Sunshine Again!!!

I was talking to my friend Wendy at church on Sunday about how refreshing this time of year seems to be. After a Colorado winter like the one we have just had, it seems as if everyone is more ready than ever before to experience the bright vitamin D rays of the sun. 60+ inches of snow, though beautiful and even fun, brought with it so much dirt and yuck and trash and mud. Both my garage and my house are in dire need of Spring cleaning. But today I don't feel much like cleaning. It is 71 degrees outside. The sun is shining bright and I even noticed some new green shoots of tulips and daffodils coming out of the ground. Today, all I want to do is enjoy. . .

And enjoy I have done. . .
I love it that Superior has become home to our family. This summer it will be five years since we moved here. A lot has happened in five years. Claire was only 6 months old when we moved into the Horizons apartment complex - the place where everyone in Superior starts out. Those days were lonely days. But today - today I went to Safeway and the lady who checked me out knew my name. She even pronounces it correctly now before she ever takes a look at my credit card. And the barrista at Starbucks, Melissa, has become my buddy who knows my order almost by heart (okay, I'm not sure that is something to be proud of - yet it is quite "homey.")

I walked to the park with the girls. The sun was shining and we were in flip flops and t-shirts. Along the way we passed multiple ladies from Cool River with their kids, other ladies from the community that I have gotten to know, even dogs whose names I remember from previous meetings. Emma, Claire and Olivia have friends - Regan, Riley, Kate, Matthew, Joshua. . . all who just happened to be out on the sunny morning. It all makes me so thankful. Five years ago we had no idea that God was going to bless our family in such a huge way. Every inch of this place is home. Every person that we pass at Target or Super Joe's or Cool River seems like family.

And this time of year it seems like the grayness has lifted from people's faces and it's as if there is new hope and fresh beginnings in store. How appropriate that Easter is just around the corner. The hope of new life and new beginnings that comes through the story of Jesus' resurrection is the perfect picture of how this time of year makes me feel. Thanks, Holy Spirit, for reminding me today.