• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

March 17, 2016

Spring is a Tween

As I type these words, I’m keenly aware of the fact that if I were to look out of the windows on one side of my house I would see blue skies, puffy clouds and sunshine. But, I’m just as aware of the fact that if I were to look out of the windows on the opposite side of my house I would see a sky that was so dark it’s almost black, and ominous clouds full of rain.

spring mantel with vintage books atthepicketfence.com

And, as I type these words, I have a 12 year old son who woke up this morning incredibly grumpy. He complained about pretty much everything in his life and I’m fairly certain that just the fact that He and I were even sharing the same air was totally annoying him.

But, later on this afternoon, I went to pick up that same boy from school. And he hopped into the car with a smile on his face and said, “Hey mommy!” We talked about his day and what homework he has and how someone cried in P.E. (who can blame them really!) and we laughed together as we playfully fought over control of the radio.

For all of those 20 minutes, everything was as glorious as the sunshine streaming in through the windows on one side of my house. But, I know that all too soon it will be time for homework and chores and that my boy’s mood could quickly become as dark and gloomy as the sky on the other side of the house.

And I’ve realized something.

Spring is like a Tween.

spring buffet table decor atthepicketfence.com

Spring is moody. When it’s shining those rays of sun down on you and the clouds part to reveal clear, blue sky, you feel as though you have been deemed worthy of receiving the very best it has to offer.

But, in a matter of minutes that mood shifts. The dark clouds begin to form and you are left wondering what on earth you did to deserve the downpour that follows. Spring has one foot in winter and one foot in summer just as a tween has one foot in childhood and one foot in young adulthood. No wonder they are both so confused!

For those of us who are simply along for the ride, it can be incredibly exhausting and feel like a constant guessing game. You feel like you have to be prepared for anything and everything. You never know if you are going to need sunscreen or an umbrella.

And yet, none of us can imagine a year without spring. It’s a season filled with so much hope and expectation. I think that maybe it’s because we see evidence all around us of potential.

Potential is defined as, “having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.”

The buds peeking up through the ground and the tiniest of leaves emerging from the branches. The day that is unseasonably warm and reminds us that very soon those temperatures will be the norm rather than the exception. It all reminds us that spring has all of the potential of turning into summer.

And when I look at my almost 13 year old son, not only do I see the amazing qualities he already embodies, I also see this unbelievable potential. I see him showing the capacity to develop into a man who loves the Lord and is a light for Him. I see him showing the capacity to develop into a wonderful husband and father.

As I sit here and type these words, with the dark sky on one side of my house and the sunshine on the other, I know that very likely something magical is about to happen. Because, around here, those two starkly contrasting views mean one thing.

There is a very good chance that a rainbow is about to appear.

rainbow

While it’s there, I will marvel at it’s beauty and appreciate all of it’s intricacies. I will celebrate it’s nuances and know that it only shows up when the dark sky meets the light.

And I will remember that it’s fleeting, simply a brief moment in time. Like Spring…and tweens!

Vanessa signature

5 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Faith, Family, Good Thoughts Tagged With: Faith, God

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Easter Recipes and Table Decorating Ideas
Next Post: French Country Wall Clock »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. june says

    March 17, 2016 at 6:00 AM

    I loved your words of wisdom today. Oh to relive one of those mornings when the grumpy’s popped their head up in one of my boys. Before you know it, your tween will be that amazing man that you helped mold.

    Yesterday my youngest who is 22 called from college and we talked about everything including girls. He starts grad school in August and I am so incredibly proud of him.

    Today we are heading to NE to see our oldest and his fiancé. She finds out tomorrow where her medical residency will be the next four years. We are praying for Mayo Clinic.
    This son is also an amazing man who overcame a lot of adversity growing up with being bullied. He is 26 and two years away from his Doctorate.

    I remember the grumpy days like yesterday. But I would not trade one of those times as I helped to guide them on the journey of life.

    They grow up too quickly. Hug that tween of yours. If you are as lucky as I am he will never be shy to say “I love you mom” even with his buddies present.

    Wishing you many more rainbows this spring.

    Reply
  2. Donna says

    March 17, 2016 at 6:20 AM

    I loved today’s post and your observations on tween boys ! I share your sentiments . I agree that we are so fortunate to be part of this amazing season of their lives .

    Reply
  3. Nikki says

    March 17, 2016 at 7:05 AM

    Very nice. VERY nice!

    Reply
  4. Barbara Ann says

    March 17, 2016 at 10:00 PM

    Spring is a time when all things bloom and start to grow. Getting ready for the warm days of summer when our faces head towards the sun.
    This young boy will all too quickly become a young man. Treasure these spring days, years. They go by fast.

    Reply
  5. Pam says

    March 19, 2016 at 1:29 PM

    You are right on about Spring….having 1 foot in Spring and the other in Winter. We have had beautiful weather this week in Oklahoma but the last 2 days cold again. You gave me hope that Spring will soon be back on the “Spring” foot instead of winter. Thanks. Love you blog as well .

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Take the Quiz

Stay updated!

Get all the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • A New French Country Dining Table February 3, 2021
  • Open Now December 17, 2020
  • Tradition and a Christmas Home Tour December 9, 2020
  • Tabletop Hot Cocoa Station November 29, 2020
  • A New Front Door November 10, 2020

Get all the latest straight to your inbox

Footer

Instagram

I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 At The Picket Fence