolly Rancher jelly beans...now THOSE beans are worth waiting a week for.

Happy Easter!