Hello, Spring!

Hello, neighborhood egg hunt.

Hello, daffodil wreath. (I *finally* made it myself!)

Hello, General Conference.

(Conference store and conference cash were a big hit)

Hello, Easter.

 Hello, tulips.

It's amazing how you can plant a funny-looking bulb in the fall and watch it turn into something so beautiful after a long, cold winter under the ground. We love you, Spring!

March Gladness

This March, as would be expected, the Dixon Family is glad about three things: 1) Forest's birthday, 2) leprechauns, and 3) NCAA basketball brackets.

1) Forest's Birthday

I am not a basketball player. But I can organize basketball players and bribe them with donuts. For one of Forest's birthday gifts I planned to surprise him with a game of four-on-four to play in that morning. Unfortunately, ALL of us were surprised by the "Do Not Enter" signs on the gym doors where the game was supposed to happen--the wood floors had just been refinished, and ball players were not allowed. Thankfully, these men were all good sports and found an outdoor court nearby to play on. There was still snow on the ground, but the sun was just warm enough that they all worked up a good sweat by the end (as well as an appetite for donuts).

The first year I met Forest, I made him a sticky, lopsided birthday cake and put 25 candles on it. Then I took this picture of him:

This year I made him a slightly less lopsided chocolate cake and put 35 candles on it. Then I took this picture of him:

I'm not sure what he was wishing as he blew out the candles on each of those cakes, but I'm glad I got to be there both times and all the times in between.

Paula was glad to get some chocolate cake.

2) Leprechauns

Sometime during my childhood I got this funny T-shirt that says: "All My Best Friends are Leprechauns." For some reason, I still have it, and for some reason, it still fits. For St. Patrick's Day, I put it on, and my three little girls put one some green, too.

Ramona and Mika also decorated a special house for the Leprechaun to come and visit. Ramona left a note on it that said: "Dear Leprcon, Did you like are haws? Love Ramona"

She also left a tiny green baby hat in there as the Leprechaun's bed. To avoid confusion, she wrote "bed" with an arrow.

Dinner that night was clam chowder with green food coloring . . .

. . . and green grapes. Or "bapies," as Paula calls them.

3) NCAA Basketball Brackets
After dinner, it was time to finish up some brackets.

Ramona and Mika loved taking turns helping Paula make her picks.

For their champion mascots, Ramona picked the leprechaun and Mika and Paula each picked a bulldog. They haven't paid too much attention to the actual basketball tournament since then, but they have been kind enough to share the TV with Daddy so he can watch a few games.

By the way, my best friends are not really leprechauns. But I still feel pretty lucky, anyway.

Am I Dreaming?

I have recently experienced a sudden increase in productivity related to household tasks: cleaning, organizing, and even (*gasp*) decorating. It reminds me of the times when I was 8-9 months pregnant and wildly preparing the house for a new arrival--I always got so much done in those "nesting" months.

My behavior now seems almost like "reverse nesting." I have weaned my baby, she's more or less sleeping through the night, and I feel less tied down. As lovely as it is to have a little baby in our home, that first year of childcare is so exhausting. A lot of the time I felt like an overworked, under-fueled machine, barely functional enough to keep the baby and other children alive.

Now that Paula has gained more independence (like walking!) she requires a different kind of attention, but overall my responsibilities seem easier. I feel a lot more human and a little more ambitious--I'm ready to tackle some of the clutter and dust piled up during the past year. Time to finally hang up some curtains, switch out some furniture, pack away the baby stuff, and purge the closet (at last my body has settled on a pants size).

I'm sure it is a short-lived phase. But it's helping my house look a little prettier, while it lasts.

family room

front living room

I have also recently experienced an increase in cello students. A few months after we moved to Timnath, I picked up three students. Two of those students are still in my studio, and now I've added nine more. I must be out of my mind, allowing this small business to blossom out of the zoo that is my house, but somehow it is working out, and bringing me a huge measure of joy and satisfaction. As if I didn't get enough of that from church service, orchestra, and the residents at my zoo, right?

As I come up on the thirty-year mark of my life, I feel so grateful for all I've been given and all who have helped me get to where I am. I really am living my dream.