SPRING!

I love the sun. I can't even fully explain how much I love it! It fills my soul with joy when we have sunshine like we have recently. It makes me laugh to see people still dressed up in their coats and scarfs despite the natural glow bathing England. Honestly, it's not warm out there.

Spring, to me, means progress. It reminds me of good times and fun. To me, it signifies the end of exams. I've always ignored April as a month as it has often passed while I've been studying and exams have been in May but exams this year are finished and it's not even May yet. April has become a significant month to me. Firstly, it's Ben's birthday month and I love celebrating birthdays. Secondly, we got engaged in April.

I can't quite believe it's been over a year since he asked me that all important question and I gave him an enthusiastic but emotional "ye..." (I meant to say yes, but I forgot the S in all the excitement - fortunately he understood).

In fact; last April Becky (my sister) got engaged to Spencer a week before Ben proposed to me!

This year (on Sunday - two days ago!) Charly (sister) was proposed to by her boyfriend Lawrence who as a consequence is now her fiance. *MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS*!!!

It seems that the fever of love has hit all of us in April, in fact.

Due to Charly's engagement, I got thinking last night and was browsing for good quotes and advice when I stumbled across a fantastic talk given in 1983 which I feel is so relevant today. It's called The Highs and Lows of Marriage. At the end of the talk it gives some questions you should go through occasionally as a couple to help you remember the highs of the marriage.

Ben and I went through the questions last night and it was so lovely to be able to express the things we loved about each other originally and the things we've particularly enjoyed about our marriage so far. It made me realise how fantastic our year has been. There have been some crazy challenges but I wouldn't trade them because, as we discussed, from them we have made a stand as a couple and really grown closer. Testing our relationship has proven it time and time again. All of the sunshine we've had has made the wintry moments worth it.

This is worth working for and fighting for. Life in the institution is alright when you're with your best friend.

You can’t leave love to luck.

Love first came with leaping ecstacy.

But when this passes … as it always may …

Love, too, will go unless you make it stay.

For there come times when hearts

Are deaf and dumb, when nothing wakens,

Nothing yearns or burns. … These times must come;

They are not accident, nor do they prove

Your choice of love was wrong.

They come with every lover,

Every loving bond-mother or father,

Sister, brother, mate. Always, at times,

Love seems as cold as hate …

Cut off forever, by malignant fate.

But it’s not so. Such chilling of the heart’s

As much a part of life as thirst or hunger. …

It’s the natural ebb of our affection’s flow.

Such times must come for all who love,

And when they come you must know why,

And how to meet them or your love will die.

You can’t leave love to luck,

You must at times build love.

Though lacking all delight,

As blind men weave a pattern in the night,

Counting each gentle gesture,

Spacing word and smile, groping through darkness

Of both heart and head, as blind men fumble

With their unseen thread.

Until at last from out of the dull

Gray warp and woof of service, unto God and men,

There’s the shine of that sweet wonder

Which you had thought had passed …

And, once again, you feel God’s beautiful design.

(Author unknown)