March 10, 2011

  • On a Spring Afternoon…

     

    I’m returned from a most love-a-ly  week in Florida with my mother, sisters, grandmother, daughters, aunt, and cousin! It was a full, slow, relaxing, most wonderful week, with some of my most favorite people ever! There were about 400 pictures on my camera by the time I returned home, and I am [slowly] going through and editing them. No worries – I do not intend to post all 400+ pictures. :) But I will show a few ~ just because I can’t resist introducing my lovely family. :)

    But at a later day.  Until then, let me show you a bit of

    spring on our front porch.

    a day of spring 5

    Blogs everywhere are showing glorious displays of spring, and mine is just one more in the midst of millions, I know. So if you’re taking the time to read this little site, well, thanks. :) I’m just one more woman
    celebrating the arrival of spring,
    of warmth,
    of new life,
    and of fresh beauty!

     

    a day of spring 3

    [there is a sweetness about little girls and pink toenails (or 'tinger-nails' as Zoe calls them, coined from both 'toenails' and 'fingernails'). my little girls feel like princesses, it's just precious!]

    a day of spring 1

    [^^ my goodwill-found quilt = treasure treasure treasure! :) ]

     

    Our Southern Spring has been absolutely incredible! Days between 70 and 80 degrees, nights that are cool and crisp, very low humidity (if any), no gnats and just a couple of mosquitoes… You’ve got to understand ~ this is not typical southern weather! So, because we know we have a very limited time frame of spring/enjoyable weather/time to be outside, we are soaking it up and in, almost living outside, if that’s possible! Because by the time the northern spring arrives, we will be in the intense heat of a sweltering southern summer!

    a day of spring 6a day of spring 7

    We have enjoyed our front porch so very much. I feel like a real southerner when I sit on my porch swing red bench, sipping sweet tea (or most times, hot coffee so far this spring), and waving at my neighbors. :) We live just across the road from the best kids’ park in town, and that has provided hours of entertainment as they stand at the porch fence and stare at watch the tennis players, their little chins resting on the top rail.

    [my standard 99.9% of the time: French manicured toenails)

    a day of spring 4

    Ben and I laugh about it, their staring tendencies/issues/problems, but it really is embarassing. I mean, seriously, do YOUR children get such a thrill just from watching other people they don't even know?? I'm not sure what to do to remedy the situation, because, well, they get it honesty. From their father, just to clarify. :)

    [these two have really been bonding the past few months, and it is precious beyond words]

    a day of spring 8

    [enjoying Dickens. for less than one minute.]

    a day of spring 2

    There is something about spring that breaths new life, new hope, new anticipation into my very soul… Something so very dear about those squirrel’s-ear sized leaves that just popped on the trees. Something exciting about the picket fence that Ben is in the process of putting by the front sidewalk. Something about a little bit of sun on my face that feels just divine.

    The spring breeze feels like a breath from the Spirit of God ~ blowing gently, awakening hearts and passion and love for Himself. It stirs, it’s gentle and restful, it’s inspiring and sometimes gives the overwhelmingly happy feeling of being so alive in my very soul… Springtime is here in the world, but I want it to always be springtime in my heart! I know that’s not always how God chooses life for us, but while it’s here, I want to live it with all of my heart!

    I’ve been struck today with the thought that God may be keeping track of all my days. And of all of my minutes of each day. This thought was proposed during a Wednesday night service at church, and I’m not sure if it is accurate or not. Will we be able to “review” all our days one day? Will God “go over” our days with us at the end of life? I’m not sure of all the logistics, but I am very confident of the fact that God knows what happens every moment of my days.

    Part of that thought is wonderful ~ that all my hours and days of serving my husband, my children, other people in my life are not unnoticed! God sees all the hours of laundry, of packing lunches (my least favorite of all household duties), of cooking meals, of cleaning and ironing and rocking children before naps and bedtime and reading countless stories and walks with little girls and telling them about Jesus and answering millions of questions each day…. God sees all that, and is pleased! That knowledge brings tremendous comfort and purpose to my heart!

    But if He sees all that, He also sees all the wasted time in my days. By that I don’t mean times of sitting down and resting my soul and body. I mean, those thoughts that aren’t righteous, the time that I spend on things that don’t contribute well to my soul, the unkind words and thoughts toward my children sometimes, those times of selfishness in my marriage… Does He keep track of all of this too?? Because, well, I really don’t want to be shown these things at the end of my life! Because, if so, that is very sobering…

    Whether or not God will choose to show us our days in a sort of ‘movie reveal’ one day, or whether it is to reward us according to how we live these days (flesh vs. spirit and who is strongest), today this was my prayer:

    Teach me, O God, to number my days,
    that I may apply my heart to wisdom”
    [ultimately, to bring GOD glory]…

    a day of spring 6

    ~clarita

     

     

Comments (22)

  • we can NEVER have too many pictures of spring~

    your front porch is so lovely.
    id’ love to sit a spell w/ ya there. :)

  • Oh! Your front porch looks like it came right out of a storybook. I want to come sit with you on the red bench, drink tea, and stare with the girls :) Lovely…

    {you must have some amazing thrift stores down south}

  • LOVE your porch. we are SO looking forward to spring here. we are all SO tired of being inside. these pictures are just lovely. thanks for sharing. also, glad you had such a wonderful time with your family!! sounds so nice.

