There is Sunshine in my Soul Today

This week has been absolutely gorgeous. The weather has been perfect and we've spent most days outside. After what seemed to be an eternal, dark and dismal winter, all of the sudden, the world is blooming with beauty! Our pear tree is full of blossoms, our maple trees have crimson flowers, our weeping cherry tree's blossoms are beginning to appear, and my aspen trees have tiny spring green circular leaves. The view is stunning everywhere I look. Too bad I don't have an apricot tree or I'm sure popcorn would be popping. Spring is my absolute favorite season! I love the feeling of the sun pouring down on my face, enveloping me in its warmth. The entire season reminds me of the Savior--how his love can fill my life (like the sun warming me to my very soul), his sacrifice in death (like the winter) and his glorious resurrection (like the glory of the spring.)

Yesterday, I had three girlfriends over to scrapbook plus I watched two of my neighbor's girls for the afternoon. Add onto that my friends' kids and Spencer's friends and we had a houseful. It was a lot of fun. Last week, when we were scrapbooking, my friends noticed my old rusty cheese grater that I've been using for 17 plus years. It still works and doesn't leech rust onto the cheese but it looks gross. They were horrified. So this week, Tammy showed up with a shiny new cheese grater decorated with a pink ribbon and demanded that I throw away my old one immediately. She must think I was giving my children food poisoning or something! I was embarrassed but I am grateful for the new grater. I know my cheese will be even greater with the new grater. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Paul bought the kids new bikes yesterday. Rachel and Spencer had grown out of their bikes and the twins needed to get them this year. While Paul assembled the twins' bikes, we played softball, football and basketball until it was too dark to see. Then, because Paul was still working, the kids brought in their bikes to ride around until Courtney's bike was finally completed around 9:30 p.m. The twins' Little Mermaid bikes are fancy--with little shell-shaped compartments for toys, shell pedals, a shell seat and beads on the sides of the handlebars and they are definitely girly! I know they're going to love them. Needless to say, we got to bed very late but it was a great day!