Is it Spring Yet?

There is really nothing much to this blog post. This year we have had an un-seasonably cold Spring. We will have a few Spring-like days and then it will turn cold again. Like seriously I could not get our wardrobe right. Example, one day we went to the zoo with friends and I dressed Lyla is shorts and a shirt and did the same for myself. At the last second as we walked out the door, I grabbed a pair of pants for her and a sweater for both of us. Um, good thing I grabbed them because it was absolutely freezing!! Like I was shivering with goosebumps most of the day! It was sunny and beautiful, but cold! Definitely not shorts weather!! It was literally like upper 40's low 50's.

So needless to say, having that pool in the backyard, it literally has been taunting Lyla and I everyday that the weather seems to be turning. We just need a few warm days for our pool to warm up!! We are ready to SWIM!!

We are so ready to live outside. Lyla is my outside girl. Has been since day one! I love being outside as well. I love how good I feel after soaking in that sun and breathing in that air. We live outside during the Spring/Summer. 

We are READY! 

Can I say that enough?

So one afternoon, it was perfect, so I pulled Lyla's art easel (that she got for Christmas) out into our backyard for her to paint. It was so much fun! She absolutely loved it. Definitely an activity that will be going in our activity rotation.

It was so fun to see her paint and be creative and laugh and concentrate so hard.

It also gave me a chance to practice with my camera....pre photography class.

Concentrating so hard.

I see a lot of my "perfectionist" personality in her. If she "thinks" she can't do it, she doesn't even like to try. She just wants me to do it. I really struggle with this, because I do not want her to be a slave to this trait like I am. It hinders me so much, because it is SO incredibly hard for me to try new things if I know I won't be perfect at them. So I am trying to help her not fall into this pattern. I always encourage her to try before I will help her. I always let her know that her trying her best it what matters. That the Lord loves seeing her try new things for herself and that we try our best for His glory. That is does not matter in the least if it does not turn out perfect or the way we want it to because we can always try again. This is a slow learning experience for both of us. It hurts me when she refuses to try because no matter what, she is good enough and I want her to know that. The Lord made her perfectly just the way she is, and that is good enough. It really is true that the Lord reveals your heart through your children. I have learned so much about who I am, how I perceive myself and my heart, through parenting. My need for praying for my child and for my heart as I parent her keeps becoming more and more apparent. I pray for wisdom, discernment and the words from the Holy Spirit that my child and her heart need and long to hear. It is a gentle blunt, in my face reminder, that my actions speak louder than my words around my child (and others) and that I have to be a good example to her in all things. My words will mean nothing with out my example of living them out.

Lyla is such a delight. Everything about her is a delight. Her words, her singing, her dancing, her giggles, her smile, her silliness, her cuddles, her big hugs, her baby kisses.

She seems so grown up.

Her imagination is really taking off. She loves for me to be near. She is not into interactive play yet, she just wants company while she plays alongside. Her heart is so happy and she is a joy. She loves Jesus and she loves singing about her Jesus. This truly makes my heart happy and full.

I love seeing her creative side! I am not creative at all, but she seems to be. In all these pictures, she is painting with her right hand, but more so than not, she favors her left hand, especially when it comes to eating. So who knows. We have lefty's on both sides of the family, so it will not surprise me if she is too.

Happy Girl.

Her favorite colors right now are pink and blue.

Once her art was complete and drying, we ventured over to the pool to dip our feet in and see how cold it was.

It was COLD!

Toes in the water.

Lyla did not care how cold it was. She stripped her clothes off and pretty much got in. Much braver girl than I!

At this point our pool was no where close to being ready to swim in. Still green and gross and filled with leaves (and other things....). After this day, I decided that it was time to start getting the pool ready because before we knew it the warm weather would be here and we would be ready to swim!