A Touch of Spring

It was so awesome and beautiful yesterday! We headed for the deck and enjoyed soaking up the sun. Knowing the forecast, we appreciated the sunshine all the more.

Puzzled?

For Christmas, my mom had us choose a puzzle of several that she had. So, knowing me, I go for the one with the least pieces that looks easier than the rest. Somehow though, my dear husband came into the room and saw the one I had chosen. Not seeing near enough of a challenge to it, he proceeded to tell me which one he thought I should choose. And being a good wife, I put my 'easy' one back and brought home 'the monster', a 1,000 piece monster. (Whatever happened to the kids being excited to go from the 24 pieces all the way up to the 100 pieces puzzles? Or even those wooden ones that were an easy A for all preschoolers?!)

Puzzles confuse me, and I'm already confused enough, so when Will and Dirk joined forces last week to tell me it was time to get the puzzle out, I sighed and stiffened my spine and we went for it. I am using the term "we" very loosely here because even though I did (really, I did!) put a few pieces together, I didn't do enough to take credit for the puzzle that after only one week lays complete on our downstairs table. The credit for the biggest part goes to my middle child, the thinker. Dirk and Will spent quite a bit of time pushing forward in a project that I had termed 'impossible' after about five pieces. I've already decided we need to buy another puzzle. Maybe this one, I'll even take the plunge and get a 1,500 piece one. And I will even do my part and try to put at least five pieces together before leaving the rest of it to the less confused of the household.

Tournament Champs!

Just when I thought we were almost to the end of basketball season, along comes the opportunity for more. In truth, I was sort of sad that this would be Ally's last year to be playing basketball since our local school requires her to take seven of eight classes to be eligible for sports. She made the decision that this wasn't the direction for her so I just prayed that if God wanted her to continue on in basketball, He would provide the opportunity. Of course, I didn't know it would happen this soon. I was kind of thinking along the lines of next year. The coach from another town called our coach to request Ally playing for their team after her team finishes. So, she will be continuing to play a few more games this year but the exciting thing is that he plans to put together a traveling team for next year that she can play on! Yay, God, and Thanks too!

Need for Speed

I'm a goner! We bought the new Need for Speed Wii game for our kids yesterday and now I'm driven with this 'need for speed'. It is so much fun to take off on these race courses and no matter how many times I wreck and roll, I still finish the race and occasionally even win!

Sister Time

After a huge gap of 25 years, my sisters and I recently got together for a tremendously fun and wonderful time away. The five of us sort of holed up in the coolest hunting lodge I've ever been in. (Okay, so I've never been in a hunting lodge before, but it was so much more than what I had pictured in my mind.) The lodge had four bedrooms but we chose to all bunk together. Not sure it was the best idea for sleeping purposes but the laughter went way into the night. We woke up each morning to my earlybird sister already having the fire blazing and took our time just enjoying being together all day long. We made trips to the local town for supplies and a pizza meal (which we all regretted), and took in a funny movie as well. I learned that all six of our brothers would have been ashamed to see how pitiful we played pitch. I taught one of my sisters a special 'shotgun' technique that was taught to me by a nephew (and I think her husband will be calling me for it). :) I learned that no matter how old you are or what is happening in your life, you never have enough sisters and each one of them are special beyond words.