Heavy winds of late are whipping tree limbs and pushing grass down, and the cold air feels more like fall than spring. When outdoors, I bend my head low to shield my face. I’m glad that certain delicate flowers are late in blooming, otherwise they’d have been blasted away by now. It’s been a cool May, so far, but God is faithful and merciful… the grass is green, and red tulips grace the ground. By His grace, seasons still turn!

192. a wonderful birthday dinner of Greek food– gyros, spanokopita, Greek salad, and for dessert, my favorite– tiramisu. A cup of coffee and a slice of tiramisu is extreme loveliness!

193. that my 10 year old’s hand was not broken– only sprained and it’s much improved. Thankful since he has most of the baseball and soccer season left to play games.

194.We’ve got baseball and soccer going on at the same time for both boys– first time we’ve ever concurrently joined two sports– and I’m so thankful this schedule only lasts for May–that’s 4 different teams, 4 different schedules, 4 different uniforms, and add that in to daughter’s track season, with another uniform, and schedule… add in music lessons and we’ve got quite a busy May! In early June, soccer and track will be done! (If it would have been longer, we’d have picked only one sport.) The boys are enjoying this outlet, though! My older boy is already asking to play football in the fall, and this mom’s heart is readying herself.

195. thankful that with warmer days approaching I can dare to dream of picnics, lemonade, and reading or napping on blankets outside on the grass, under the sun.

196. that space is getting cleared for a small vegetable garden

197. For trees. Can you tell how much I really like trees? I did a leaf collection project for a high school biology class years ago. I still remember learning how leaves are shaped differently, how veins are shaped, how trunks, bark, etc. are all different. I can’t name many trees, but I do see the differences among them– learned from that project. God’s creativity is seen even in a leaf.

198. for some hearty laughs watching a family-friendly comedy improv group on Friday night. Don’t you love to laugh? And I love clean, family-friendly jokes done well, really well. Imagine — Christian comedic improv! It takes talent to be quick, witty and funny and make an audience laugh.

199. more Mother’s day love gifts… handmade, hand-written… that I didn’t get pictured last week. One of the many ways love is spoken to a mother’s heart. Handmade is heart-made! Poetry, written by my 10 year old with other kids his age who also wrote poems for their moms– cinquains, quatrians, haikus, free verse– all about their moms… yes a poetry booklet full of poems “all about me”– his mom! (Haha!)  And a page made by my daughter with her own words and Bible verses… and a bookmark with the same. Precious things to save, to cry and smile over years from  now….

200. for a new recipe I tried, that turned out fabulous. Something that’s tasty and easy. Excited to find a recipe like that!

201. for a fun soccer game and watching my 7 yr old son running out into the field– when he wasn’t supposed to… Amusing!  We are new to soccer. 😉

202. that spring is at least a week late. I know this because the pink flowering bushes that smell so wonderful have always bloomed in the past on or around Mother’s day. Today I noticed one or two blooms only. Thankful, because if they had bloomed, they wouldn’t have lasted long, since the past days have been windy and rainy. Thankful, that if spring is late one week, maybe summer will hang around a bit later on the other end, too!

203.that rainy days in May can by quite cozy

204. that rainy days in May soak the ground and offer hope that colorful beauties will burst forth from the ground.

205. that rainy days in May make the green even greener.

206. that thinking about the other side of things makes a difference; the other point of view, the converse, the reading of both sides of the coin.

207. that God thinks about things way differently than I do. His thoughts, His ways are higher than mine. Amen and Hallelujah!

208. For the baby ducklings I saw trampling across the neighbor’s yard a few days ago with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, (nicknamed Bertie and Gertie). Bertie and Gertie have been seen each spring around these parts for at least 5 years or so, maybe longer.

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