Outturn (out-turn)

It really is spring... I've seen a ton of robins this year, people are getting outside and cleaning their yards, vehicles are being washed, my facebook is filled with calving pictures, the windows have been open a time or two and I think if I look hard enough I can see little buds starting on my trees in the backyard!

We had a long week... which made us look forward to the weekend and sleeping in. We did start the weekend off right - we replaced another light! We've loved what swapping out the light in the kitchen did for that space - it's brighter, it's more open, it just fits better. This go round we swapped out the one over the kitchen table. What's ironic about this light is this is not the first time we've hated this light and thrown it out. When we bought the house on hillside, we had the exact same light in the dining room there - wood with the fake candles, pblucky! I was happy to see it go!

We also did a little make over to the fluorescent in the kitchen. The light that was there had this 90's star motive, when Matt pulled it down we realized it was wallpaper covering the frame! I made quick work remove it. We replaced the bulbs and also ensured it matched the metals of the other lights. I did comment to Matt that I thought it was very telling how much we've spruced up the kitchen in this house compared to any other room!

On Saturday, we treated ourselves a bit! We know that there will be massive changes in our life come May and we know there'll be wonderful blessings but there will also be things that we miss doing together. We decided to take one of those things that will become a treat and celebrate us a bit while we can. We headed to the Blarney Stone for their Dinner in Dublin breakfast with the Bloody Mary bar. We really did it right. Matt has cooked breakfast for me the past couple weeks (when he's not out by the water), so it was nice to enjoy each other and the experience. We both reminded each other that no matter what we need to take time and do the things that make us, us.

After that kickoff on Saturday, we really got a lot of things done over the weekend. Matt got his peppers planted from seed. We planted garlic, shallots, and onions in the garden. Last year, we tried onions by seed but this year we hope to do it right. I cleaned a bit of the house. Matt got his tulips in the ground - will be fun to see them come up this spring! The garage got more organized.
It was just one of those weekends where it felt really good to be at home and get things accomplished. Then on Saturday night, we went out for dinner with a couple friends. We had a nice blend of work and play.

Best meal: Blarney breakfast - I had the celtic cure (hashbrowns, eggs, cottage bacon, in a gravy) with fruit on the side. Matt had the Salmon dill eggs Benedict with hashbrowns and a side of bangers. He took a trip through the Bloody Mary bar and I enjoyed my fancy glass orange juice - as close as possible to a mimosa!

Name of the week: EmmaLynn
Cravings: Ice cream - blizzards from Dairy Queen
Pregnancy Symptoms: larger, loss of memory of what it feels like to not be pregnant, inability to sleep, snoring when I do sleep, frequent trips to the bathroom, breathlessness

ALR hears shrieking outside. Goes to window. Sees 3 teenage girls chasing 2 basset hounds in backyard. Eventually, girls catch dogs and run away again.
MJR: Did you see that?
ALR: Yes, what was going on?
MJR: I don't know! I heard all this noise and saw girls running all over the backyard.
ALR: Yeah I think I caught the end of it.
MJR: I realized that's what my yard will look like 16 years from now.
ALR: 16 years from now?
MJR: Yes, shrieking and yelling and running around of 16 year old girls. 
ALR: Well, 16 years ago, you would have loved it.
MJR does math in his head: Yes, yes I would have.
ALR: Funny, how your world has come full circle.