Summer's Comin'

Life has been busy! Things are lovely though. We've been working hard - I am trying to fit in as many patients as possible with Medicaid ending and John has some big projects going on at work. Of course, I worry about practicing, balancing finances and being a mom. After much prayer, I know I am doing all that I can right now and have to enjoy the journey. Young Women's is full of Temple Celebration practices. John and I keep busy at home with our "projects" and loving our little one.
PeaPod is so fun. She talks up a storm with "I do it", "My...(list anything I have in my hand), "el'fants" elephants, "buffos" buffalos, and my personal favorite "Come 'ere" with her patting her tummy with one hand. She loves stuffed animals sleeping with multiple friends on the bed. She sings all day long ABCs and other songs.
It is warming up and it has been such a lift to be able to do things in the garden without much pain this year! Yippee! Feeling the grass beneath my feet feels so good! Here are some of our barefoot in the garden and enjoying late spring days lately:

I Spy with My Little Eye:

My sister Kristie emailed me these pictures to change into bloggable form for her and I just had to post them also! This second one is chalk full of great things about that time in our lives. The first one is of Kristie hugging one of our bum lambs, Licorice, with the happiest little look on her face - just as I remember her!
Take a look at pic #2 and spy the following:
1. My awesome 'Welcome to the 90's" cowgirl jeans - so hot.
2. Pink boots: mine stylishly hidden by my awesome jeans and Loralee, ever stylish and ahead of the trends, has her jeans tucked into her boots.
3. In the background, our fantastic customized VAN: most awkward vehicle ever to learn to drive in, yet convenient for taking numerous friends about.
4. The wind blowing my attempt at styling my hair while growing out the infamous Utah bangs popularly entitled "The Claw"
5. Our wood fence, before vinyl replaced it. I have many memories walking on top of that fence and painting it!
6. And last but not least, our last set of bum lambs we raised named Salt and Pepper.

There was a great article in the Ensign about the great spiritual lessons that you can glean while raising lambs. This article echoed what we as a family had experienced growing up and talked about many a time. We were given the bum lambs to raise from our great uncle. We bottle fed them and cared for them. Each day I would call, "Baa, Baaaas!" and they would come running and jumping to see me. They knew their shepherd. I loved them so much. Finally, they would be grown and sold to a neighbor who had a flock down the street. Years later I could come to that field and yell, "Baa, Baahs!" and those who were raised by me would look up, separate themselves from the rest of the flock and come running to meet me just as they had as lambs. My dad watched this happen one day with tears in his eyes. He saw the beautiful lesson of knowing our true shepherd. My dad knew that me calling my sheep was just like Christ calling us. We know His voice by feeding on His word. We grow close to Him by daily study and prayer. If we do this, we can hear His call and separate ourselves from those who are not concerned with knowing Him - no matter what we are doing we will look up and know Him. There are so many more lessons I have learned from this one experience. I am so glad and blessed to have been provided such an experience and great lesson growing up.