Spring 2016... minus the sunshine.

How beautiful is my super cool Mom!

This has been an exceptionally long and cold winter...and now spring. It's cold and grey and damp outside right now. Just like it has been for months.  I didn't get to make my St. George get away like I'd hoped. Apparently everyone else in the world thought of it before me and every hotel for miles around was booked. So we stayed home. My mental health was no good. I was sad and irritable and tired.  I decided if I couldn't get a change of scenery I would make my own change. I cut my hair and dyed it a summery blonde one windy afternoon and you know what...it helped a little. 

Morgan was so excited about my hair that she really, really wanted to cut hers too. So I took her out of school one day and her and I went out for the afternoon. 

Getting ready for the chop!

Out to lunch just the two of us. 

She loves her shorter hair. I really love her.

Easter was a mostly pretty day. Still chilly and windy but no rain or snow, that waited for the next day at least. 

The reality of trying to take a nice picture of kids.

They pulled themselves together long enough to capture this decent shot.

Cute, sweet,feisty  Kate. The only child I've ever had loose all 4 top teeth so close together. 

My big girls. I heard the phrase " the days are long but the years are short" the other day. I'm living the truth of that statement.

The opposite birth-order dash for the hunt.

The hunt. 2016

Let the trading begin. 

This year I decided the girls were old enough to dye real eggs without giving me a conniption fit. Yes, I waited 12 years. No regrets. No one burned themselves with hot vinegar water or dyed my counter tops pink. Only Kate dropped her egg and she didn't even cry. I adore motherhood with big kids.

I'm so grateful for the changing seasons, in nature and in life. I love the first snow, the excitement of blossoms in spring, the smell of fall leaves and summer. Beautiful, sunny, hot summer. I've loved the different seasons in my children's lives. There has been so much joy in watching them learn and grow more and more independent. But, I'm always a little relieved when the seasons change and don't ever want to go back to what phase has just passed. I'm content to say goodbye to raising tiny ones and more than ready to say goodbye to winter. Bring on Spring and big kids.