Spring?

It seems so unreal to me that it is February, we are starting to pull out shorts and flip flops and trade them for our barely worn jackets and warm slippers. The grass is starting to turn green and a saw a few trees beginning to bloom yesterday. I love this time of year, but February is not this time of year in my mind for sure. I took the sunbeam class I teach on a little walk around the church grounds yesterday and one of the moms said to me, only in Louisiana can you take them on a walk outside to show them all the signs of spring in February.

I was asked to teach an Enrichment night for the Relief Society sisters on container gardening a few weeks ago. I love it when I get to delve into that part of my life and I enjoyed preparing and teaching a ton, but what I was not prepared for was the excitement I felt when I realized I really could do a garden in my tiny little square of a backyard. I am so excited! The season here is super early, as it gets so hot in the summer, so Dave and the kids helped me put a garden together already. I am even going to try to grow tomatos upside down in large hanging baskets (you can use 5 gallon buckets as well.) Space savor and no staking! (Google- upside-down tomato plants to see some pics and learn how if your are interested.) Very cool idea. As an added bonus Dave also built the kids a sand box to see if we can get Spencer to stop digging in my garden.

Enough about me...Maren learned to write her name for the first last week (or was it the week before) anyhow I am so proud of her. When I saw she was close, I told her I would make her a batch of cookies if she did all by herself. Silly me, it was two hours later that I was making cookies. I should know by now that bribes work=) I am really starting to see I difference in her since starting speech therapy. She is much more confident in herself. She actually raised her hand to answer a question in primary yesterday, a first that I know of, and she is playing better with friends in the neighborhood. Way to go Maren!

Amanda had a Valentine box contest at school and silly me (yes again) thought it would be fun to make a paper mache heart. I had done something like this as a kid and but somehow didn't remember how much work was involved. So Amanda and Maren and Dave and I all got sucked into it it, up to our elbows in goey newspaper. While it was a ton of work, it was fun and Amanda won her class competition. Go Amanda! She did a great job decorating it.

Gotta love those school projects!

Dave and I were able to get away overnight this last weekend for a trip to Baton Rouge and the temple. It was so nice. (Thanks Chris and Stacy!) We were able to go out to lunch at a nice italian place and get in some shopping as well.

Spencer did great, being left overnight for the first time. He is even starting to show some signs of tolerating nursery...maybe there is hope for me with number four on the way. I will leave with this daredevil video of him riding down our driveway. For those of you familiar with our place in NC, this one is even steeper. Needless to say, the helmet has already been put to good use by our little thrill seeker.