Two months back in the middle of March

The last couple days it's been cold and miserable (even snowy).  Every year this last surge of winter catches me off-guard, even if I think I'm prepared for it.  Kenneth reminded us what Dad would say if he were here:

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."

--from Robert Frost's "Two Tramps in Mud Time."

But before this we had a couple days that were warm but windy.  Warm enough to go outside and enjoy the Springtime (before it left us. Forever?).

What on earth is going on in this picture?

Oh, this is futile!

Daisy, 6 months old                 Malachi, 6 months old

"If I could just . . . open . . . wide enough . . . "

Gardens

We went to Red Butte Garden over the weekend and it was SO BEAUTIFUL.  The daffodils were amazing in their quantity and variety, and the weather was just perfect for strolling around and enjoying the sunshine.  We all loved it.

Flower Birthday Cake

Daisy eats a twig

The boys probably played on this hill for over an hour.  They were pretending they were roller coasters going up and down a track.  They'd stand in a line, and the boy in back would push the other ones down the hill.

Malachi-Roller-Coaster chugs up the track

Daisy gets Daddy

Little Flower and Big Scoop

Any commentary I add ends up sounding too effusive.  But . . . isn't she just darling?

Malachi reassured me, "But the backhoe won't scoop ME up!  Because backhoes don't scoop up boys!  They only scoop up dirt!  Not boys!"  (But notice he still didn't want to venture into that scoop.)

Spring flowers

Ballet arms (balancing?)

Too sunny!

She scoots now---not quite crawls---to get things that she wants.  She shows GREAT INTEREST in the world around her.

More finery

Of course we shouldn't forget Daisy.  She didn't have a new dress (although I did find one for her for NEXT year), but she looked cute all the same.

Sunday finery

Here are the boys looking darling in their new (post-Easter-sale) Sunday clothes.  Don't you just want to EAT Malachi in that little suit?!  I love pastel-colored Sunday shirts on little boys.

Hopper

After Easter this year I realized I hadn't taken even one picture of the day.  Probably because it was cold and snowy and we hunted for eggs inside.  But, I was sorry not to have had the bunny ears out, and when I mentioned that, Abe got them out for me.  The boys have been wearing them around the house.  Malachi is SO CUTE in his ears---he has a funny skip-run that he does while calling out merrily, "Op! Op! Oppity-op!"

And one more Ky picture.  Sorry for the poor quality/blurriness, but I just love his expression and his blue eyes!