Spring is my favorite season. Hands down.

It is freshness, newness, transition, hope. I love the delicious fleeting magic of it all, and try to gather it close and pull it in and roll around in it before the fragile green leaves are hanging limply in the trees – full size.

Today, the leaves are full size and seeing that makes my throat get a little tight. Like I might cry.

But there has been so much magic. So much tender newness. For some reason, spring overwhelms me with the urgency of it, with the "now" of it all. When I see how tall the plants have grown and I think – winter is this far away from today (arms measuring the poppies or the lupines or the asparagus around me). I don't want to miss a second of it, for fear that the magic will slip through my fingers while I am folding the laundry.

But this spring has been magic indeed, and we haven't missed much. Here are a few glimpses into our delicious, fleeting spring:

Making art outside by the fish pond, after Lupine requested "Go outside and draw pictures of the fish, mama?" while the neighbors are at work. (They never knew we were there. Shhhhh…)

The sweet surprise of flowers that I forgot I planted, harvested with help from small hands.

Tiny toes out for a little sunshine and fresh air in their new "butter sandals",

and an early morning walk, just me and my girl (in said sandals) while our boys  – big, small, cat and dog – all slept in.

Spring brings us magic – fleeting, tender, and delicious. I am devouring every bit. The laundry can wait.