Spring is Sprung

March brought with it the glories of spring this year. There's been such a joy to be outside now that we have such a busy toddler. I feel so much better about taking Hudson out in mild weather.

 And, boy, does Em love to be outside. The one particular day, she helped me weed. Every time I handed her a weed to put in her pail, she'd say, "thankee, momma." Little dear!

One day I put Emme in a new outfit that I particularly loved and realized--the roses are in bloom! It would be such a shame to not take pictures. So then I shamelessly took pictures of Emme in our front yard among the blooms. Sometimes I imagine how ridiculous I must look to my neighbors chasing her with a camera. I'm sure the people of Instagram get sick of all my shots of her, but sometimes I just can't contain the cuteness. Oh well, people can unfollow me if they want.

We love being so close to a park. And not just any park! Little Valley park has three separate playgrounds that Em can play on and a wonderful walking path. Since the weather has been nice, we walk nearly every day. Such a treat to be out in the fresh air. When we walk past the largest playground, Emme usually whines, "Emme wants to swiiiing!" over and over again. A lot of times, we give in.

And sometimes she's just plain tuckered out after it's all over. :)

 

 With all this walking, the double stroller my parents got me for my birthday sure comes in handy. It just kills me to see Hudsie sitting in there like a big boy. My little homie with his hoodie on.

 Sometimes we'll just be scrounching around the house and then Emme starts doing something downright hilarious. These new sunnies were a must with the warm weather, and this girl knows how to rock them!

Had a play date with Nikki's daughter, Navi. I don't get Emme together with other little kids nearly enough, but it's always interesting to watch her play and be rather bossy. I try not to be a helicopter mom, but I don't want her to annoy people. Chill parents like Nikki are perfect for these playdate novices.

As Emme has gotten older, I've been trying to teach her more about the gospel. She has began praying and seems to at least partly understand the general concepts of church. The temple is something I've been trying to emphasize more. I realized that I want her to understand the "whys" of the gospel and to glean strength and faith from all available to her, even in her young age. She LOVES the temple grounds, though we have to watch her like a hawk to keep her from picking flowers. Silly goose. Oh, and I nearly had a panic attack thinking of her slipping and falling down those flight of granite stairs...

My little man. Could he be more adorable? He loves walks, but he doesn't like riding over the cracks in the sidewalk, and so we try to keep him on smooth pavement. He gets kid of sad not being able to see me. He would prefer to be in the baby wrap over the stroller most days, but we're working on it.

Thank goodness for beautiful spring!