Springtime Arrival

The new Springtime arrival has set foot in Minnesota. I AM HERE! (Is that cheesy?)

I am so happy to be back for my 2 week vacation here in St. Paul, MN. Although I was only just here in January, I couldn't bike, BBQ and get ready for Adel's wedding in the middle of all that freezing cold. Now I can!

First stop was Austin, TX. I emptied nearly all of my suitcase to give Maggie the DiscoverHope Fund goods. DHF had an event the following day and used all those goods to help generate almost $6,000. We also crammed in Tex-Mex and pedicures in our short 6 hours together.

I was then on the "late" (in every way) flight out to Kansas City. Ester graduated. She is an official urban design expert and awaiting news for her new job to start this coming month. The entire family (mom, dad, pete, essie, and I) camped out in Ester and Mike's new apartment with coolers of food and air mattresses for the weekend. It was almost like camping on the North Shore, except we had a roof, clean bathrooms and no mosquitos. I am so proud of Ester's long haul in school and life and wish her and Mike a new start filled with many blessings this year.

Then there was a road trip through Missouri and Iowa before I walked on Minnesota soil. I felt a little like I was back in grade school - Are we there yet? Can we stop for ice cream? Pete is taking up MY space. I just was reminded that there is a whole different way to travel besides the old, rusty "combi" minivans and crazy taxi drivers and two story cross country buses. In my parents car we could stop whenever we wanted to...including a reststops with no bathrooms in Iowa. Is that the new thing now?

So I am home smelling the lilac bushes, taking allergy medicine, shopping for wedding shoes, eating fresh asparagus, biking to the farmer's market and being with family. It is quite lovely, except the shopping for wedding shoes part. I am a bridesmaid in Adel's wedding and what do you wear with a light blue dress? Well if I don't like what I bought yesterday there is still more days before the Saturday celebration.

Hope your spring days are also lovely!