Catching Up...

Hello!  Yes, I'm still here. Busy, busy, of course, and finding it difficult to spend time outside of work in front of a computer. But I'm here.

The above picture is what our backyard looked like on Monday, the first full day of spring. After a wet and weird winter, spring decided to greet us like this. I'll admit, I found it pretty funny. I thought the boys may be excited about the thought of one more day of sledding or building a snowman, but they had zero interest. They are done with winter and ready for warmer weather, just like the rest of us. Most of the snow has melted now, and the cold and rainy days of spring are upon us. Meanwhile, I continue to look forward to our upcoming trip to Florida. 25 days and counting!

Both boys are getting ready to start their spring sports season, with both playing baseball and soccer. As practice and game schedules start to get announced, I realize that we are in for a very busy spring. I also find myself very excited about it. I love watching my boys play. Aaron went through his first tryouts for baseball, and although it was to determine which level he would get assigned to (as opposed to making it or not), I was very proud of how he handled it, and he was excited to make the upper level.

It's March, which means we are watching a lot of college basketball.  Go Tar Heels!

In-between basketball games, we've been watching the latest season of House of Cards. So weird and creepy and disturbing, and yet I have a hard time looking away.

I am dismayed at the increased amount of time required to maintain my appearance as I get older. The gray is relentlessly coming back, and I find I have to color at ever-shortening intervals to keep it at bay. And hair removal! My legs, my eyebrows, and depressingly, my chin - why?  I sigh and remind myself that this is as good as it will ever get, so I should appreciate it, and I do. I pluck those eyebrows and do my sun salutations and slather on lotion and give thanks for my strong working body.

I have thoughts every now and then where I question why I continue to keep up this blog. Very few people read it, and I am finding it difficult to spend time here lately. The world of blogging has definitely changed over the years, and more people use Instagram and Pinterest and Facebook for a lot of the content they used to capture via their blogs. But I still love it. It's my own space, not cluttered with anyone else's images or thoughts. 

I was thinking the other day about how I wish I had kept journals when I was younger. I was trying to remember the name of someone or what year something happened, and I realized my memory is pretty terrible. I have family photo albums that I started in 2006, when Aaron was born, and I have this blog, which started in 2008. I have fun looking back at pictures and my thoughts during those early baby years up to now. I wish I had the same amount of detail from my college years, or when I got my first job, or when I met my husband...  I remember the important things of course, but the fun little details sometimes get lost. I try to be a forward-thinking kind of girl, but it's also nice to reflect on our lives and admire the beauty within them. 

And with that, I will leave you. I would love to promise to be here more often in the coming weeks, but I can only do what I can do. Until next time...

Recently Read

You'd be hard-pressed to find three books as different as these. I'd recommend any of them.

Slade House, by David Mitchell.  If you're a David Mitchell fan and enjoy reading something different every now and then, you'll enjoy this book. It's strange and creepy and intricate and highly entertaining. I'd definitely recommend reading Mitchell's The Bone Clocks first - there's a very strong connection between the two.

When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi.  Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer at the age of 36, just as he was finishing his long journey towards becoming a neurosurgeon. This book is a memoir, describing his journey through medical school and through his experience with cancer. It is an intimate book, and it forces the reader to ask difficult questions. It would be impossible not to be moved; especially after reading the last section of the book, written by Paul's wife after his death.

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I am not sure what it was that motivated me to pick up this book, but I am so happy that I did. It's written as a letter from the author to his fifteen-year-old son, in an attempt to explain and come to terms with what it's like to grow up as an African-American male. I would suggest reading this review - I couldn't say it any better than this. I highly, highly recommend reading this book. It's powerful, and it has taken me out of my bubble and given me a new perspective.