For being the shortest month of the twelve, February seems to have dragged on rather long this year. I wasn't ready for it when it got here but then it seemed to be quite happy to stay awhile. Funny how time can just fly by slowly....
It was also one of the busiest for our family. It seemed we were always headed somewhere for some festivity or another: weddings, parties, baby showers... I'm hoping a new month will give us some time to breathe.
It was a month of bright sunshine and drenching rain. As usual, the people of the Fraser Valley seemed to be trying to rush spring one day: planting flowers and taking walks without jackets, but the next day they are hitting up the slopes, enjoying the fluffy snow of a glorious powder day. I just have to smile. We live in a truly special place here on the coast.
Today seems like the perfect day to bid February farewell. Wet, windy and wild, I'm looking forward to March and the closer it brings us to the freshness of spring once again.
Some of my favourite pictures of the month came from my dear cousin's wedding (no surprise there!). I was blessed to have both my sisters with me again and to enjoy the time up north with family.
Still hard to believe my beautiful little cousin is married!
Typical Swaan-Styles girls pic
Loved watching the precious moments between my aunt and Courtney as they both move on to a new stage of life.
These two are my favourite. Best friends for life.
Me and my gorgeous, talented sister who slaved over everyone's hair all morning!
Did you say pumpkins? I love pumpkins. I like their cheery orange colour; I like their different shapes and sizes; I like their prickly stems and their earthy pumpkin smell.
I like carving pumpkins. There is nothing quite like the orange, squishy, seed-filled guts of a good pumpkin. This year Janelle and I carved a rather delightful image of Wall-E into our chosen specimen, with the help of our little nephew.
What a joy it is to embrace the little traditions of fall. To spend time scraping out the inside of a fruit or telling a 2-year old a story about a robot. Time. What a gift. Autumn is one of the seasons that really shows me how fast time goes.
Change is so visible in this season. Leaves change colours. The wind strips them from the trees. The clouds become constant companions. The sun comes up later and sets sooner. It's around this time of year we start saying, "I can't believe it's almost Christmas! Where did the time go!"
And yet, as time flies by us, we are still blessed with little moments whether it be pumpkin carving, crunching through leaves on a walk, watching fireworks or starting up the first fire of the season.
"Life Means so Much" as Chris Rice puts it. Are we missing out on the gift?
