Spring has most definitely sprung.

I see it in the colorful Easter eggs that we dyed last week, which was a joyful occasion with 6 little kids giggling and delighting in the bright colors and glitter. Auntie Jessica and sweet cousins Faith and Jason came over to help, along with our dear friend Kourtni and her two kidletts, Logan and Juliet. What fun! Such oohs and aahs of wonder as the round eggs came out of their cups, each a different shade of spring colors. I wish I had gotten a picture of their cute little hands afterwards-- all those purple/yellow/orange/green/blue fingers.

I see spring in the beautiful azalea that graces my front entry, a surprise brought to my door courtesy of thoughtful Andrea (the kids' beloved DeeDee). It's pink blossoms make me think of wonderful gardens filled with blooms of all sorts-- something I don't have yet, but I am certainly dreaming of it, and this plant is only one of the first.
I see it in the happy faces of my girls as they studiously hunt for Easter eggs at Aunt Barb's house on Saturday for our wonderful family Easter gathering. They are outside in the beautiful weather and sunshine, delighting in each new egg that they spot and can put in their colorful baskets. It is always a great time, with the rest of the family standing around watching the action and laughing over our funny little group of kids. I very much so wish I could show you all pictures of my niece and nephew in these activities and show you their precious little faces, but no one is allowed to post pictures of them online until the adoption is final. Suffice it to say, they had a WONDERFUL time and it was nothing but a joy to have them there for this year's festivities. Having two more children in the family is such a blessing and only makes things even more fun! You should see the four of them-- Emma, Annabelle, Faith and Jason-- together; it's so cute I could just explode.

I know it is spring by the telltale appearance of the yearly Easter "stump cake". This year, instead of having to make it myself, I had my girls and Faith and Jason help me. They loved helping to squirt on the green frosting grass and oh-so-carefully placing the jelly bean eggs and bunny peeps. We are all quite proud of our creation, I must say. It tasted pretty yummy, too!
Spring has also shown up on our arms-- look, they are bare! Such lovely, warm weather for this Easter. I loved picking out clothes that went together for my little family and dressing us in such bright, cheery colors that matched the sunshine and blue skies. Easter is not at all about the new dresses-- not at all. But, oh, it is so fun to go out and buy some new spring duds for everyone, and Easter is the perfect excuse to do just that. It was not hard to forget about our new clothes as we gathered at our church on Sunday morning. The message was wonderful and convicting, reminding me again of what it is we celebrate, and how this wonderful truth-- Christ rose from the grave!!-- affects our lives and our eternity. The songs were joyful and uplifting, full of truth and wonder. It is so easy to be joyful on Easter, and for good reason.

My loves.

My beautiful mother-in-law Jeannette and the lovely Jessica. I am glad to call them mom and sister.

And, finally, I see it is spring by these:

Yes, that's right, my bulbs are finally sprouting! These tulips poked their green little heads above the ground just a little bit ago, and I'm sure they were very glad to find the sunshine and beauty that waited for them above their home in the dirt. I was only too happy to see them and welcomed them warmly!

Spring is everywhere, and I am grateful. There is something about this time of year, when we see new life, beauty, and brightness all around. We don't have hard winters here, obviously (in fact, I love our winters and think they are ideal-- try a Midwestern winter sometime and you'll know what I mean), but it is still so lovely to welcome this new season. Praise God for giving us so much beauty and newness that inspires us to renewed energy and vigor in other areas of our life. I think we need such refreshment from time to time-- just like my little tulips needed the sunshine after all that time underground.