We Love Spring!

Now that spring has finally gotten here, we love it! But it took until the second half of April to have what I would call normal spring weather. Sure, we'd get a tease now and then, but nothing lasting.

We've been loving the swing Paul built for me our first summer here. It's so relaxing just to kick back and enjoy the gentle breeze (when it's gentle) and the warm sunshine. Nathan crawls up and swings it himself. We've got to get that boy a swingset.

Doesn't Nathan just look like the expert cattleman here, looking over his herd with a discerning eye? When we were working cattle at my grandparents' house the day before Easter, he climbed up on the fence and stood there watching as we worked the calves. He really did great with just watching through the fence and not requiring lots of attention. Soon (too soon, I'm sure) he'll be big enough to be punching them through himself.

Last Saturday, while I was at a baby shower, Paul took Nathan into town especially to buy bubbles. I have no idea why I had never thought of that. So Daddy has moved into "favored parent" status - which I am so ready for! It sounds like they had a blast shopping for bubbles, then going out to Burger King. Mommy was the unnecessary side-kick the rest of the day.

I had to make a special trip into town last week for these (well, I was going into town anyways, but wasn't planning on going shopping). After about the fourteenth time of him wearing his cowboy boots through every puddle in the driveway, I hauled him into WalMart in a last ditch effort to find him some puddle stompers. Everywhere else I'd looked either didn't have small enough sizes or wanted WAY too much for their cutesy galoshes. I still though these were a bit steep for how small they were (they were the same price as the mens' boots), but they are what we needed. Hopefully they'll fit his fat little feet clear through the summer.

Unfortunately, the onset of spring means the onset of dandelions - my nemesis. My friend Carrie brought her kids over this morning for a change of scenery and graciously helped me weed about half of my flower beds. We'll see if I can get up the gumption to finish the task. (I made it a half hour this afternoon before I had to come in - I was breathing like I'd just ran a mile! Pathetic.)

We're making up for our dry winter with soaking rains a couple times each week, but it's making it really hard to get in the garden. Paul got it disked before the rains started, and he's managed to till it a couple times. I'm glad I held off on the planting due to the snow we got. But it's time! If we can avoid the chance of rain tonight, this weekend will be it! I always get antsy to get stuff in the ground.

I am enjoying Paul's new shifts. I haven't gotten to see what it's going to do to his paycheck, but he gets to spend several hours playing with Nathan each day. Daddy plays so much better than Mommy does - I just don't "get" playing with tractors. I can hook them up and drive them back and forth, but as for actually pretending it's planting or harvesting..... I'll leave that up to Daddy and Nathan. Yesterday, Nathan found the model trains up in the extra bedroom, so they spent the afternoon setting those up and playing with them.

I think the tired stage of this pregnancy is almost over. I think I'm out of my first trimester (I lose track what week I'm on), and that's when they say you get your energy back. I still feel worn out come afternoon, but if I take a nap, I wake up at a ridiculous hour of the morning and can't get back to sleep.

It sounds like Nathan is about to wake up. Better get a snack ready.