Jesus is Alive!

^{Easter weekend was filled with lots of fun and festivities.
We kicked off Good Friday with a trip to see the Easter Bunny.
Absolutely no significance in this other than Kirkley loves a costumed animal,
and we stumbled upon the Easter Bunny at the mall a few weeks ago.
She never forgot and asked for the next few weeks...}

<sup>Monday, after discussing Easter weekend had come to a close,
she asked what holiday was next.  I said Mother's Day and she said,
"Will there be a mother at the mall for us to take our picture with?"

  Alex and got to spend Good Friday evening at Secret Church.
Once it's posted to listen and print, we highly recommend. 
I didn't make it all 6+ hours so I need to catch up too!</sup>


  Saturday morning, Kirkley was thrilled to see the trail of eggs outside her door!

 Jay was more interested in Kirkley's Easter basket than his!

Then we were off to our Sunday school egg hunt. 

Jay took us by surprise and was ready to hunt!

Thanks to Lisa for organizing!  The kids had a blast!

Kirkley had asked to make an "Easterbread house," 

and had to settle for bunny cookies when I told her that didn't exist.

 

She also painted her eggs this year instead of dying which was 100% less stressful.

Kirkley and I got to take a special trip Saturday afternoon to take Easter treats 

to children in the peds unit.

This was the first time we'd seen her soooo excited to do for someone else.

She helped purchase, pack, and deliver all of the bags.

The kids were noncontagious so it was extra special to get to meet them and deliver personally!

She was so touched that the children were so excited to get their bags.

Reminded us of our Easter weekend there two years ago

and the sweet friends and family that came to help out!

This was a great new tradition!

We woke up Sunday to resurrection buns...

 

As we made them Saturday night, Kirkley got to the last biscuit and said,
"One more Jesus to go!"

Hoping the theology of Jesus as a marshmallow translates one day! :)

We did took supplies/recipes to neighbors who gave us interesting looks.  

We love these...maybe they did too!  

We spent Easter Sunday at church then at 

the Hamiters for Easter lunch for 50+ college students that didn't get to go home.  

This was one of our favorite Easter Sundays.  

So fun to make trays and trays of things -- they were hilarious to overhear,

"Broccoli casserole!"  "Pretzel salad!"  Made it so fun to do this for them.

Made us feel like we had a big ole family!

The students hid eggs for the kids, we had a yummy lunch, and enjoyed the afternoon!
Mallory, one of our favorites from the beach mission trip, was there.
Kirkley loves these girls we've gotten to know!




Easter Sunday concluded with a Passover style meal at our church
similar to the one offered at the LaGrange Explorations in Antiquity Center.  
Kirkley attended with us and loved the charoset (especially compared to the bitter herbs!).
If you're near LaGrange, Georgia, I so recommend making a trip to the center.  
Book a reservation to do the meal, check on the children's programs (there are summer day camps), and go see awesome replications that bring so many Biblical stories/scenes to life!
When reading these stories, I forget they don't know what a cave, tent, etc. look like.
We plan to take K soon!


We hope everyone had a blessed Easter weekend!


⁵When Christ came into the world, He said,
    "Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but a body have You prepared for Me; 
⁶in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure.
⁷Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.'"

  

⁸When He said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),  

⁹then He added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." 

He does away with the first in order to establish the second.  

¹⁰And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 ¹¹And every priest stands daily at His service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, 

which can never take away sins.

¹²But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, 

He sat down at the right hand of God,

¹³waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet.  

¹⁴For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
¹⁶ "This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord: 
I will put My laws on their hearts, 
and write them on their minds," 

¹⁷then He adds,
    "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."

 ¹⁸Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

 ¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, ²¹and since we have a Great Priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  

Hebrews 10:5-25 ESV 

Eggs, Nests, & School Easter Party

Starting to get on the ball around here.  We have our eggs boiled and ready for decorating and deviled eggs.  Emily, can this count as my cookbook recipe for this month!?  I have to look up how to boil eggs every time!  Yall thought I could cook -- really I can just read directions.  This recipe is courtesy of Joy of Cooking which is really encyclopedic and tells you how to do pretty much anything with any food.

I signed up for sweets at Kirkley's school party, so I attempted a cute cupcake I finally found online that didn't use coconut for the nest.  For 30 cupcakes, I used 1 tub of white frosting (thin layer on top), 4 cups chow mein noodles (in bag in Asian section), and 1 cup white chocolate chips.  Melt white chocolate chips in large bowl in microwave, stir in chow mein noodles, and arrange on cupcakes.  Zap noodles/chocolate if mixture gets too stiff for 10 seconds.  Put candy eggs on immediately (had to attach some with frosting underneath).  Took literally 20 minutes -- neither the frosting nor the nest has to be perfect. 

