Starting with a Thankful Heart (in the Sunshine!)

The last two days have been absolutely beautiful: blue skies, a lemon-drop of a sun radiating its warmth down to us, a gentle breeze that ruffles your hair but won't knock our trees down onto the neighbor's house. Good stuff.

With this new weather comes renewed energy and an increasingly positive outlook on things. Today I am thankful for much, especially:

1. My grandma and uncle are in town visiting. I love that we get to have 4 generations of family together for the week, especially this year when Little Sister is TRULY interacting with my grandma by singing her songs and telling her whatever is on her mind. After being around my two kiddos this afternoon, my grandma is amazed that once upon a time she chased after three small boys all day. "This is why young people have children!" she declared.

2. Yesterday we went on a family hike at Wallace Falls State Park (this gal got some great shots there!). Mr. Music hiked the entire 1.9 miles up to the lower falls and thanks to the distraction of the question "What superhero would YOU be?" he made it all the way back down to the car without a meltdown! It really is QUITE a hike. But knowing that he can do that one opens up all kinds of great hiking adventures for us this spring and summer. Just thinking about the possibilities makes me smile. And the cross-training of a hike was good for this runner's legs.

3. Little Sister is big enough to entertain herself (mostly) in the backyard while we do yard work. We spent all of yesterday afternoon and early evening puttering around the yard. We adults were moving the vegetable garden and getting the outdoor play toys cleaned up while the kiddos played in the grass and occasionally lent a hand. Last year I was on chaos-prevention detail chasing Little Sister around to keep her out of harm's way, which was fine. BUT this year I get to DO things in the yard, which is much better!

4. Since increasing my mileage and being a bit more hard core with my weight lifting workouts, I'm really noticing a difference in how my clothes fit and how strong I feel throughout the day. Be sure to read my review about the SaneFit card deck to see how you can win the card deck and see some great results in your fitness, too! Remember, you have until the 30th to post a response.

5. We've had 2 days in a row with morning-to-night blue skies and sunshine. Tomorrow promises to be the same. Bet you can guess where I'll be most of the day - OUTSIDE!!

Have a wonderful week, Dear Readers! I hope the sun reaches you this week, too.