on my wish list...

Photo Source...here

For my birthday I was gifted with a bag of goat treats, colorful goat leads complete with matching buckets (orange, pink, yellow, blue & lime green...I'm sure Sweet Girl had something to do with the color choices!

Also tucked inside was a certificate stating that...
"The bearer of this certificate is authorized to acquire up to three (3) goats for her enjoyment."

What more could a girl ask for?

It's officially...

The Year of the Goat!

spring fever...

Simply stepping outside or listening through an open window, I can hear the melodies of springtime songbirds. They are enjoying this week's good weather, which you'll see from my last post, is quite a change! It's just about perfect outside...blue skies, puffy clouds, and warm breezes. 

The girls are happy to leave the confines of the hen house behind as they stretch their legs and enjoy this breath of spring. 

The bees have been out buzzing around bringing in pollen...yay! It's a thrill to know they've made it through their first winter...now to keep them healthy through these critical weeks in early spring. 

Not only us, but the the animals, whether it's Cocoa the rabbit...

or Mr. Myrtle the cat...

are all enjoying the early days of spring.

This time of year we try to give our house and yard a close inspection. And while I've been spring cleaning lately, anyone who stops by might think that's debatable. In my opinion, it always looks worse, before it looks better. 

Cleaning out clutter is never enjoyable (to me, at least). In the bright sunlight, surfaces seem hopelessly dusty, while dust bunnies are clearly in view from their winter hiding spots. Paperwork seems to have a way of multiplying, and has sadly ended up stacked in perilous disarray.

Outside however; the first tender shoots of daffodils are pushing their way through the warming earth. There are buds on the lilac bush and red maple tree. With a little work, sticks and branches from winter winds will be collected, flowerbeds tidied, and the garden tilled.

Yes, spring fever has a way of winning the battle each year with spring cleaning. The warming days certainly tug at us to come outdoors...the days are fine, and Sweet Girl has already brightened my heart by giving me my first bouquet of spring flowers. 

It's truly a time to make plans and enjoy the spirit of rebirth...a time of promise and simple pleasures.

spring break...

Last week was our spring break from school, and even though the calendar said March, this kept us indoors...

Don't get me wrong...it was lovely, and we "camped out" just for fun in front of the fireplace most nights. 

It was a homemade hot cocoa & popcorn, favorite movie marathon, bowling, crafting, visiting with grandma & cousins, egg-hunting, & chocolate eating kind of spring break.

Now today, the house is quiet...

However, I've realized that post-spring-break leaves the house looking like a pack of wild animals ran through it. It's definitely time for me to kick it up a notch and dig into spring cleaning! It'll keep me busy until the kids are back home with their stories of the day.