Make little nests on wax paper with your extras....

We had fun at her class egg hunt and party!

She's had a great time with her class this year -- lots of sweet friends!

And some FYI on the whys of the Easter egg.  Found lots of different things when googling.

We're going with the egg is the symbol of new life and resurrection! :)

"We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, 

just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, 

we too might walk in newness of life."

Romans 6:4

Holy Week

It's here!  And even though I started thinking a month ago on tradition ideas, it still feels like Easter snuck up on me! :)  I can't for the life of me find our Resurrection Eggs.  We did find all of our empty eggs, and Kirkley announced, "They're empty!  He is alive!"

If you want a printed copy of the Resurrection Buns recipe and story, email me.  We're giving the recipe/supplies to our neighbors with little ones -- would love to share it with you so you can do the same!  Also, if you have any Easter recipes you love or are big traditions in your family, please share!  Working on an Easter lunch menu....

Wedding Showers

Kirkley and I snuck away for a night and headed to a wedding shower 

for my sister and her soon to be groom, Seth!

It was a special girls trip and a fun night away with my big girl!

Kirkley was a little helper at the shower, careful to hand out presents but not open them.

She's so excited to be their flower girl and had the best time trying on dresses.

She twirled, danced, and sang all around the bridal store.

Then a few weeks ago, I went to a shower for Katelyn and got to meet up with some of my D-Group girls!

I met with these girls almost every week while I was in college for Bible study

while they were in seventh through tenth grades. 

Jordan, Katelyn, Jenna, and Laurel

We're missing several precious faces!

So fun to see them grown up.

And as it turns out, Katelyn is marring the uncle of William from Kirkley's preschool class.

When I ask Kirkley who she played with at school each day, she says,

"William," and blushes!?

I have to brag on Aunt Laurel for a shower she did for her friend Alice Anne.

At my stage in life, we've gotten a little lax with showers.

Like let's meet at a restaurant, eat, and open presents.

We do bring a cake at least.  And sometimes flowers.

This was no such shower -- the girls went all out with Monograms and Mimosas! 

I was excited to be the photographer...

Laurel's boyfriend John helped with the yummy food, and Laurel made cute cute shower favors.

She did peppermint shower scrub in tiny jars: 

"from Alice Anne's shower to yours"

We're still using and loving ours!

All of this wedding talk got us thinking about some of our favorite marriage books.  One of the first ones we did was The 5 Love Languages.  This was revolutionary for Alex and I and the way we communicated with each other.  The quick test is here but the book gives great explanations.  Another one we liked was Love & Respect.  This one again solidified the fact that men and women communicate so differently.

Power of a Praying Husband and Wife could be read again and again.  The mini books are a great follow up to keep in your car, purse, office, etc. to pray anytime (husband/wife).  I've also loved this list, this chart, and this email prayer reminder.  I need all of the reminders I can get to be praying!  They give great targeted, scriptural ways to pray.  (Yes, there is a parent version too along with the little book of prayers.)

Any favorite marriage books/resources you have?

 ²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰because we are members of his body. ³¹ "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." ³²This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:22-33

Childproofing for Boys

So in the midst of the birthday fun yesterday, we learned a lesson in childproofing for boys.

Alex and Kirkley had just headed out the door for preschool, 

and I was vacuuming when the cord came out of the wall and it shut off.

I heard Jay screaming and ran in to find him flat on his back underneath...

 The dresser/changing table was totally on top of him in his nursery that I had just left.

I slung it off of him and called Alex to come help me check him out.

Thankfully, they were still in the driveway, and by the time Alex was checking him, Jay was giggling.

His only battle wound was a tiny pink scratch on his cheek.

I laid on the floor and said prayers of thanksgiving!

He was back to his old tricks in no time.

We're quickly finding out this boy is turning our house upside down.

This dresser has been in the same spot for over four years and has never turned over.

The furniture is bolted and hooked to studs in the wall in Kirkley's room...Jay's is next!

"God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

2 Timothy 1:7

*Yes, the cute knobs Katie painted on the second drawer are off -- not for childproofing, 

but they don't fit right, and I haven't fixed them.  :)

Kirkley's 4th Birthday!

We had so much fun celebrating our Kirkley girl's fourth birthday!  

I'm not sure that she slept at all the night before her birthday or her party.  

She was thrilled to come find her four presents from us!

She received lots of birthday calls from family,

then blew out the candles on her birthday butterscotch coffee cake!

