In Like a Lion

Can it be March already? It seems just yesterday the groundhog saw his shadow, and we’re now less than three weeks from the official kickoff of spring. The way we know it’s March around here is by the return of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Gavin’s class Cat in the Hat breakfast last year initiated our own annual observance, which meant a simple green eggs and ham breakfast this morning. Now that’s a tradition I can handle!

Speaking of birthdays, our friend Ben celebrated his 40^th last week. Naturally, we had to drop by to get in some of our own heckling (not too much – mind you – with my own coming up in a couple of years). Gavin and Gabe had their usual Lego fest while the rest of us hung out. It was a great time.

Saturday I played chauffeur to five women from our church congregation on an outing to the LDS temple in Boston. We had a great time visiting on the way up and back, enjoyed the sanctity of the temple, and had some great Thai food before heading home. We’ll have to do it again sometime!

Sunday afternoon we attended a preparation meeting for Gavin’s baptism, which is coming up in August when he turns eight. Last night’s Family Home Evening was dedicated to Jesus' example in being baptized. It’s so rewarding for Chad and me to see Gavin’s faith and commitment to the gospel growing at an early age.

This afternoon I came home to find a big package on the front porch. As soon as both kids were home we dug in to find goodies for all. My prize was a 1972 pressure canner handed down from an old family friend. Chad scored a box of his favorite Hot Tamales. The trail mix soon became a vehicle for Arwen's artwork. But the big treat was my mom’s full Little House on the Prairie series. Gavin read the first three pages of Little House in the Big Woods aloud before bed. I wish I had a picture of the smile that lit up his face when he read about Jack the brindle bulldog, whose passing he cried over several months ago in one of the later books.

Tonight in particular has me hoping for March to go out like a lamb. The rain of the past few weeks (we’ve had more than we ever saw in Seattle!) has just started seeping into our basement. After the shop vac stopped working, I was lugging it up the stairs when the canister broke loose and spewed a mixture of water and wood shavings all over the basement stairs and carpet. Hmm . . . try to scrub it out now, or wait till it’s dry and see if it will vacuum up? I opted for the latter option.

Hope your week is sunny, dry, and free of shop vac mishaps!