April was incredibly eventful.
As the seasons began to change, so did the trajectory of our own lives. As the plants awoke from their dormant state, we entered our own phase of rejuvenation.
Adventures were embarked upon. Risks were taken. Intuitions were honored.
We had been contemplating change for a long time. And in April, our family finally took a big leap of faith. If there ever was a time, it was now. And so we jumped.
It was early in April that Matt finally bid adieu to the insurance industry. The field had not been a good fit for quite some time. He fought for many years to make it work, to change components of the job, to find his niche in that world. But to no avail. And with 3 little boys at home, all too young for public school, this seemed like an ideal time to shift focus and re-prioritize.
Matt stepped into his new role of full-time stay-at-home-dad. And for the first time in 5+ years, we didn't have a child care bill! What freedom! And while taking on this new demanding role, he also ambitiously began laying the foundation for a business venture. In the world of flower farming.
Slowly and steadily we're exploring the world of for-profit gardening. Major emphasis on slow and steady. This an exploratory and experimental year. No firm goals. No judgement. The 3 kids is a big job in itself. But with his pockets of free time, he's been planting as much as possible. If all goes well, we hope to be selling at the farmers market in August.
And funny thing was, while Matt was saying goodbye to his 9-5 desk job, my dad was doing the exact same thing. He officially retired in March. By April, my parents had sold their house, uprooted themselves from Kansas, and moved to Colorado. The move was difficult - with ups, downs, storms, and highway closures. You'll have to ask them for the details. They'll tell you it nearly killed them. But the end result was oh so good. We now have grandparents living in town!
It seemed that all around, the childcare landscape was improving.
So those were the big things.
And then, of course, April had its usual activities.
Like Easter!!
After the usual round of Easter egg dying, Sage and I got a little creative. I was hesitant to dump so much colorful dye down the drain. That seemed like a wasted opportunity.
"What else could we dye?" we asked ourselves.....
We put on our thinking hats. Then spotted an unsuspecting roll of paper towels nearby. And in the blink of an eye....we were tie dying!
We got a little snow early in the morning on Easter Sunday. All the better for us. That sneaky Bunny left a trail of evidence behind!
Sure enough... he had come!
Time for the egg hunt!
(The first of two that day.)
Round one: the boys hunted for the eggs left by the Bunny.
Round two: the boys hunted for a different set of eggs - stuffed and hidden by the parents. Talk about sugar overload!
In addition to festive headgear and candies, the Easter Bunny also gave each boy a special toy. Kale got a transforming Jet (character from a show he likes.) But Sage's gift was the real spotlight-stealer. The original Star Wars trilogy!
We spent the latter part of Sunday watching the movies.
And I need to personally admit a major Americana fail here....
This was my FIRST exposure to Star Wars.
Ever.
My reaction????
**MIND BLOWN!**
Where had I been for the past 4 DECADES?!?!?
These movies were GOOD! Soooooo goooooood!!!!!!
How good?
I erupted into spontaneous applause at the end of the last movie.
That good. :)
Sage enjoyed them too. (He is human after all.) And he spent a bit of time channeling Luke Skywalker in the days following the movie.
But then again... there are other ways to use an old sheet.
So shortly following Easter, on April 6th to be exact, Matt worked ONE FINAL DAY. Then he said goodbye to his 9-5 desk gig and the whole of the insurance industry.
Matt and I met over lunch for a celebratory meal.
And together we embraced the next chapter.
Matt's primary focus right now is to be a dad. An amazing dad. A hands-on dad. The day of the year!
He's got 3 boys at home full time. All of whom are quickly growing up. Childhood is fleeting. And one day the kids will be too busy and too cool for us. We are recognizing what a gift it is to have more time with them. And rather than outsourcing their care for top dollar, we're taking over operations. This is as much for them, as it is for ourselves. Once childhood is gone, it's gone. We want no regrets about the time we spent with each other during these precious years.
The kids keep him on his toes. It's a very tough job. (I have vivid memories from my own "stay at home mom trials.") But impressively, when he finds those rare pockets of free time, he takes small steady steps in the direction of a new career. A career that embraces his natural talents and passions. In the world of plants.
And that's how Bighorn Blooms was born.
Life is too short to spend it doing something you don't love.
And so we began to make space for our new business venture.
We staked out new garden beds.
And we dug up the grass.
Then we planted our seeds. We made plans to harvest almost 100 different types of plants in the fall. Everything from cut flowers to fruits and vegetables.
And we watched them grow.
And grow.
The backyard was THE hangout spot. Everyone joined in on the gardening fun.
We tilled the beds and amended them with loads of good nutrients. We trimmed trees. We built a compost pile. We potted up dahlia tubers.
There's always something to do in the garden!
And the whole while, we watched the yard explode into a rainbow of spring colors. A stunning cascade of daffodils and tulips brought the yard to life.
While I was at work, wrapping up the semester on campus, Matt was taking his pack of boys on all sorts of fun adventures. I would get picture and video updates throughout the days.
Meanwhile, the grandparents were slowly getting settled in town, offering a whole other set of fun opportunities for my kids. (They have no idea what lucky little boys they are!)
My parents stayed in a hotel for their first week or so. And we enjoyed taking advantage of the pool and courtyard for some family gatherings.
And that about sums up the big April milestones.
Can't wait to see what May brings!
Below is a collection of random cute photos from regular day-to-day life. Enjoy!
Now I won't lie.....
Going from a 2 income household to a 1 income household, can be a little nerve-wracking. It's uncharted territory for us. The change resulted in us immediately saving a bundle on our daycare costs. But we don't want to stop there. We have been very creative in finding other corners to cut and pennies to save. But only where it makes sense.
It's quite amazing. When you are diligently on the lookout for cost-saving opportunities, they seem to appear everywhere. We've been smart, resourceful, and creative. We made changes to our insurance, our internet, and more.
And so far, finances are holding steady!
One change I've greatly enjoyed is more of an effort made to cook at home. Cooking was one of my hobbies pre-kids. We're now just bringing it back in style. Here's a sampling of our April dishes.
