Spring has Sprung at the Gardner House

"Is the Spring coming?" he said. "What's it like?"

"It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine."

--The Secret Garden

Fresh spring blossoms are in full bloom which means Easter is just around the corner.  At first it seemed too early to dye eggs and decorate with pastels and tulips, but as it turns out, the ceramic birds are perched on the fireplace mantel just in time. Easter is less than three weeks away.

Noelle and I dyed eggs this week and used them to create this garland for the mantel. A garland is a fun way to display those precious eggs decorated by your little one!

Blown-out Egg Garland Tutorial 

I found this banner at Target on clearance for less than a dollar. It was originally a birthday-themed banner, but I cut out the cupcake pennants and hot glued the pieces together - keeping only the pink and white pennants - then painted on the blue letters. 

We celebrate the life, death, burial and most importantly the resurrection of Christ during Easter. Just as with Santa for Christmas, during Easter we include but don't emphasize the Easter bunny, egg hunts and Easter baskets. We are dutiful in communicating the true importance of the holiday but we aren't concerned that the message is being lost because we strive to include Christ in their lives each and every day. Noelle, at age 3, knows from Bible stories and conversations that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins and that he rose from the dead just as he said he would. 

"He is not here, he is risen!" Luke 24:6

At the beginning of each season, I find myself thinking, this is my favorite season of them all. But it's not the changing of the weather or excitement for the next holiday that excites me, it's the opportunities and memories ahead that fill my heart with joy and anticipation. 

I borrowed the green bird cage that hangs from the ceiling in Noelle's room and the garden basket that sits on the dresser in the Master bedroom for the living room sofa table. And nothing says, "SPRING!" like a little girl in a sun dress holding a yellow daisy.

 I'm still looking for a suitable spring table runner. If you find a colorful-but-not-bright one, let me know.

A few of Noelle's dyed eggs sit on brown paper crinkle on the bird bath pedestal (from Michael's). 

This spring I want to make the most of the outdoors before the scorching summer heat confines us to mall playgrounds. I want to enjoy early morning walks and have a picnic every afternoon. I want to watch the kids run in damp grass and play outside as the sun sets. Margaret Atwood said it best, "In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

-Amanda