Easter at Our House

First order of business...Easter baskets

The bunny ears are a hit

With everyone.

Then ready for church

And posing for a few pics

It's a beautiful morning...

...for a bit of playing before church.

My little Easter bunnies...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter...we sure did!!!

A Fun Day at Easter Express

Today our church hosted its annual Easter Express. It's one of the highlights for our kids each year, and this year was no exception. We had so much fun...the weather was gorgeous and there was plenty of fun and excitement for everyone!

Our first stop was the fire truck

Little Man even got to sit inside (He LOVED it!)

And they got to go inside a real ambulance.

Then on to the egg hunting.

Little Man was starting to get the hang of it
(once he realized there is candy inside the eggs!)

He was pretty proud of his accomplishment.

Inspecting the bounty

Then on to the face painting station.

There were baby chicks to pet
(but neither of them were too sure about that)

The highlight for Little Miss was her visit with the Easter Bunny.

For Little Man it was the train ride--hands down.

Hope you find time this Easter weekend to spend time with family and friends, and most importantly, remember the reason we celebrate. He is Risen!!

"He has risen, just as he said." (Matthew 28:6)

Day at the Park

It was gorgeous today, so we headed out to the park for some fun.

Happy Birthday, Daremo!

In honor of my brother-in-law's birthday, I wanted to post a picture he painted recently. It's a powerful reminder as Easter approaches:

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:5)

To see more of examples of Daremo's artistic eye, visit his flickr page.

Happy Birthday, Daremo!

Momentary Troubles

Ever had one of those days? I've had several lately...

A couple of weeks ago my laptop died. Last weekend the coffee maker did the same...just as I was making coffee for some guests. One day last week Little Man threw up all over the van while waiting to pick up Little Miss from preschool. (He was fine right after; his car seat and the interior of the van were another story!) Last month we learned Little Miss has a chronic eye condition that requires a lot of attention (nothing serious, but uncomfortable for her). We are on our third round of medication, none of which are working fast enough for us. Add to that the ongoing house hunt, the increasing levels of stress at Hubby's work, and Daylight Saving Time, and well, you get the idea.

So, imagine my frustration today when I logged onto our desktop (now our sole computer) and found out I had inadvertantly downloaded something that left behind a nice little gift (a.ka. spy ware and a virus). Sorry Hubby! The good news is Hubby is an IT guy and can salvage it. The bad news is...it's one more thing to fix. I'm starting to think I might have the opposite of "the Midas touch" (Shall we call it the "Nancy touch"?)

That's why I was so glad when I read a post last weekend from Frugal Coupon Living. Every Sunday she posts Treasures From Heaven, and last week's post was exactly what I needed. So much so that I read it again today, just for inspiration.

Building on her idea, I've decided to list those things in my life that are going RIGHT these days. Here goes:

• I have a wonderful husband who loves God, adores me and our children, and works hard each day to be sure we are cared for, provided for, and enjoying life.
  
• I have a beautiful, sensitive daughter whose imagination knows no bounds and who recently asked Jesus to come into her heart and be her best friend.
• I have a sweet son who amazes me every day with his intelligence, humor, and nonstop charm.
  
• I have a cozy home, food to eat, a vehicle to drive, clothes to wear, books to read, and toys to enjoy with my kids.
• We are blessed to be a part of a fabulous church where we are challenged and inspired in our faith.
• We have wonderful, caring friends with whom we can share our lives.
• I have extended family who, although I do not get to see them often enough, I know they are simply a phone call away.
• I am healthy, and I'm learning to take even better care of myself through nutrition and exercise (and feeling better because of it).
  
• Today alone I was able to buy groceries for my family, take my daughter to preschool, spend quality, one-on-one time with my son, chat with a good friend on the phone, drive through neighborhoods and "dream" a little, and give and get lots of hugs and kisses. (And the day's not over yet!)

All in all, I am very blessed. Sometimes it's hard to remember that when all I can see is everything going "wrong." Maybe I should take time more often to make lists like the one above and get a little perspective.

How's your perspective? Do you need to refocus? If so, grab a pen and paper and start listing what's going right (or what you've accomplished today). You might be amazed at how long that list is...I know I was. :)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

--2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

Healthy Kids Food Charts

My friend, Jill, has developed these amazing magnetic food charts. I think they are genius! The chart and color-coded food magnets stick to your fridge, making it easy for your kids to make healthy choices. That means you no longer have to be the Junk Food Police. Instead, your kids will learn to make good, healthy choices as they fill in their customizable charts. And as an added bonus, the colors and food group names match the names and colors on the USDA food pyramid charts. Talk about added reinforcement!

Check out her web site at HealthyKidsCharts.com. Order one for each of your kids, and if you like them, help her spread the word!

Way to go, Jill! I can't wait to order mine!

Creative or Disturbing?

So this morning Little Miss and Little Man were playing--the creative juices were flowing--when she suddenly ran in our room in a make-believe panic:

Little Miss: We're going to Subway, but we have to go through Scaryfield to get there!
Little Man: (following closely behind, also in pretend panic): Carey-feeewd
Hubby: (confused) Scaryfield?
Little Miss: (matter-of-fact) Yes, it's place where there are scary, talking trees and they throw pieces of people at you. (pausing for a moment, then continuing as matter-of-factly as before) And it splashes blood all over your face.

Then she ran off, Little Man following behind, to resume their make-believe trip to Subway (yes, the restaurant). Hubby and I are not sure whether to be impressed by her creativity or disturbed by its content.

P.S. Since we don't own a gaming console, and she only watches PBS, I blame it on those boys at preschool! :)