I know that the first day of spring was a good while back, but it hasn't felt like spring until this weekend. I celebrated a gorgeous weekend of sunshine, no clouds, and very little wind, by donning flip-flops! Normally, I wear flip-flops on the first day of spring regardless of what the weather is doing. This year, I wasn't in the mood to have snow on my bare toes for the sake of tradition, so I decided to call the 12th of April the first day of spring.

Sis and I worked on clearing out flower beds today, and I tried to get a little bit of color on my lower legs without burning them. Quite the trick for this red-head! I started imagining how painful sun burnt legs would be and moved into the shade. Oh well, maybe fish-belly-blindingly-white skin will be in style soon! It is better than cherry-red anyway.

All the younger siblings played outside from the time we got home from church until dark.  My 5yo brother came in this evening looking like Pigpen from the Peanuts comic strip. Remember, the kid that goes around with a cloud of dust around him? Little Brother's normally brown hair was gray. When mom told him there was dirt in his hair he tried to shake it out, only to be met with a chorus of "No!" from his sisters. Pour boy, females are so hard to please.

Visions of summer are floating through my head. Sunday picnics, swimming, softball, camping trips, snow cones, VBS, mocha frappichinos, 4-H,  flip-flops! On top of all that, there is the mission trip my daddy and I are going on in a couple of months. Our family will be busy with fundraising things between now and then. 

In spite of all my excitement for summer, I am having to face the grim reality that totally carefree summers are behind me, at least for this year.  I have been extremely blessed to get a good summer job that is within biking distance from home. It also has great hours (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) so my afternoons and evenings will be free.  I wonder what else this summer will hold.