Spring is in the Air

It started gradually: a couple of warm days here and there, diminishing snow piles, once-needed layers of clothing remaining on the pegs, even a few days of shoes with no socks! And then, there were days when it was warm enough to open the windows to air out the musty, closed-up smell of the apartment. The dogs could lay out on the porch and bask in the sun with the door wide open. How refreshing!

And then, no more snow piles at all! That green grass was finally free. Yes, it remains green under all that snow, believe it or not. If I'm being honest, though, I have to admit that what also came out under all that snow was all the "stuff" that got snowed over: someone's old sweatshirt, old toys left on the lawn, some trash around the dumpster, bikes that got hit by the plow (oops!), lost sleds that didn't get taken in before the next snow, etc. So, there was definitely some cleaning up to do. But it got done, the picnic tables and fire pits are back out, and grilled meat is the most popular menu item any day of the week.

Sallie and Hazel are back to their favorite sport: swimming in the now-thawed lake. It's amazing to think that just a few weeks ago we were walking around on this lake with no fear of falling through the feet-thick ice. Sallie and Hazel didn't hesitate to dive right into the hypothermic water. We, however, will not be diving in anytime soon. It's too cold for even a big toe!

What I have loved most about Spring is watching the gradual awakening of the trees and flowers. It happens so fast in the South that we sometimes miss it. Here, as I walk to and from work each day, I notice the buds getting bigger and bigger on the trees. I get excited when I see the tiny leaves gradually poking out of the buds. Watching a tree unfold after a long winter is worth the wait. The bulbs in our garden have finally popped up and are budding. It's so beautiful! The "Spring" chapter in Thoreau's Walden never meant quite as much to me until now that I have experienced it for myself. It's funny that I never noticed it in New England, but I think I was too busy with school while we were there. It's such a blessing to have the leisure to see the beauty of Spring this year.

Three more weeks and counting until Rob's done with this semester--please keep praying!

P.S. Check out the Spring 2008 picture album in the column to the right under "Our Picture Albums"!

Crunch Time

I feel safe to say that it's finally Spring here, and I owe you some pictures. We've had a lot of rain in the past few days, but it should clear up this week, and I'll post some NO SNOW pictures soon!
Rob and I recently had a great trip to Charleston, complete with a baby shower graciously hosted by the Kunes and the Myers. It was so wonderful to see all of our friends and family both from Charleston and those who came from out of town. It was really hard to say goodbye all over again and to know that we won't see many of them again until Christmas time. It's really weird to think that the next time we go to Charleston we will have a 5-month old baby with us. Wow!
As soon as we got back to Nashotah House, Rob entered the end of the semester season that I like to call Crunch Time. He's got about 5 weeks of presentations, papers, and exams left, not to mention his regular responsiblities in the Chapel and around campus. I'm trying to keep busy with work and baby preparation stuff, but I have to admit that with Rob in the library so much, it's getting a little lonely around here. We could definitely use some strong prayer for the next few weeks.
We love y'all!