Anticipation of Spring

My favorite time of year is definitely spring, so I am grateful to jump ahead an hour today, despite losing an hour of sleep. The frogs are croaking at night now, the weather is gradually warming, and the rain...well, it comes and goes, but is typical this time of year. I looked at the calendar the other day and was in complete disbelief that it was March. I don't know if time is flying by much quicker now that I am older, or if it is like this for everyone, but it seems things keep going more rapidly. As much as I try to encapsulate time through photography, I can't help but wonder, where does the time go?

Fortunately, we live in a place where we don't get too much cabin fever, other than the onslaught of torrential down pours. We still take advantage of the nice weather to hike and play in the mud and puddles that saturate the ground on old logging roads and trails alike. I feel for all those hit by the atrocious winters everyone has experienced this year, so hopefully these next two pics will remind you that spring is coming soon enough!

Budding

On its way to full bloom!

I always complain about this time of year dragging, but once we get through February, time sure does fly. I just realized that we will be wrapping up our 3rd quarter this Friday, which officially means 9 weeks of school left, starting next week. That means lots of plans coming our way, including a vacation to the Oregon coast with friends in April, the Welcoming of the Whales Ceremony in La Push in April, and hopefully, another trip to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, as well! Plus, a few other things brewing in the works, but time will tell what ends up happening in the weeks to come!

Madelynne continues to blossom and boy, is she TWO! I can now see why some days the notorious saying of "terrible twos" was given. She sure can try our patience! But she is amusing, too. She is at a point where we are able to understand her much more clearly, which is nice for the long-distant phone calls to her grandparents. They appreciate the ability to understand her more clearly. It helps to lessen the deciphering of her toddler lingo, when others can finally grasp her wants and needs. Here are some pics of what we've been enjoying the past few months.

Checking out the ambulance at local Kids Fest

Fire woman Maddy

Listening to her heart

Nice toss!

Face painting

Stickers go anywhere

Like on our feet

Pop of color

Little Artist

Lil Family

She loves stickers.

Portrait in the snow

Beach at sunset

Playing in the sand

Watching the water

Valentines and Art work

Not sure about this "sand"

Asleep

Brown eye girl

Learning

Because of Lent, I gave up Facebook, which has been a good release. I did not realize how much of my time was sucked up by social media, and I am grateful I am not reliant on checking it day in and day out. I will admit, I miss checking up on my family who live afar, but honestly, it's been a welcoming break, even though we're only under a week into the Lenten season. I have continued posting my photos and taking them with the daily prompts at Capture Your 365. This small community has been such an inspiration and has really allowed me to hone in on skills I didn't know I had. I am much more comfortable with Manual Mode on my camera, and I am very proud of some of the techniques I am learning. Here are a few of the pics I am proud of, from the past few months of CY365:

Accidental Reflection

Silhouette

Predictable

Shadows

Favorite [color]

Muse [Lego figurines]

Frustration [Peaceful Protest]

Curious

Behind the lens

Emerge

Selfie: In The Dark

Selfie: Get Outside

Next month will surely be busy with trips and busy schedules galore, but new pics and a journal updating our livelihood will be posted, so keep your eyes peeled! So, enjoy these for now and until next time... :)