April Lookback

I've lauded and praised the attributes that October holds.  And though October holds a special place in my heart as the best month of all.  April is runner up.

 Birthday flowers! Paul and the kids surprised me at work with a bouquet.

Though flowers don't hit full blown until usually the end of the month, I love the emerging buds and green leaves popping through the earth.  The quiet celebration of the end of winter.  Which crescendos into a shout of hallelujah by the time May hits.  Praise the Lord.

April often is the holder of Easter, though it has to share with March every now and then because it's nice like that.

And, though it held more excitement 20+ years ago....it also has my birthday in it.  Meh.

With that, April was a month of celebrations.  We started with my birthday on Maundy Thursday, along with a Seder dinner which will become a yearly tradition in our family.  It was a special, sweet time with our kids, and I loved that it fell on my birthday this year.  We did go slightly off tradition and round out the meal with a birthday cheesecake.  We celebrated our Savior's Resurrection a few days later, thankful that all the grandparents could be with us for Easter Dinner.  Hannah also joined in the celebrating, turning 7 toward the end of the month.

 So, I secretly was crushing this outfit, and wished I had it in my size.  Don't judge.

We got together with both sides of the family to celebrate March and April birthdays with one and April and May birthdays with the other.  I tried my hand out at a few handmade gifts, and though they aren't Pinterest worthy, I don't think they are a Pinterest-fail, either.

We enjoyed the ability to be outside without layers upon layers of clothes and started weeding and mulching and that fun stuff.

 Previous 3 photos courtesy of Hannah and Madeline

April was packed with soccer, added school responsibilities for Paul, and various other things pulling us in several directions.  It's a struggle for us Introverts, Paul and I, to be out and about for days upon end without quiet evenings at home to settle ourselves.  But, at the same time, we are thankful to be useful to others, and in service for the King.  It just makes those quiet evenings so much more sweet.

Looking at May's calendar, it's just about as crazy.  But for now, I tip my hat to April, Favorite Month Runner-Up, and march into May, breathing deep the scent of Lilacs and thankful for the sun that comes up every morning, along with those mercies.  Because, well, without those mercies, there really is not reason to celebrate.

And now, the rest of April...

 The kids discovered their homemade sprinkler with a training-wheeled bike and a puddle.  They caught me in a good moment and I didn't go into instant frustration mode.  Thank you, Lord.  Instead, I grabbed the camera.

  Some of the food from our Seder dinner. The lamb dish I made turned out really good for not making it before.  It most likely will make an appearance next year.

 Part of the ceremony is that the mother is supposed to hear a white veil or head covering.  I didn't remember that detail until we had already started eating, so I used the towel that the matzah was wrapped up in.

 And, because I seem to have started a monthly posting of my chalk wall, here is April's. Madeline's teacher is so creative and all 3 artworks are by Madeline made at preschool.  This lady is awesome.  We are both going to miss her next year.