High Five for Friday (4.14.23)

One

Thanks to everyone who helped make Hallie's birthday special! (Her annual birthday post, song, and video are here.)She stayed up late on her birthday eve (Easter), slept in on her birthday morning (Easter Monday), had donuts for breakfast, had Torchy's tacos for lunch, went out for ice cream and played at our house with a few friends, and then spent the afternoon and evening at dance. We wrapped up the night with strawberry swirl cheesecake (not my best work - I'm still new to cheesecakes) and presents. 

Two

This guy deserves his own Happiness Highlight - he is always a delight, even when he doesn't really want to be. 😉

Three

Happy Passover and happy Easter to all who celebrate! Our Easter weekend alternated between relaxed and chaotic (reasons to come), but we enjoyed our time together regardless. The kids still hunted for Easter eggs and got a kick out of their Easter baskets, which made me sentimentally happy, and I was pretty excited about the treats I put the Easter bunny left in my and Tom's Easter baskets too. 

I made Easter brunch/lunch, but as I really didn't want to
spend the evening cooking as well, this was our Easter dinner.

Cat naps all around. (Well, cat naps for the boys and
the actual cats. Hallie and I aren't much for napping.)

Four

Late last week I officially started my new position as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Ballet Brazos. Our new Board hit the ground running, and we can't wait to bring you another spectacular show come December! (Missed The Nutcracker last year? Pencil us in for December 1st and 2nd this year!)

Five

This isn't a high five or a happiness highlight, but I want to find a place for it this week and am therefore choosing to include it here.

Wednesday marked the one year anniversary of Hallie's friend Morgan's death. (If you weren't a follower of Chasing Roots back then, you can read the posts I wrote about Morgan here and here.) We still miss her, and our hearts still grieve her loss and break for her parents and sisters. 

After Morgan died, I wore my "when it's dark, look for stars" shirt frequently; whenever I had it on, I felt like she would somehow show me the "stars" - rainbows soaring across the sky, flowers forcing their way through treacherous earth toward the light, strangers extending kindness where kindness wasn't necessarily due - through the darkness. These last few weeks I've found myself thinking of her more and more frequently, feeling once again like she was shining a spotlight...or perhaps starlight...on all things beautiful around me. 

~

Happy weekend, friends.