Life lately, early May 2023

It's been awhile since a "life lately" post where I write about all the little bits and pieces of our life. This spring has been a rather cold one, but just this past weekend, we are seeing much warmer temperatures and the weather seems to be catching up with the date on the calendar. As someone who enjoys the colder months, I will say that spring and summer feel a bit magical with kids, and logistically, lots of things just feel easier as the temperatures are more mild.

Here's what we've been up to:

• Coffee dates with my two littles and my SIL, Katelyn. I've learned to order drinks in a to-go cup even if we sit down, just in case we need to leave, and on this day, I was glad we could pack up when someone needed a change of scenery. But it was still enjoyable!
• Playing more in the backyard. Both boys want to be outside as much as possible (which is wonderful!) I've been able to enjoy coffee and sometimes a little knitting on the back deck, especially now that we have a patio table.
• Our first family bike ride where everyone came along! When my parents and brother visited a few weeks ago, they were able to squeeze my bike into their car. And now that Finn is now big enough to fit in the bike trailer next to Cooper, all of us went on a bike ride together this past weekend. Cooper had fun snacking and pointing out things he saw outside, and Finn fell asleep, so I'd say it was a success. I'm excited for many more bike rides.
• Finally planting the garden, since the weather is cooperating. I'll share more about my gardening plans in a separate post soon. For now, there's not too much to see.

• Picnics at the park with an americano and a blanket. It was a particularly blustery day, so we spent some of the time just curled up together under a blanket, and the boys also played some on the playground.
• A visit to our local arboretum and a chance to see the miniature train display in action (a favorite for our train-loving Cooper and honestly, every kid). Several friends came with their kids and it was wonderful to see all those littles lined up, and to think how different all of our lives were just five or six years ago.

And beyond those things, we have been doing the normal stuff of life! The hard and the good and the sad and the joyful – all of it woven together into our days.

We did just get home from a trip to visit the Austin, Texas area and stay with friends there. It was a wonderful trip, and I'll share more about that in the next post or two!