Feels Like Summer

taking a moment to find joy in the little things

{pretty}

Spring is my favorite time to hike because of all the wildflowers. This last weekend's hike through the forest did not disappoint and we spotted many beauties blooming.

My garden is also blooming beautifully and is full of color right now!

{happy}

We held our annual Compassion Sunday at our church this past week and it was an amazing day. We have such a supportive church family and it's always a blessing to be able to share about the ministry God has called our family to. We shared about our trip to Thailand and our experience with Compassion while there, and had 10 child packets available from the very project we visited. We love connecting new sponsors with waiting children and were thrilled that four more children now have sponsors as a result of our Compassion Sunday.

I

n the evening we gathered again, and our friend Alex Mutagubya from Uganda (formerly sponsored child and now pastor in Uganda) came and shared his story with us. What a blessing for our family and friends to hear first hand how sponsorship impacts a life.

School's officially done for the girls, but with an endless supply of books and goldfish, I think the learning will continue all summer (just don't tell them that they are still learning by reading books!)

I made some changes in our decorations. I'm a bit challenged when it comes to decorating, but I knew I needed to brighten up and freshen up our family room. 

The girls and I set off to IKEA with white and yellow as our color scheme. I am loving what we found and think it makes a huge improvement. 

As I was shopping the house for other pops of yellow I could add, I found this pot and dug up a few little shoots off a plant in the garden. Eventually I'd like different plant - one meant for indoors, but for now this will do and it was free!

{funny}

Every year I battle the weeds that seem to be taking over our yard. I am so hesitant to spend money on grass - there are, after all, kids living in poverty that don't have enough to eat today. But I hate, hate, hate the weeds. I've talked to several people who have used weed and feed with great success and so I bought a bag. It sat in the garage for weeks. Finally I decided to apply it to the yard - but was too lazy to walk next door and borrow the spreader. I decided that I could easily apply it myself by tossing it around the yard out of a bowl. 

Um...I really should stick to following directions.

There's a reason they make the spreaders and recommend them. I ended up with burn stripes all through my yard which looks much worse than the weeds. The grass surrounding the burnt areas is very green and lush, though, so there's that....

{real}

When will the violence and school shootings stop? 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre. 74..really? The latest shooting happened this week at our local high school. No school shootings should ever happen and each one saddens me, but when it happens just up the street - where your own children might go someday - that really unsettles me. 

Please pray for our community as we process and heal from this tragedy. Two lives have been lost - one innocently and one not so innocently. Many lives have been affected and shaken up.

I'm linking up with Life Through the Lens, It's the Little Things, {pretty, happy, funny, real}, Little Things Thursday and Floral Love