a NeW SEAson

april is the cruesllest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain -t.s. eliot, the waste land

did i really miss a whole season blogging? i did, didn't i? we had a great winter, we really did. tons of snow, skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing with the kids which was intoxicating. having never been a winter person, i fully embraced it this year. maybe because the kids were a bit older and lasted longer outside than last year. i just kept shaking my head this winter thinking that i can't believe my kids will grow up thinking this is normal. they will have such a different childhood outdoor experience than me.

i would show you lots of pictures, of our winter adventures and our time in texas (katie, promise those pics are coming) but the battery is dead on my camera and i am charging it right now. so, later. but the fact that i'm even posting at all counts for something, right?

and now it is spring. this is where i get antsy. it's warmer-ish, but we've seen a little more snow than i would like, and haven't seen the sun in a month. yikes. i could probably (and kind of will) rant and rave right now, as i pine for the blue skies and warm weather the summer will bring, allowing us to discard the many layers it currently requires to get the kids out the door, but i am trying to stray from the negative and focus on the positive: the layers aren't quite so many right now, and ice no longer is a permenant fixture on our driveway and sidewalks, allowing for the uninhibited biking and scootering the mini-jehles love so much.

and it is Lent. i actually have grown to love lent, something i know i would not have said 10 years ago. but although i love it, lent is hard for me. for most people, i think. this year, i have given up speaking negative words and gossip. even the people magazine-celebrity infused gossip, which is really the main source of my kryptonite, anyway. because any negative word i have been tempted speak, and scandalous story i tell, has usually been rooted in the fact that i want to feel a little better, a little more normal about myself. and i've failed some this lenten season, but i've been thankful for the covering of grace, and that my falls this season have marintated a little more, caused me to reflect on my words much more, making me desire to have a permenant change in the way i speak.

to change tones completely, i leave you with this. my boy turned four a month ago, and his birthday post is #1 on my to-do list. so, as a tribute to him, here is a video we watched a LOT in Hutch Year Three, one that inspired his soul and imagination. it really is beautiful, and worth a watch. **note: you need to enlarge the screen to see the full frame**

birTHDAy CIRcle*

so, not much action on here lately. i'll get there, i promise.
but i had to write this, because i know the day may come
when the paper is gone, and this was so cute, i wanted to
make sure it was recorded.
hutch turns four on thursday (gulp), and
his preschool class has a birthday ritual.
his teacher traces his body on a piece of butcher paper, and writes
kind words from his classmates in the outline.
some of these made me laugh out loud, because
kids this age say such pure and funny things:

hutch's birthday circle

'i like to play with you a lot hutch and we are friends. Love will be there together and i know we will be friends. i like playing ice cream" -isabella

"i play with you on the slide and we go outside"-janey

"happy birthday and i like playing with you"-larkin

"i like hutch because he was sitting next to me at lunchtime. i'm his best friend. i like to play with him outside and school."-silas g.

"i like you, hutch, because we play outside. i like playing on the slide with you and going outside. hutch, you always play outside. you are my best friend."-silas s.

" silas might love you and happy birthday and i luv you. hug hug."-sparrow

"hutch, i think you are neat. i learn a lot about airplanes, dirt bikes, and race cars from you.'-lesa

"happy birthday. i have lots of fun talking with you about crazy cats, motorbikes, and airplanes."-diane

"i like airplanes. i think that's all."-hutch

our (not so) little ladybug

i just realized today

that elsa is the same age

hutch was when we moved here.

that can't be right,

except it is right.

two things....

..have happened recently in my daily outings/dialouge with h and e.
the first a little embarrasing, the second a little scary.

scene 1
hutch and i had a donut date, so we headed to safeway together to pick some up.
as we entered the store, hutch yelled several times "SECURITY!"
he is most certainly a spawn of alex jehle.
i really thought the gals stacking at the display nearby would never stop laughing.

scene 2
the scary one. one of the deals at our house is using sweet words. it great to express your opinion and be assertive, but be kind in your choice of words.

and when i ask them to do something, i give a reason, and saying no is not an option.
so today, i asked elsa to put her shoes on to leave and she said,

"NO!"..her eyes widened, a brief pause, then the recovery "...my ABC's, next time won't you sing with me." she sang "i know my ABC's" once more, as if to drive home the point that she wasn't saying no, she was just picking up on the tail end of the alphabet.

we are in. for. it, ya'll.

tHe "NeW" jeHLemoBILE

this is our 'investment in the family' as we like to call it.
it's a 1969 airstream land yacht.
we've used it every weekend since we got it.
we named it clifford.

if you can get there, get there (part 1)

we love where we live. we know this is where we are supposed to be.
but, as those of you know who don't live near family/old friends,
there is always a bit of heartache that comes with the decision to
live any great distance from those you love.
virginia was a great expereince, but also pretty rattling time for us, fellowship-wise.
and we feel at home here in big sky country, and are making friends,
but very much look forward to not just knowing people, but truly being known,
and truly knowing those we are friends with. it all takes time.
i am so thankful for the friends and family that make the trek to montana, and so happy my folks bought a summer home here. these visits are such a gift.

all that so say, although it seems more often than not plans don't work out,
if the opportunity to see people we are close to pops up, if we can get there, we get there.
we had that chance yesterday with a longtime friend of alex's, chris creighton.
he coaches the iowa drake bulldogs, and is an all-around cool person.
you can hear an interview he did recently on npr here.
his team played montana state yesterday, so we drove to bozeman friday,
camped, and had the honor to support and watch a good friend, who we do not see...ever, really.

and let me tell you this: i was blown away. i know so few people who truly love and believe in every aspect of their job, and this guy does. and to get to sit on the front row and watch someone in their element really is inspiring. the integrity with which he coaches, the encouragement he gives to his players, he was born to be a college football coach, alex and i both left pumped up, ready to take on any challenge. and hutch woke up this a.m. asking to play football. and elsa just asked for fruit snacks the whole time. can't disagree, they are tasty.

40

my handsome birthday boy.

i love him.

for alex's big 40 weekend, we took these jokers:

to this place: glacier national park.

there is no place like it, pure magic.

we saw lots of stunning scenery like this:

and a lot of wild animals like this one, who was kind

enough to allow me to get a close up.

and the kids were most excited about this:

a pica mouse at our campsite. hutch named him 'horsepower'

and elsa tried to give him a million rocks and sticks to eat.