Jay thought it was hilarious to steal the money from her birthday cards.

We got in a quick round of her new memory game before she headed to school.

At school Mrs. Gina had all her friends sing happy birthday before they dug into cupcakes.

 Jay thinks he's such a big kid when he visits her class. 

He was ready to get up on the table for art time,

and he snuggled right in with Kirkley and Parker for circle story time!

We left school for a Laredo's birthday lunch with Taylor & fam and Aunt Lala....

She was ready for the Laredo birthday fun -- sombrero, song, and fried ice cream!

We had birthday dinner for her at Grammy's, and got to see her new playhouse...

Her grandparents made her an extra special requested dinner of spaghetti and meatballs

before we enjoyed zoo cake.

Friday morning we headed for a day of zoo birthday fun...

We were blessed with great weather and sweet friends to celebrate with!

Her birthday birthverse:

"but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. 

Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 4:14

Rise and Shine!

Kirkley's children's choir class did two songs at the Wednesday night service tonight.  She is sooo comfortable on stage and begs to get on stage every time we're in this multipurpose room at our church.  We stopped by a friend's house the other day where she hopped on their fireplace and belted out a, "Ladies and gentlemen!" before I could shew her down! 

Before the "concert" with a few friends in her choir...

"Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory!"

Did not factor in hand raising when we chose a two-piece outfit! :)

They also sang a favorite from preschool last year, "What a Mighty God We Serve."

 So happy on stage!  She'll be back on next week for her CBS program!

I realized this week that I had no recent pics of the kids together...

Then I realized why when I tried to take one tonight.  

We had a mama/daughter date at Chill afterward.

She opted for four mini yocakes (which are amazing) instead of yogurt 

since her big four birthday is tomorrow!

"Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength!
   We will sing and praise Your power."

Psalm 21:13

embrace the camera

Love doing a random embrace the camera every now and then.  

The stars of this embrace the camera are my men.  

Jay is a total daddy's boy -- well really he's anyone's boy: 

the hostess at waffle house, the cashiers at stores, and even a college guy said the other day, 

"He's gonna get some girls with those eyes!"

He's a charmer, and he loves his daddy lots!

It's a huge celebration when daddy gets home from work -- smiles all around!

But major frowns in the mornings when he leaves. 

Jay runs to the door, making all kinds of noise then pouts until a distraction comes along!

He is the one who will build a house for Me, and I will establish His throne forever. 

I will be His Father, and He will be My Son. I will never take My love away from Him, 

as I took it away from your predecessor. 

I will set Him over My house and My kingdom forever; 

His throne will be established forever.

1 Chronicles 17:12-14

 

sunny days and stormy nights

We are loving the sunny days of the last week or so!  We bit the bullet and invested in some patio furniture over the weekend.  We enjoyed a snow cone snack on Sunday afternoon.  If you don't have one, we love our little snow cone machine as seen at Target/Wal-Mart this time of year.  You can use fruit juice for your syrup!

 

Didn't take long for a storm to hit Monday night and "break in" our new furniture.

See the table under the only tree that shaded our deck!  :)

 Yes, I made him check on it at 11pm when the storm subsided.

The furniture survived, and we're grateful the tree hit it instead of our house!

A deck without shade has not hindered our little artist!

Yep, her jeans look like that pretty much all of the time.

One of the downsides of needing a 5T on a 3T waist.

"It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, 

and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain."

Isaiah 4:6

Farm Fun

Our kids would live on a farm in a heartbeat.  If they only knew their mama and daddy probably couldn't keep a single living farm thing alive -- plants or animals!!  We hit the farm for Colt's birthday (follow the link to see the awesome cake her sister did!), and I think our kids would have stayed the night.  From the animals to the open space to the corn feed to the cheese puffs, they loved it all! 

Jay and his girlfriend Annie Grace played in the corn forever. 

They would absolutely not pose for a picture.

This face (and hair) cracks me up!  She must have dumped corn on him 92 times!

We found corn everywhere when we got home!

Kirkley was in love with all of the animals. 

I missed my chance at a pic during chase the chicken, 

but don't worry, I did get one of her posed with a goat!

Later in the week she told me she wants a goat for her birthday.  To keep at Grammy's house.

And she stayed on the donkey (I think??) through the singing of Happy Birthday.  Apparently party etiquitte is out the door when a donkey ride is involved! 

A good time was had by all -- thanks Millers!

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: 

livestock, creatures that move along the ground, 

and wild animals, each according to its kind.” 

And it was so. 

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, 

the livestock according to their kinds, 

and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. 

And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:24-25