What a difference a month makes

April 2:

May 3:

We bought the patio furniture at IKEA this weekend.  I fully intend to spend every sunny afternoon sitting outside with the girls.  So I didn't even cringe (as much as I usually would have) when a quick check on the IKEA web site revealed that, in the States, the exact same set would have cost us about $300.  We paid nearly twice that much.  Yes, summer is short here, but after the long winter, that just means we will get double enjoyment out of it.  (That makes sense, yes?)