Keep your sunny side up

On a lighter note~

"Dear Lord," the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. "Without you, we are but dust."

He would have continued but, at that moment, an inquisitive little girl leaned over to her mother and asked quite audibly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mom, what is butt dust?"

Good question, eh? Wrinkled butt thanks to my xanga friend, Idonotfearthem, who let me borrow the cutie patooty photo up top! Check out her work~ If only I lived closer to Oklahoma...that girl'd be clicking Gracie's pic. :o)

We played outside yesterday in the sun, breaking out the tricycle. Grace really has it mastered now...if only those pink cowboy boots wouldn't slip from the pedals. We rode around the neighborhood and then walked by the river, noticing the the deer prints in the dried mud. We visited the neighbor & all the kitties to learn one had babies just a couple of days ago. With the tulips coming up, Doris is preparing her soap posts to keep the deer from nibbling the tender leaves.

I knew warm weather was on the way when I saw the groundhog (AKA Chucky) hunched up on top of the tree stump just inches from my deck where he makes his home. Of course, we've seen deer for quite sometime. In fact, early Sunday morning, one was right by the deck craning his neck over the deck rail, perhaps in search of food. I hope they don't like geraniums because that's right where they'll grow in a few weeks.

So thankful for sunshine and warmth to unthaw my frozen soul...feels like that. Winter's slumber, resembling death must give way to the new life burgeoning through the wet earth.

So it goes with the seasons in our lives; the ebb & flow of celebration; the surrender in autumn; death in winter- those difficult experience where we die to ourselves-our circumstances & wait for God to finish His work, trusting that what grows out of the dying will blossom far more beautiful than what we laid to rest. The promise of Spring~ new life- a fresh start.

Nicole Nordeman so captures this in her song Every Season~

Every Season
by Nicole Nordeman

Every evening sky, an invitation to trace the pattern stars.
And early in July, a celebration for freedom that is ours.
And I notice You in children's games, in those who watch them from the shade.
Every drop of sun is full for fun and wonder.
You are summer.

And even when the trees have just surrendered to the harvest time,
Forfeiting their leaves in last September and sending us inside
Still I notice You, when change begins and I am braced for colder winds.
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come.
You are autumn.

And everything in time and under heaven finally falls asleep
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation shivers underneath.
And still I notice You when branches crack and in my breath on frosted glass.
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter.
You are winter.

And every thing that new has bravely surfaced, teaching us to breathe
And what was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green.
So it is with You and how You make me new with every season's change.
And so it will be as You are recreating me,
Summer, autumn, winter, spring.

The past few days have brought not one but TWO visits to the zoo for little Miss Grace. She went with N&S to Lincoln Park Zoo on Saturday then Monday/today, she enjoyed Brookfield with the Kruder clan! She's had her hopes up for seeing a porcupine...not sure where she got that she would see one, but she's been disappointed both trips...just a bit though...she still can tell me plenty about other exciting things she saw. Whoo hoo for the zoo~ Thanks, folks, for loving on my Gracie baby~ What treasures you are!

Plenty of park play today...she's quite the adventurous spirit. Hmmmm...wonder where she gets that from?? :o) hee, heee~ Here are a few pics of the Gracie girl in action.

Sunny, sunny days to you & yours. I'll leave you with a cutie Gracie Quote from this weekend:

Watching a bit of TV, a commercial came on where this guy was grilling. Love to-love to grill. "We'll have to get the barbecue grill out soon, Grace." Her eyes widened like saucers as she turned toward me, clasping her two year old hands together in delight. "Oh, yes, Mom. We have to get a Barbie grill." heee, heeee~ I guess she knows about Barbie now. Thanks, Laurie :o) They actually make a Barbie Grill. What's up with that??

Have a good one~