Spring Weather is Here

    I was longing for spring. It came this past week, and I must say I am very happy to see it this year. I feel like I am being revitalized from this past year by the early signs of spring. 

    We passed the 1 year anniversary of losing Danny and there are workers at work at Lindsay's house to restore it. Sadly, the insurance company is dragging their feet. They say it will happen, but give no timeline for it. The adjuster said when he did his thing that it was a no worry claim, but I think it must be just the state of home insurance after so many storms in our state. Tyler works for a local home owned construction company, and they are letting him go ahead and get things going so life can return to normal and fronting them the money to do so. We are grateful for that. You can see, things are looking up a bit from the doom and gloom of the start of the year.

   Most of my pictures are of nature springing to life. Azaleas are going to be in peak season here this week. I love azaleas about as much any flower on the planet. I look forward to the blooming season which can be from February to late March here. They are choosing the earlier time this year and as I said I am all in for it.

Here are a few from my yard.

These are on the back and when I took this picture over the weekend, they still had some opening to do. I looked out this morning first thing when I got up to see if they were opened. Happy to say they are just all out showing off. 

I truly love spring. It is just nature coming to life before our eyes. Pleasant temperatures so that you can shed the sweater and bring out the shorts, but not the perspiring that will come soon.

My next two pictures are of flowers as well. Friends brought over some pansies for me. I chose to place these on the back deck table. I can enjoy them while washing dishes and I have since cleaned the table so that we can eat as many meals as possible.

More evidence of the goodness of flowers on my happiness meter. My begonia on the top deck is flowering.

Add all those to my pink geraniums and orange pansies and I am smiling big. 

I saved the best for last on my flower pictures. We were so afraid we had lost the lemon tree to that horrid freeze at Christmas. Well, Saturday, the 18th (the first day of such pretty weather ) Jeff and I had gotten out in the yard to start some spring stuff and I walked over to inspect the lemon tree as I have done almost everyday since Christmas and .....

this is what I saw.

Can you see those little green leaves starting to pop?

I literally squealed with delight. 

There are more coming each day. Small, but it is alive. I don't know how much it will produce this year, but I am just so grateful it didn't die.

The orange tree is popping with flowers too.

I took this over the weekend as well, but today I walked out they were opening up as well. 

We realized that after getting out in all this beautiful weather we will need a new seawall this year. Many of our neighbors got one last year and ours seemed fine last year, but it is clearly time for a new one here, so there will be workers here soon helpfully to get it done so I can clean up out back and get it ready for summer. Home ownership means something always needs to be done.

*****

I think my family all had the same idea this past Saturday. It was a beautiful day so we all got outside. In our family group texts, Lindsay sent this picture...

They hit the beach and Palmer has the right idea. Snacking away.

The next picture came from Paul Allen.

They had gone to the creek on the reservation. I am sure the dogs were running somewhere with them.

Well Jeff and I were going to let them outdo us, so we hopped on the boat.

Spring has come early and I am not sad a bit about it. I know we will have some more cool days but hopefully none that are frigid. Gus leading the way for us.

I am recovering well from my sinus surgery. Honestly, way better than I could ever have imagined. 

I can't complain nearly as much as I was a few weeks ago. 

A few more pictures of my grands.

I thought they were so cute here. Flooring has made it this room now, but they had brought their chairs from the bedrooms in to watch a movie.

Katie had bought matching shirts for them. 

Azalea season requires pictures of kids in front of the pretty flowers. It is a tradition. Tucker is growing up so fast. T-Ball season kicks off this coming weekend.

Palmer is holding onto that blond hair. 

And little Miles is growing so fast that he can sit in my high chair and eat now.

They are growing up so fast. 

I should have a stitch to share very soon. It is a beauty too.

I will close with we went to see The Jesus Revolution movie last night. It was very good and I highly recommend it. It is an excellent reminder that no matter the climate of the nation that God can still move and never write off a generation of youth. 

Well that is about long enough so I will call this one a post. Be back soon though with some stitching goodness that I can't wait to share.

Sandy