>Sometimes you just have to stop, and stare in wonder. And be humbled by how truly small we are before our Creator. And marvel at how He shows us His love, and reveals Himself to us in our world.

>Soon after we moved to North Carolina, our next door neighbors moved in with two large labs: Bear and Ruby. We have always had cats in our home because they just fit our lifestyle, and as a result our kids aren’t real comfortable around dogs.

Bear’s head is above my waist, so you can imagine my three-year-old girls’ reactions to him! They were quite simply terrified.

But over the years we’ve all come to know that Bear is a sweet, gentle creature, who absolutely loves children (he lives in a home with four young girls). The “love” that he tolerates is often tough (or at least rough) love, and I’ve never heard him growl even once.

He has a malignant tumor in his shoulder that has returned after surgery, so we don’t know how much longer this gentle giant will be a part of our lives. And even though he is not a member of our family, he has earned a place in our hearts.

>Spring is definitely my favorite time of the year…

The school year is winding down towards the wonderful lazy days of summer.

The flowers are in bloom, and while my allergies may drive me a little nuts between the grasses and the leaves, I really don’t mind because we’re surrounded by beauty.

The camellias are blooming for the second time–they were also open at the beginning of winter. I think these may be one of my favorite flowers.

I love seeing the little leaf buds on the trees. We have much more year-round green here in NC than we did in MD thanks to all the pines, but the greening of the leafy trees is such a beautiful sight.

This little witch hazel bush is so vibrant and splashy in the spring! Come summer, it will just have plain green foliage.

And some people may not like pear trees, but I think they’re great! I know that they have some drawbacks with shallow roots and breaking in bad ice or strong winds, but driving down a road lined with them when they’re all in bloom looks like a fairyland to me.