Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. ~Henry Ward Beecher

I am not sure how I manage, but I did.  I convinced Joe that it was a good idea to wake up and go look at a bunch of tulips.  Oh...and we were going to have to go and give them money in order to look at the flowers.  In the end, the trip to the Tulip Festival today was fun for everyone and as soon as I am done with this post, I need to convince Joe to wade through the 350 pictures we took while we were there. 

I was originally just going to take Taelin to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, just outside of Woodburn, but as I thought of the picture opportunities the more I became convinced that it would be easier if we were both there. They also have a lot more activities on the weekend than they do during the week, including pony rides for kids, which in reality was how I convinced Joe to go.  Taelin has been on a bit of an animal kick lately...particularly farm animals, especially horses, so the possibility of Taelin getting ride an actual pony was pretty exciting!

I was quite grateful for the beautiful weather, the hundreds and hundreds of flowers, and a chance to do something out of the ordinary.  The rows and rows of tulips were quite incredible and I was so happy to spend the couple of hours we were there together. Taelin did indeed get her pony ride (which she loved) and we all left with more mud on our shoes and pants than when we got there. 

This last week was quite stressful with the upsetting news of potential cuts that are haunting each work day.  I honestly don't expect the next few weeks to be much better, so I am going to have to be diligent in staying positive.  So, in addition to having a wonderful time with my family I took the opportunity to check some things some things off of my list. I have a beautiful bouquet of red tulips that I bought for myself (number #30) and another bouquet sitting on the counter ready for a just-because gift.