I love Spring! We dig out of the cold dark winter, we open windows, we consider cleaning the garage, and the swamp is actually a pond for a while....ducks and all. For me, the true sign of spring is a bit different....and perhaps a bit weird. The kids have bruises!!

Bruises on the kids can mean only one thing at this time of year. They've been outside playing. Granted, we've had a couple of real scares this time around. The worst one yet is still evident on Ben's forehead. Leave it to him to go running straight into a bat that his brother was swinging! I don't ever want to do that again. Poor kid...a week later now and the bruise on his forehead has spread to his eyes. Two black eyes, a huge knob on his forehead....he looks tough. I'm afraid to take him out in public for fear of being hauled off to jail for abuse. Ben just takes it all in stride. One hour after the bat incident he was off and running...goose egg and all. And actually angry because it had gotten too dark to go back outside and finish the baseball game.

Full of bruises, cuts, scrapes, dirt, and mud. Those are my boys, and it's spring!!! Thank God they are out of the house. I've even managed to go 4 whole hours without having to clean up some type of mess left behind. Their shoes have a permanent home on the front steps, the yard is scattered with toys, the spring jackets have come out. This list just keeps getting longer.....I love Spring!! I love putting away the snow pants, and shoving the boots in the closet. Everyone just feels a little better around here.

And by the way...did I mention that I love Spring????

It's been ages since I've posted. We've had lots of activity going on here, and we're gearing up for our trip to NY in December. After the small taste of New York City we've had, it's amazing that our small town (very small town) family has managed to tackle NYC with flying colors. We even ventured into the back seat of a taxi, and held on tight.

As I was driving through the countryside this morning I realized that it was time to celebrate our biggest testosterone producing holiday once again. Blaze orange clothing was hanging by trees and clotheslines in almost every backyard, Dad's were meeting the schoolbus with beard stubbles growing, and four wheelers were loaded on trailers and trucks ready to go. Deer hunting opener begins this weekend, and the testosterone is just flying through the air. The TV is constantly set to some outdoor channel, the sports stores are filled with people in camoflauge jackets, the razors have been put away, and the always attractive blaze orange gear is going through the scent killer wash. Tomorrow morning thousands of men (and women) will stand out in the woods for hours hoping to spot the ever elusive 30 point buck. They'll admire the beauty of the creature, watch it for a long time, and then shoot it. Remember, no matter what they say after the kill, it really only had 6-8 points if they were lucky.

And if you think the testosterone was flying before they left? It's almost overwhelming when they come in with a fresh kill. A caveman sort of hue takes over the whole body, and leaves us all a bit scared of what might happen next. I can guarantee no chick flicks in front of the DVD player this weekend.

Wish all of us hunting widows luck this weekend as we celebrate our 2nd favorite Minnesota holiday. What's our favorite holiday? Fishing opener of course.

If you thought I was going to say Christmas, you're definitely not from Minnesota.