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Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter :::2011:::

Easter 2011 has come and gone. Overall, I would say it was a great success.

We are working extra hard for the kids to realize Easter is more than just bunnies, eggs and treats.  We want the kids to know the true purpose of Easter--the death and resurrection of Jesus. Yeah. Try explaining that to a three-year-old {Sorry--but we don't even bother trying w/ the 1-year-old}.  I think Bethany gets it. I mean..as much as a three-year-old can. She can tell us the story & it isn't regurgitation. She can actually have a conversation and ask questions about: sin, why we sin, does God sin, how does God feel when we sin, why Jesus had to die, and the meaning behind resurrection.  The part that kinda throws a wrench in the whole deal is the bunny and its blasted eggs. Yeah...she thinks the eggs are waiting for us in heaven. Ah..whatever works.

We did get the kiddos small lil' baskets and filled them up with a few goodies. We didn't emphasize the Bunny or anything...just that we are celebrating today and you happened to get goodies too, you know just in case eternal salvation wasn't good enough--now you have bubbles and jammies to take with you!


  We hid eggs in side the house after church.  The kids had a blast searching and searching for the eggs.

Bethany zipped through the house like an old pro at this game. She found tons of eggs.


Owen need a bit more guidance, as he would walk by an egg completely two or three times without realizing it.

Overall, it was a great Easter.  It seemed a little busy...but really all holidays seems a bit too busy now-a-days.  We have started to think outside the box in terms of holidays and busyness. With a lot of holidays it seems like we have so much on our plate: with things to do, places to go, traditions to follow, food to make, obligations to uphold...BUT we are thinking about toning down our holiday busyness and make sure we are focusing our attention on the true purpose of the holidays. Not worrying about all the running, cooking, prepping and whatnots that holidays typically bring. Then our kids can see the true purpose of whatever holiday we are celebrating and not fixate on the next item on our agenda. And as a secret-hidden bonus...we will be able to relax and enjoy the time with our family.

Oh...by the way...I owe you a huge apology. I managed not to get pictures of the awesome "Thank You Jesus" cookie cake that Bethany and I made.  This was the first year in ages I didn't make a bunny cake....but since I was failing to see the connection between the cross and a bunny; Bethany and I decided to change our focus.  Not only does this cookie cake taste amazing...but Bethany did a fantastic job of drawing three cross on it for us.  And Bethany's explanation of the crosses is one of the best explanations I've heard in a long time....  "One cross is for God {of course meaning Jesus} & two for the bad guys that did bad things.  God doesn't sin...just us.  God was born before us and He is good."

hehehe...Isn't she something...

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Spring Time

 Spring is my favorite seasons.  I mean it is a time of growth and new life. Really...with beauties like these around...how could you not find yourself loving spring time?
 

My lil' magnolia tree certainly did not disappoint this year. It is one of the most gorgeous pieces of How-could-God-Not-Exist evidence around, I say!

 Spring also brings us Easter with all of the joys of that holiday....Jesus, Eternal Salvation and Egg hunts.

 Spring is time to get outside and play with the furry ones...even if they are three times your size.

And it is time to get out and learn a new sport...

or two.

 But, unfortunately, springtime is also a time for tremendous storms.  Storms that will amaze you about the wonderous world we live in. Storms that make you pray.  And storms that destroy

If you are a praying type...please pray for the devastation around St. Louis...particularly for the Renaud Empire.  A large tree fell and broke through their sunroom and kitchen.  Could you imagine? The Renaud Empire includes a loving Mom and Dad with four lil' ones all preschool age and younger.  I praise God for keeping everyone safe during the storm.  With all the damage around North County...it is truly amazing no one got seriously hurt.

Monday, April 11, 2011

High as a Kite (or not!)

Bethany has been wanting to fly a kite for a while now. So a weekend or two ago the weather was finally nice enough and it was certainly windy enough for us to give it a whirl.  
Flying a kite proved to be tricky business.

Well, not as tricky as it is to walk through a soccer net...but it was tricky none-the-less.

Cory worked long and hard to fly the stinkin' thing. 

Then he had to work long and hard to undo the stinkin' knots. Completely failing to fix this dastardly situation, we now have a knot-donning kite sitting in the garage until *I* one day when I'll have time to work on the lil'sucker!

Owen didn't so much have interest in the kite situation.  The playground was more his style.

Look at that teethy lil'smile.  Isn't he just a cutie-pa-tootie.  Man. I love this guy...even though he has a major case of apathy toward he whole kite-flying-situation.
 

Thursday, April 7, 2011

We've got flowers and a job

Saturday I came home and saw these beauties on my kitchen table...



Immediately I thought, "ahhh...Cory hasn't been in trouble lately...why did he buy me a dozen roses?!?!"  Well, it turns out these roses are from our new, up-coming principal.  Recently, a few positions opened up at another middle school in our district & we went ahead & applied for them.  This place is closer to our sitters & ultimately closer to our house when we are no longer needing a sitter.

We went to our interviews last Monday and Tuesday.  Man...that is nerve wrecking.  I hate interviews. I always think of what I should've said after the fact.  Not so helpful, now is it?   But apparently Cory and I did great on our respective interviews and all my self-doubt was unmerited.  

We are super excited to start these new positions in our new school. We've been praying and praying and praying for God to show us what we are supposed to do for next year and where we are supposed to work...I am just grateful that God's been listening.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

23 months...

In exactly one month, this pizza-faced,

Ottoman hiding, 

mitten/sandal wearing, 

sister-mimicking,

lil' bity boy will be 2 years old!