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Hello Reader,

This time of year, you can find chocolate malted robin eggs in the candy aisle of every grocery and convenience store. But my favorite place to spot bird eggs of any sort is in nests tucked into pots of ivy on my back porch or trees near my window or wreaths on my door.

In the past, my family and I have watched with rapt attention as these tiny eggs and the baby birds that later emerged from them were tended and fed and protected by their parents until they were ready to fledge and fly away.

So far, I haven't found any nests on our property this spring. Which is probably for the best, seeing as a stray cat took up residence on our porch soon after we moved in. We eventually started feeding her, bought her a bed and a flea collar, and gave her a name ("Tinea," from the scientific term for ringworm), so I think she's here to stay.

Which is all right by me, because the pit bull from across the street seems super scared of her. More than once, that dog has gotten loose and charged a family member, only to have Tinea quickly dart between them and viciously chase the pit away with her sharp claws and angry hisses.

But this week's link list isn't about cats. It's about birds. So if you love our feathered friends as much as I do, I hope you'll enjoy these resources, as well.

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Pretty Bird Note Cards - use these free printable cards to send notes of encouragement
• ​All Creatures Coloring Page - this bird design features Psalm 104:27. So true!
• ​Look at the Birds Coloring Page - God feeds the birds and will take care of us, as well
• ​Pretty Bird Bookmarks - birdie bookmarks to use yourself or share with friends
• ​How to Draw Birds - a sweet tutorial for children who want to improve their drawing skills
• ​State Bird Coloring Pages - just in case you want even more bird-themed coloring page
• ​My Empty Nest List - a free printable for planning what you'll do when the last fledgling flies

What I'm reading this week:

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​Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham The kids and I just finished re-reading this inspiring tale about the extremely brilliant and largely self-educated Nathanial Bowditch. When a 9-year-indentureship dashes his hopes of attending Harvard, young Nat begins studying on his own: physics, astronomy, mathematics, Latin, French, navigation -- he is interested and becomes proficient at it all. His understanding of science and his precise mathematical calculations changed the way navigation was conducted and thereby made sailing the seven seas much safer for everyone who heeded his counsel.

This week's reader request:

A reader named Connie wrote to say she was looking to make some prayer dice. She envisioned something young children could use at mealtime and bedtime. Each die would contain six simple prayers to help little ones learn to thank God for their food and also pray before going to sleep every night. I thought that was a smart idea, so here's what I came up with: Simple Prayers for Children​

Have you been searching for a particular printable on the Internet without success? Hit reply and let me know what you're looking for, and I'll do my best to help!

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On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 36 ​THE WRONG WAY TO PROPOSE MARRIAGE​ One thing I’ve learned through more than three and a half decades of marriage? Endings are far more important than beginnings. Take a stroll down memory lane with me this week as I share about two very different proposals of marriage I received in college. ​ Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

Welp, a lot of my goals went unfinished last week. I did manage to ✅ babysit my grandkids all week while their parents are on a cruise. But that was more all-consuming and time-intensive than expected, which doubtlessly accounts for all the unattended items still on my to-do list. Ha!

I did make some progress, though: I ✅ divided my liriope but ❌ did not get the flower beds weeded. I ✅ outlined the talk I'll be delivering Friday for a local moms group but ❌ have not yet made Power Point slides. I ✅ painted the base coat on the band box I plan to use for toy storage but ❌ have not even started the floral wreath I want to paint on the lid. I ✅ graded all the homework for my Algebra classes at co-op but ❌ am still behind in my grading at home. And I ✅ added a new print pack to our online shop but ❌ haven't yet submitted any of my resources for the Relational Lifestyle Summitswag bag (you can register for the summit free by following this link).

Personal goals for this week:

• visit a tulip farm (homeschool field trip)
• finish PowerPoint and speak at MomSquad
• attend Smith County Republican Convention
• volunteer/ shop early at upcoming CCC Sale
• put together cowboy costumes for Western Day at co-op
• paint top of band box