I just love this time of year. With the sun shining and the temps warming up, there’s a lot to be upbeat about. Here’s a list of ten things (in no particular order) that are currently bringing me joy:

1. Greenhouse visits. Who doesn’t love a sprawling greenhouse in the springtime? Buying new flowers to plant/pot/hang always makes me so happy. I love picking out a blend of new varieties I haven’t tried and standbys that feel like old friends.
2. Iced lattes and hot tea. On cool mornings, a cup of tea is still my favorite, but now that I’m in my third trimester (and after no coffee of any kind for a loooooong time), I’ve allowed myself a few iced decaf oat milk lattes and they’ve been such a treat!
3. Books on Kindle. Jason can finally say “I told you so,” here. I resisted the Kindle for the longest time in favor of hard copies of books. I’ll still always prefer the hard copy, but I have to admit that having a book on my Kindle means I read more often. Here’s to actually finishing books in 2021.
4. Open windows. Goodness, it feels amazing to have the house open and a fresh breeze blowing through!
5. Hearing our kiddos laugh. We watched a movie together tonight and H appreciated so many funny parts. C laughs at the drop of a hat and then makes himself laugh some more, and E’s laugh is completely contagious. Joyful noise is the very best kind.
6. Church. Soaking in worship and teaching on Sunday mornings has been a lifeline for a long time, but I crave it especially these days. Having our kids sit with us is really a gift to my heart. It’s not always perfect, but interacting together in the pew each Sunday matters to me. I hope they’ll always think of church together as a family priority and value.
7. Watching H play baseball. It just feels so right to be at ball games at this time of year, and watching H learn new aspects of the game makes my baseball-loving self awfully happy. As long as he enjoys it, I will, too.
8. Seeing people’s faces. Wow, it just feels like way too long since being face to face with others was a regular occurrence. I think it’s been healing for all of our hearts to see smiles again. We’re just not wired to miss out on facial expressions and to have our minds working overtime to read eyes and eyebrows and figure out who’s who. For our kids especially, this feels so important.
9. Having a food craving or clear appetite. My food tendencies have been so strange this pregnancy, and I rarely know what, if anything, sounds good to eat. When I have a specific craving or my appetite perks up, it’s so much easier (and more enjoyable) to prepare and eat food. I can’t say there’s one food I’ve wanted consistently throughout the past seven months–the only consistent thing has been that nothing sounds amazing. Being matter of fact about food is totally ok, but it’s really nice to be excited about it every once in a while.
10. Organizing all the things. It seems like we have far to go before I’ll feel “ready” for baby and fully nested (is that even a thing?), but in general, my heavy inclination to nest and settle in these days means I’m always trying to tackle a different project. Checking things off of my list is so gratifying, and having the energy to accomplish something I’ve wanted to do for a while feels amazing. I don’t always have the energy for things beyond the daily necessities, but when I do, it’s so encouraging.

I feel like I could go on with more things tonight, but having ten to write about is pretty beautiful, too. I’m so appreciating this long weekend and the chance to enjoy many of the above…it’s truly a gift to be alive!

MM