spring: blooms, a growing girl, mindful appreciation

Pennsylvania is so pretty this time of year. Little clusters of color among the fresh bright green that each year, seem to appear over night, always catch my eye. Spring often feels like an eternity waiting for it's arrival, and then once it's here; it's passes by at rapid speed. I myself have been working towards being more mindful this spring, and in doing so, to instill in Logan an appreciation of the beauty found in each season. We live in a region where we get to live through all four seasons and each season is marked by different beauty. Through the longest and darkest of winters; my wish if for her to forever feel an appreciation. Each year as my girl grows I seek out ways to preserve her beauty, strength, and confidence. And each time, I am lead by nature. From a single snowflake that lands on the tip of her nose as she walks to her car after a night class, to the hot summer sun beating down on her legs as she lays out with a new book-- to always know that much like people, nature comes in many ways for us to enjoy. 

pick your own: strawberries

We have ben taking Logan strawberry picking since before she could walk and it's always the sweetest time, literally. You can see a few of our most recent pick-your-own adventures here, here, and here. It's one of our favorite things to do together as a family, and one I hope to continue to do for many more years to come.

if it's the beaches

This past Tuesday the weather was predicted to be warmer than it typically is this time of year, Scott was home for the day, so planning a beach trip accordingly just made sense. We packed a bag and headed east with our sweet girl and her favorite stuffed pal in tow. 

When we arrived we were so bummed as the wind was whipping. The past few times we made day trips, they had to be cut short due to wicked sandy wind storms. For the record, there is nothing pleasant about sand in the eye. Fortunately though, the wind did die down a bit and it was tolerable. We decided to overlook the wind and go on with our day as planned. We spotted spring blooms on the beach dunes, a definite first for us. They were so pretty, and such a different look for the rather generic dunes we see all summer long. 

We pretty much had the beach to ourselves and were able to run free up and down the shore. Logan loved having this freedom of being able to hunt for treasures without strict limits. Along with with lots of shells and beach stones, we found a few dead crabs near the waters edge. They soon became the obsession. Logan had so many questions regarding how they got there, where they would end up, could we take them home, etc. She picked one up for me to snap a photo of to send off to Grammy, and it began moving in her hand. I unintentionally screamed, startling her. Our attempt to 'wow' Grammy resulted in us being wow'd when the dead crab began moving in her little hand. Awful or awesome parenting? We still can't decide. 

Naturally we forgot sunscreen, so I had to make a stop to grab some.  We did however remember our beach pails and shovels, which provided to be great entertainment for both Logan and Scott. They played for quite a while, only torturing me slightly as I tried to catch a tan. 

I did catch some pretty great moments on my iPhone of Logan running wild and free with sandy hands and dancing feet that moved to the rhythm of the sea. It made my heart so happy seeing her loving good on mother earth. I melt watching, knowing those feelings all too well. Some of my best memories are ones from beach trips with family, and still to this day, the beach is a place that provides me with so much comfort and peace. I hope Logan carries with her those very same feelings into adulthood. I can only hope that she never looses the desire to pick up random items, intrigued and excited. And that she continues to see the beauty in everything, like those broken shell souvenirs she gathered up, typically unwanted and usually tossed back into the ocean.

Later on in the afternoon, we headed down a town over to grab our favorite boardwalk pizza. It was even better than we anticipated, and just what we needed to fill our bellies for the drive home. 

It's such a beautiful day when all of those little imperfections complied together make it more than perfect. We are already talking about another visit.

take me out to the ball game

This is a treasured collection of photos of my sweet little pea at the baseball game we went to before summer began. 

It was a beautiful spring night and we had such a fun time. 

I've been decluttering all aspects of my life--

...eliminating the insignificant and holding close things that matter, 

people that matter.

I've been cleaning out my laptop, too, as a means to simplify and organize. 

These photos are ones I wish to document.

s p r i n g

nature walks
jumping in puddles
lighter bed linens
windows cracked
blue skies
roasted cauliflower
+ grilled chicken dinners
wind in your hair car rides
perfect beach days
lemon water- lots of it
nature walks
watercolors
training wheels
flower picking
little squeals on the soccer field
<----new projects (photo source)
birds chirping
flowers in your hair, flowers everywhere
feeding the ducks
garden plants
city walks
city parks
morning tennis

beautiful days were made for this

Today we ventured out to spend some time outdoors. It was a gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky, cool breeze type of day. 

We went out in search of a park we haven't visited before, and ended up a few towns over at Washington Crossing Historical Park. This spot is said to be the location where Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River in 1776. 

This "park" was not a park by any definition as far as Lo was concerned, but she has the best time. This little spot was full of beauty, and the weather just enhanced it. As you can see Lo loved bouncing from door to door of these little old cottage homes like it was Halloween night. She also had a ball stomping around in the visitor center. Thankfully they are kid friendly. 

Scott and I decided that just him and I are going to go back one day [soon] and take part in the guided tours. We both are History fans and this spot is so close we really would be depriving ourselves by not returning. Plus, we are way over due or a day date, any date actually!

spring, sprang, sprung

via
Reasons to love spring

Color/Daily walks/Planting vegetable gardens/Curbside lunches/Breezy skirts/Bike rides/Sunshine/Day trips/Outside photos/Riverboat rides/Beach trips/Wooded trails/Parks/Reading outside/Picnics/Mismatched plates/Tulip fields/Dyed eggs/Sandals and Hoodies/Wandering