Oak Tree in an Acorn: Signs of Spring!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Signs of Spring!

The girls spent some time with Granddaddy (my dad) and Granny Gigi over the first weekend of spring break while Brian and I finally emptied out our garage from our move. The girls enjoyed spending time out in the country with their grandparents including building a bonfire and roasting marshmallows.

On our way home, we stopped in La Grange and went on a tour of Jersey Farms. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera with me, but if I had pictures to post, you would see the girls on a hayride, Olivia milking a Jersey cow, the girls feeding ducks, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys, and both girls feeding baby calves bottles of milk. So much fun, and I would highly recommend it if you have time and are stopping through La Grange while the weather is cool.

We also met up with some of our good, old friends at local parks. The weather was so nice to get together for a play date at the park. I met Shari, Constanze, and Alice when we were first all new mothers. It was so nice to see how our "little ones" had grown. Those sleep-deprived days when we met seem so long ago, but forged a bond that will last throughout the years. Catching up and sharing new stories about our kids was fun to do.

We were also able to get together with my dear friend Elizabeth and her three children. She is a busy working mother, so when we can get together with the kids it is truly special. She has such a positive outlook on life that I admire greatly, so while the kids played, we got to catch up.

Also during spring break a friend from our old neighborhood of Forest Oaks, Ethan, came over to play with the girls. The kids played, decorated cookies, went to the park, and had veggie dogs for supper. It was great to see Ethan and so nice to catch up with his mommy, Tonra.

The girls made rainbow cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day and also enjoyed creating flower displays from flowers I found on sale at the craft store.

Signs of spring are everywhere!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.