Yippee!!! Happy Mail!

Today has been a gorgeous day!!  It started off with my cat waking me up, no doubt wanting to make sure that I didn't miss seeing the beautiful sunrise....I'm pretty sure his hunger had nothing to do with it.

After doing our morning routines and chores, the kids and I decided that it was much too beautiful outside to stay at home.   So,  we decided to head to the park downtown, that runs along the river.  I took A LOT of pictures, but I chose only a select few to bombard you with.  :)

I think weather vanes are pretty sweet.

A tunnel under the bridge. 

This is a pretty awesome bridge, I have a drawing I did of it.  It used to actually be train tracks and they transformed it a few years back into a walking bridge.

Look at that glorious sky.

Duck, Duck, Geese!!

Wondering under the trees.

Z kids, waiting for me to catch up.  

Lamp posts, does anyone else have an obsession with them?

Back up to the bridge. 

Yes, another one...It reminds me of Narnia.

I like the way this turned out.

Zared likes to climb every tree possible.  Isn't that what trees are for? :)

One last quick shot of the gorgeous clouds before we head home.

Then to my wonderful surprise, I got home and the package I have been anxiously/excitedly waiting for, was there...in my mailbox, waiting for me to bask in it's glory!!  :)
About 3 weeks ago, one of my lovely blog friend's, Laila, and I decided to make an art trade.  She is multi-talented.  She draws, paints, crochet's, knits...you name it, she does it.  And it is all very beautiful.  One of her goals this year was to make art trades every month, I didn't know this when I asked her about it, but it all worked out very well and I'm so excited about my goodies in the mail.
I will share pictures with you..

This is the outside of the package, she decorated it with these lovely patterns.  I am going to keep this.

It was most fun to see the few additions to this package that were unexpected.  These are a few pages from a book, written in 1933 in Norwegian and Danish.  I can use these for a background for a picture.  :)

She also wrote me a lovely note on her own handmade notecard, isn't this beautiful?

A bonus piece of art from Sandra, she is Laila's young friend who loves to create as well.  I will definitely be hanging this one up.  

And the gorgeous pot holders that I traded for, they're so very pretty and colorful.  She crocheted them and they are lined on the back with white stitching.  Very pretty, I'm looking forward to putting these in my kitchen above my stove where I can see them everyday.  She also made the sweet little tag too.  She is so talented.
Thank you so much Laila, I am so, so happy with my lovely goodies!!  

What a truly happy and beautiful day!