Spring Is Here

It appears that Spring is here!  We just hope that it stays.  This past week has been filled with record-setting 80 degree temperatures.  Everything is turning green, tree buds are growing into leaves, day lillies are sprouting up through the overgrown remnants of winter brown, and tulips and daffodils are now seen in every neighborhood.  Now I just hope that it sticks around! Iowa has been known to welcome in a March snowstorm, but we hope mother nature gives us a year off!  Our April showers just arrived yesterday with some torrential downpours, and our forecasts call for rain for most of the week.  But, we don't mind...80 degrees in March!  Since the weather has been so great we've been able to enjoy a lot of the outdoors.  Here's what we've been up to:

• Evening walks to the park. 
• Harper's first experiences on the swing.  She loves it!  She would sit in the swing all day.  She's funny.  She loves to lean over the side and hold on to the front rope. 
• Riley loves to swing on the big yellow swing. She's learning how to pump her legs, although she prefers to be pushed.
• Annual yardwork has begun.  Brett cleaned up our garden.  We're hoping to expand it a bit this year.  I hope to make it a little bit prettier.  I'm thinking white picket fence in place of the chicken wire.  I pulled the dead leaves away from our day lillies.  Brett begun cleaning out the overgrown grass and left over mulch from our front yard.  We're hoping to change it up a little this year and add some new rock.  We have big plans.
• We started growing some of our vegetable plants inside.  I'm hoping we didn't start them to soon.  We have grean beans, summer squash, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and cucumbers. 
• Riley's found a new love for her "bike with no pedals." She's doing great with it, but likes to be pushed.
• Riley's riding her scooter like a pro.
• Harper had her first experience with grass.  She didn't mind it at all.  I remember Riley trying not to put her feet down, but Harper is all about it.  So far she's eaten dirt and dead leaves.
• We've "bar bee qued," as Riley would say, almost every night.
• The windows have been open most days!
• Both of the girls have been wearing capris and shorts.  Both are in need of some new summer clothes asap!  Have a mentioned how fun it is to see Harper wearing Riley's old clothes.  I'm sure she won't think it's all that fun here in a few years!