"Then we had the irises..."

“Then we had the irises, rising beautiful and cool on their tall stalks, like blown glass, like pastel water momentarily frozen in a splash, light blue, light mauve, and the darker ones, velvet and purple, black cat's ears in the sun, indigo shadow, and the bleeding hearts, so female in shape it was a surprise they'd not long since been rooted out." -Margaret Atwood

Our trip to see the Price House Irises has become a yearly pilgrimage. This was our 4th spring of Irises. You can see some changes in the kids since last year, and how they have sprouted since 2012!

 On May 17 they were still not at peak. This is a late spring, indeed.

Still. Inevitably, the spring and summer do come. Praise God, that they do.

 They were digging around in the closet and found some elements of their 2012 Halloween costumes, the Owl and the Pussycat. They drew appreciative stares at the market that morning.

 Price House was closed for graduation, but the yard was open for frolics!

Hokie colored iris!

What a little paradise this yard is to us. 

They've added some improvements, like this grove of tree stumps. 

 Then, off we went to the library for storytime, and the market for lunch. Classic Blacksburg morning.

The kids show off their storytime crafts. 

 I taught Children's Chapel on Sunday. The lectionary text was from John 14, in which Jesus famously proclaims himself The Way. The children and I spent some time being honestly bewildered together about how a person can be a way somewhere, and how Jesus can be the way still, even though Jesus isn’t physically with us. When I showed them a pic of Jesus, one said, “Oh, that’s from when Jesus was real.” Phew! But we talked about how one thing Jesus can do when you’re his friend is forgive you. And we decided it’s better to be a friend than to follow rules, because if you follow rules as the way somewhere, you can mess up and break them and get lost for good. But if you have a friend with you as your way, your friend can forgive you when you mess up and you can still get where you’re going.

They always teach me.

Miles & his CC buddy, with their "friendship with Jesus" icons. 

 We are counting down the days until our Florida trip. Adele had a long talk with me this morning about the alligators, the beach, her swimsuit, and how it would be our "whole family." They have two more weeks, I have two more weeks, of the usual routine of work and daycare before SUMMER! 

Bright, and still brighter the days.