Another day

The earth is heady with Spring today.
It is warm and has been sunny most of the afternoon.
There is a breeze, but the nip has been removed, and it is soft and warm, like a caress.
The trees and flowers have bloomed overnight, it seems, as though they just decided to dress to the nines and go for an outing at the last minute.
The buzz and zig-zag of insects drunk with the nectar of fresh blooms is enchanting today. Where are their secret bowers? (In a few months, we'll be spraying them to death with pesticides.)
On days like this, you can smell the sunshine -- smell it warming the earth.
Nature, to me -- the beauty of it, the breathtaking quality of sunlight on the tops of trees, falling through the branches into kaleidoscope patchwork beneath; the aromatic rows of brilliant, colorful heads dancing in flowerbeds; the white and pink blossoms of the cherry trees, bowing with ancient grace to every slight breeze, dropping their petals here and there, a silken carpet; the brilliant greens of grass and leaf and blues of sky and waters -- is further proof of God's love for us, of His grace in our lives.
I heard it said recently that God's plan for relationship with man began in a garden (Eden) and, after the fall, became possible again in a garden (Gethsemane).
I am home with Daniel today, who continues to have congestion and a bad cough.
We have the windows flung open, though, to let the Spring in.
I missed seeing a play (Honk!) with the elementary grades this morning, but later found out that the theater didn't perform the whole play -- today was a sneak peak. I am planning to go see it with the boys Friday night, so I really won't miss a thing (if we make it).
I did some packing today, though not a lot. I need to get moving on that (pun definitely intended).
Josiah, Daniel and I read library books this afternoon:
Cranberry Easter by Wende and Harry Devlin
Little Bear Marches in the St. Patrick's Day Parade by Janice
The Berenstain Bears On The Moon by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Leprechauns Never Lie by Lorna Balian
The Sound of Color: A Journey of the Imagination by Jimmy Liao
We sang and danced around the living room to worship music. Daniel had his hands up and was "singing." Josiah was bustin' some major moves! We were grooving to "Holy is Your Name" (from the CD City On A Hill: Sing Alleluia). There is a line in that song that I love: "Your mercy flows like a river running wild".
Josiah played with one of the best toys there is -- the laundry basket.

Secretly, Daniel is a baby samurai.

Isaac is back from school now. I couldn't be happier to have them all home for the day.

I always ask the boys, "Where would I rather be?"
They know the answer.
"Nowhere but with us and Dad."
For dinner, mom picked up food from the Deli. De-lish! Bless her three times over!
After cleaning off the table, I made hot cocoa from scratch for the boys.
The air is turning chill.
The windows come down.
And so another day goes down to evening, and there is a peaceful hum of activity, of family life in our home.
Tomorrow is another day.