Spring is Here

It has suddenly warmed up.  We went from below freezing temperatures at night to almost 70 degrees as the high, in a three week period.  Wow!  As the weather has changed, our city has changed as well.  This past couple weeks I have seen familiar faces, ones I have not seen since last spring.  Suddenly everyone is outside, walking to the outdoor markets, taking their grandkids out to play, visiting with friends outside of buildings.  Our family is trying to take full advantage of the change in weather, and change in our community.  The kids and I often stop by a playground on the way home from school to get out some energy, Josiah and his language helper are regularly going outside to play during his tutor time, and when Jared has a few moments to spare before dinner he almost always takes the kids outside to play and visit with neighbors.  The kids and Jared have even eaten breakfast outside a few mornings, on the sidewalk we go down every morning on the way to school.  There is something freeing and right about being able to visit and play outside, after a long winter of everyone staying cooped up in their own homes.

Last week was a national holiday.  Kids and Jared had a couple days off and we spent a good chunk of both mornings playing and exploring outside as a family.  One morning we walked along the riverside by our house, until we decided it was too crowded and opted instead for our apartment complex playground.