megspots

Outdoors. Every day. April 11th

Yesterday afternoon, I took the girls outside for a little bit.  The outside of our house needs spring cleaning in the worst way.  We have SO much work to do to get ready for spring . . . and yet here it is, the middle of April, and we haven't made any significant progress.  We'll get there, I suppose.

Anyway, we have some potted trees on the front porch that we are trying to revive. 

Using teamwork to water the poor things:

 

This child would work in the dirt every single day without a complaint:

Wouldn't it be lovely if by the end of The Great Outdoor Challenge our yard had undergone an extreme transformation? 

Joy Trip - March 2010

 

I mean, really.

Have you ever seen joy so conspicuous?  So contagious?

Where and what could inspire such happy?

Well, the carousel in Texas Wild! at the Fort Worth Zoo, for one thing.

Our Joy Trip took us back to our homeland, and the zoo was but one stop on the tour of merriment.

More to come . . .

40 Days of Joy {day 18} - shine.

 

40 Days of Joy {day 13} - love in the lunchbox

When I was a kid, my mom used to tuck love notes into my lunchbox, my backpack, even into rolled up socks in my sock drawer.  She didn't do it every day or even once a week.  It was very sporadic.  But when I found a note from her, it completely filled me with joy.

Dacey takes her lunch to school every day.  She is an emerging reader, and I know she could read "I Love You," but I like to think when she opens her sandwich container and sees a heart-shaped sandwich, the meaning translates easily.  I hope it brings her joy.

40 Days of Joy {day 12} - orderly

Spring cleaning is upon us.  I am so ready. 

I'm following along with Clean Mama's month of spring cleaning, and I so appreciate the small steps to a spring clean.

This is my dish cupboard.  It is the one and only thing in this entire house that is consistently orderly. Sometimes I just stand back and stare at it when I need a little peace.  One little corner of order brings so much joy.

40 Days of Joy {day 9} - Big Bowl of Popcorn

on a winter afternoon

40 Days of Joy {day 6}

I fully understand the ridiculousness of mentioning this.  I can't help it though.  It honestly, sincerely, truly brought me joy.  My sister alerted me to the fact that Kyle and I have something in common with US Olympian and all-around super skier Bode Miller: we've both happened upon the loveliest of names for our daughters.

That has made me grin all day.  And so does this picture of Dacey circa December 2007.

40 Days of Joy {day 4}

Today, I had the joy of discovering that even if it has been years since you last laced up a roller skate, it all comes back to you.

photo by Mykl Roventine

at long last . . . friends.

milestone

photo by Randy Son of Robert

I jogged over three miles this morning.  HUGE milestone for me!  I'm celebrating the conclusion of my Couch to 5K training by running in my first 5K on December 5th.