A hint of Spring

Another round of flurries have passed us by, but just two days ago, we were enjoying warm sunshine with spring-like temperatures. It felt so wonderful to step outside with no coat. Ithink for just a moment I wanted to spread out my arms and spin around like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, but I resisted. After breakfast, Justin and I went to mass together and enjoyed the time, just the two of us. When we returned home, the whole family (Gabe too) including Aunt Brooke piled into the van and drove out to the Sugarbush festival at Wesselman's. We enjoyed fluffy pancakes with freshly made maple syrup, made from the trees right there in the park. I even cut off a few pieces, dredged them in syrup and let Gabe get a taste through his mesh feeder. He definitely enjoyed that. After our pancake lunch, we followed a park ranger outside to learn about how the sap is collected from the trees. I wasn't sure how interested the boys would be, but they actually paid attention and seemed to enjoy it. Gabe even got in a little nap, riding in the stroller. Mostly, we were just happy to be out together as a family enjoying the day. It felt so normal, and we felt so appreciative. Monday returned with endless rain, gray skies, and falling temperatures, but we got a glimpse of things to come. We got to watch our boys explore their surroundings with the kind of enthusiasm and wonder that only children can. There may not yet be any flowers blooming in the yard, but there are tender green shoots pushing their way up, growing. I can hardly wait to see how they blossom...