  • mmmmmmm….i love this. just a breath of fresh air on this rainy blah day. Our spring can’t get here soon enough, but until then, we’ll ‘virtually’ enjoy yours. I really like the beauty that the boxwood plants bring.

  • The front porch is so inviting!! What a lovely place to have coffee. I enjoy anything spring related…..

     We are expecting 6 or more inches of snow tonight here in Ohio. Nice spring feeling. NOT!

     Ok, so I am VERY sure I saw you and your sisters walk in FL just as we left on a Tuesday evening 2 1/2 weeks ago. Yes, we were LEAVING Florida. Had just packed up, loaded, cleaned the truck, tucked the boys into their car seats, pulled out the drive and there go four beautiful sisters that looked so familiar! :)

     I always enjoy seeing sisters together. I have 4 myself (Jen in heaven) and they are my best friends, always have been. A precious thing sisters are.

     Lovely post!

  • your porch is exquisite!

  • i think i should like to come and sit on that lovely porch and enjoy your sunshine and springness! it’s beautiful!

    this time of the year is just the best, eh?

    oh…and, the window hanging there? that is on my list of improvements for our side porch this spring…it’s just so *perfect*!!

    happy re-entering real life at home after a vaca!

  • love your front porch too! So welcoming! I’m loving spring, can’t wait for these timid trees to leaf out…don’t blame them though since a week ago it dipped down to 33 degrees. This is the weather you wait for all winter, it’s awesome!

  • Right now I miss south Ga. weather TERRIBLY, but I know that by June, I’ll be very thankful that I’m not covered in mosquito bites and sweat!

    Your porch is just beautiful!

  • very welcoming front porch indeed!!! :)

  • Jee-alous of your weather!! 6 inches of snow predicted tonight and tomorrow. Sigh. But meanwhile, I’ll just stay inside and dream of SPRING!!! I think we northerners have one huge benefit- because of our cold and long winters, Spring holds a whole new meaning for us and it is welcomed with totally complete delight.

    Your front porch is stunning. Wow!

  • and this just makes my want of coming to georgia all the stronger…. just love it there this time of the year.   the porch is a  perfect setting for you to enjoy it and ever so cute and inviting.

    loved your thoughts on spring in our hearts…. i’m feeling a real need of that and i feel it coming. ever. so.slowly.

    happy spring to you and your dear family.

  • Oh I just LOVE your front porch! It looks like a picture from a magazine.
    You have green plants…I am jealous.  I can’t have a pot of green or flowers until around Mother’s Day. (at least that is the rule of thumb in these parts =)
    Your little girlie…Gorgeous! She is so pretty!

    Very convicitng thoughts here. I do not want to review my wasted minutes or selfish times…how humbling. =/
    Thankfully we serve a forgiving God! Thank you Jesus for washing away our sins!

    I just love your blog! It’s so sweet! =)
    Can’t wait to see your Florida trip!

  • your porch is GEORGOUS!!!!  i love the window hanging that is absolutely stunning there.  i can’t wait for spring to get here and STAY…we had a couple of teaser days but then it got 30′s cold again.   

  • Mmm. Every year when the cold thaws into sunny warmth, I tell God He brings spring to my heart too. Way to think along the same lines, dear sister. :) I think I could live on your front porch. Or maybe have my wedding there. Or something. And my goodness, Olivia is just beautiful. Those precious little pink toes made me smile every time I saw them in Florida. Someday I’m going to be a fun mommy like you…

  • That was just delicious!!! I love the way you incorporate so much white in your decor. It makes it all look so clean and restful. And I love, love the window you hung on your porch! Two or three more weeks and we’ll be living in Spring time, too. I can. NOT. wait.

  • LOVE your front porch.  All the whites and the springy – ness of it is so refreshing.  I long for a beautiful front porch.  Instead I have no front porch and a very litte red-neck wooden deck out the back.  We do enjoy sitting out there….just not the prettiest.  Thanks for inspiring me to add some spring decor. to my house today!

  • bee-you-tee-ful! :) Esther

  • Coming here kind of late but just wanted to say that your post was SO lovely.
    What I wouldn’t give for weather and a porch like you’ve got!
    Also, loved your thoughts about numbering our days. And how God will notice all that we did that seemed insignificant, but the sobering side of that whole subject too.
    Thanks for sharing that!
    Blessings to you today!

  • I like your springtime header so much, and your happy springtime. We are experiencing it here in California too. One of the prettiest times of year here. We have such dry/brown hills come summer. You inspire me to enjoy it to the max.
    It sounds like Fernando Ortega singing…is it? I like this song and haven’t heard it before. He is from my area so I often relate to his songs. He attends my sisters church.
    I like that verse so much, it is one I have focused on before. Seeking to glorify God in my days as well.
    Lord bless you and your family today!

  • Your front porch look so inviting, and the girlies are too cute.

  • I am completely getting lost in your blog, Clarita…lost and loving it, indeed!!

    Your front porch is enough to make me forget my manners and invite myself down and over for a tall glass of southern sweet tea. Seriously, you have an eye for beauty, and for making every beautiful corner ten times more so!!! Not only that, but you also have a gift for ‘penning’ out your thoughts with such clarity (fitting for your name!) and honesty. I love it. In reading your words, countless nods are nodded and “Yes! I know exactly what she means!!” are exclaimed in my mind.

    Thank you for treating your readers to YOU…and always pointing to HIM.

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