Messy

I know as a self-proclaimed freeze-baby living in snow-filled Minnesota, spring should be one of my favorite times of the year.  But it's not.  Not even a little bit. It's kind if like how I hate fall by proxy, because even though it's super pretty, it means "winter is coming", (thanks Game of Thrones...) and we all know about my intensely deep hatred of all things cold.

So why am I hatin' on spring?  Because it's messy.  

Yup, I'm that superficial.  I hate messes, and therefore dislike what is heralded as one of the very best seasons (and some would argue, a nonexistent one in good ol' Minn-e-snow-ta).

But. Spring is MESSY!  With two enormous, hairy and slobbery dogs, springtime is a dreaded season at our house... For the sheer fact that any and all outside excursions of our hairiest children requires the following: a mop, several towels, and, if we're lucky, a broom, and a vacuum if we're not so lucky.  I know, I know, spring means it's almost summer, and that's great. But spring is also dirty, wet, mushy, icky, and soggy.  It just is.

However, as I sit watching the icicles drip (from the snow dam on our roof... did I mention I hate winter?!?), I am thinking that maybe the reason that my heart hardens at the thought of spring is not because of the mess, but because of how much work new life can be.

In case you can't tell from my many blog entries, my facebook feed with a-nearly-out-of control-amount-of baby pictures posted, or my extremely unkempt appearance lately - we just had a child. (SHOT)  Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig surprise :)  And in case you also didn't know, having a baby completely changes your life in pretty much every single way.  And in case you ALSO didn't know, change is messy.  And hard.

But change, much like spring, also means new life.  And new life, even if it is messy, and a lot of work, is beautiful.  

My new life is veeeeeeeeeeeeeery messy.  Just come see my house without letting me know ahead of time.  Jaws.Will.Drop.  Especially since my human baby and my hairy babies have secretly conversed, planning evil-y, being extra needy and high-maintenance.  At.The.Exact.Same.Time.  Oh my goodness, it's like they know.  They know.  I swear they know :)

My new life is also beautiful.  Not traditionally of course.  It's not clean and pretty, it's not like the cover of Parent magazine, it's more like... well... dirty, wet, mushy, icky, and soggy.  Ok, maybe the lack of sleep is affecting my adjectives :)   It's not really THAT dirty (or is it?!).   It is gorgeous though - and I am so stinkin' thankful for it.  Even when it's 3 AM and I'm holding a crying baby (again), even when there are piles of laundry 2 feet high, even when I just want to sit down and eat one meal uninterrupted, even when everyone wants to help but it takes more energy to line up someone to help than it is to just do it myself.  Even then.  It is beautiful.  Maybe it's beautiful especially then - because it requires more than I can give and because of that, it requires me to go daily to Jesus and ask for help.  And if that isn't beautiful I don't know what is.

So.  This is an ode to spring, to change and to new life.  Bring on the mess!