Whew!

What a day, what a day. I mowed the lawn the other week, for the first time this season (Ryan had been doing the mowing) and it just about killed me. I was exhausted. But since then, our little family has been making more of an effort to get out of the house and move. Whether it be the park, the Y, a hike, a walk, etc., we get out. So today, here's what happened:

-Woke up earlier than usual (around 6:30)

-Showered and had breakfast

-Girls woke up, minuets apart and Rose requests SpongeBob

-Later, William gets up and they all have breakfast

-So far, so good

-We do our morning stuff, get dressed, make beds, get laundry going, etc.

-Have our morning devotional (each kid has individual scripture study and prayer)

-I try to entice the kids to do some school work, but their energy is driving me crazy and I push them outside for a while

-I figure we'll try again after lunch

-I decide to mow the lawn, just with the riding lawn mower - I'll leave the push mower and edging to Ryan

-I come inside because I think I'm done

-Phone rings - someone wants to see the house at 6:15!!! Crap, I only have five hours and several of those will need to be spent in the yard! (lots of rain + lots of fertilizer = serious mowing)

-I mow, edge, weed, blow off patios and driveways, rake, pick up sticks, etc for three hours

-Then it's a quick clean in the house (thank goodness I have kept up on the chores, so not too much needed to be done)

-Then I buy four bags of mulch and re-mulch the front flower bed (all the rain washed a lot of it away)

-Ryan gets home right before six and we're off!!

Whew.

Get home when the showing's supposed to be over; while pulling into the driveway, I get a text that the showing was cancelled. The buyer didn't show up, but the agent did. It took all I had to think positive and to not start crying right then and there. My whole afternoon gone...no school with the kids, no Tuesday library, no making dinner (we had to eat out and I looked disgusting still wearing my work clothes). Pooh.

But the house and yard look freaking awesome, I got some serious exercise, and as a bonus we sold our old red car the minute we got home. AND - after all of that, I wasn't nearly as wiped out as I was the other week when all I did was mow the lawn! I'm shaking off this winter weakness!

The kids and two of the actors from "Puss in Boots" - a fun St. Patrick's Day!

Fallaste!

It being spring, we have been extra busy around here. I feel like time is passing so quickly. Between homeschooling, selling the house, taking care of the ever-needy yard, weekly activities, church, birthdays, holidays, and well, just life in general, we are managing to stay busy. It's mostly all good, so I can't complain. We have some upcoming small weekend trips to look forward to, so that's all very exciting.

A Saturday hike at the Shaw Nature Reserve

Due to high tick volume, we wore hats the whole time and I made the mistake of telling William about how I got two ticks when I was a kid (in all the years of camping in East Texas, two ain't bad), so naturally in William fashion, he was obsessed with talking about ticks. He was sure he saw several, even some that could apparently fly. He was appalled at the people we saw not wearing hats.

Rose decided she was done walking half-way there - then there was the whole hike back! Ryan was a trooper; she was quite a load to carry.

We had a lovey Easter Sunday. William was so excited that our Easter Bunny had a heck of a time getting those eggs hidden! I'm thinking we're going to have to give him some Benadryl next year! But it was a success, barely. Claire managed to find three more eggs the following day. Our "front yard" Easter Bunny did a lousy job remembering where he hid those eggs. At least I didn't find them by running over them with the lawn mower like I did last year. Picking up tiny pieces of plastic and foil all over the yard is not fun when you're already worn out from mowing!