Nothing But My Version of Ordinary

It got up to 78 degrees here today. Spring is officially on its way, which makes me very happy. I love spring in the Texas Hill Country. The weather is usually just about perfect, with highs hovering between 70-80 and a lot of sunshine. My absolute favorite thing about spring around here is the wildflowers, bluebonnets in particular. Usually they all come up almost overnight. You'll go from seeing your typical green field to fields just full of bluebonnets. The picture I have here is the rule, not the exception.

Spring around here means I need to go shopping for warm-weather clothes. If you're ever contemplating a move to the Lone Star State, plan on having a wardrobe that's about 75% short-sleeved and lightweight. Those big wool sweaters will only get use about once every three years, so you don't need too many. Short-sleeved things can be worn nearly year-round. Another must-have are sandals. I wear mine almost every day, even to work because my campus is casual that way. My current wardrobe is looking a little sad, though. I had to get rid of a lot of my shirts because pregnancy changed my, ahem, shape. Shirts that used to fit perfectly suddenly became too short, so I bought a few things last year to get me through. Those shirts have seen so much wear that they're all pilling. Time to hit the stores.

Spring also means I've got the gardening bug. Usually at this time of year, I start picking out my flowers. This year, I can't really spend money on landscaping because there's a good chance it'll all get torn up whenever the builder finally gets around to fixing our house's foundation. So, I've been looking into alternative ways to scratch my gardening itch. Container gardening seems to be the leading contender, but it's pricey. Summers around here have temperatures in the 100's and usually not much rain, and I don't have much shade in my back yard. So, in order to keep my plants alive in pots, I'd have to water at least once a day, if not twice a day. Knowing me, I'd forget to do that and my plants would all die. A girl can dream, right?

Finally, Spring means Kenneth's birthday and angel day are coming around the corner. We've been doing our best around here to think about all of the other positive things that spring brings, and remember Kenneth without letting it overshadow everything else. Some days it's easier than others. He's been on my mind a lot over the past week or so since his birthday is this weekend. Jacob has to work on his birthday, so I'm not sure if I'll go out to the cemetary without him or just wait until Monday so that we can go as a family. We'll replace the silk flowers that are out there, clean his stone, and talk to him for a little while. Then we'll go back to our lives and try to enjoy the beauty in the world. I would have liked to show Kenneth a Texas spring.