Easter

I almost forgot the dying of the Easter eggs...I remembered late in the game on Saturday. When I realized I was out of eggs. And thus begins the panic that leads to the stress of the holidays...what is that? So, I got the eggs, we got the kids bathed & in their PJs & we started dying the eggs. The kids helped me fill the cups with water & vinegar & I hand the color tablet to my boy.....who pops it in his mouth.
He thought it was candy.
Don't blame him.
It's perfectly rational thinking in hindsight, but at the moment I didn't think so clearly as I am certain I freaked him out with my "spit it out! spit it out" yelling while jumping around the kitchen a little bit.
But from the looks of the pictures, he seemed to have recovered nicely.

And we had to wake the kids up to get an egg hunt in before getting ready for church. The baby looks pleased.

It was a great day. I can't believe I got a couple of good ones of all three! I'm kind of in love with them. Sorry for posting these so late. It's been a crazy week. Happy belated Easter!

and more from the zoo

There was static electricity at the zoo.

And lots of double & triple sliding at the zoo. Ah, I miss the days of being able to double slide. The days of my hips being small enough to share that space......but these 3 kids were worth it.

some more from the zoo

my crew at the zoo

I must tell you that few things warm my heart more than these 3 enjoying each other. I try to remind them often that each was a gift given to the other & to treat each other that way. it doesn't always stop the back seat bothers....but I believe it with all my heart. I feel like I am such a part of them when they are enjoying each other. I get so much joy from that.

And those, my friend, are naked mole rats. Are there mole rats that are not naked? Do other mole rat colonies wear clothes? If it's an issue of fur could we just call the other rats the furry mole rats? Anyway, that is what they are & the kids were too close to them in my opinion. Which is why the picture is from a wee far back.

good to be crazy

So there was a spotting of the crazy scooter this morning at the Cupcake Kids lemonade & treat sale! And have you heard?

They sold the car & bought a wagon.
I kid. But it wouldn't surprise me & it made me laugh a little.
The sale was a HUGE success & there are many pictures to post & many people to thank for coming out to support this cause.

So stay tuned for more to come....I'm off to tackle some major projects with the fam. Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!!

the Cupcake Kids!

Tomorrow our kids along with the Owens & the Hartys will be setting up shop with yummy treats & refreshing lemonade all to raise money for people in need. Come out & grab a treat, encourage some kiddos & help us lend a hand to those in need.
Read more here

chewbacca?

So, look who we ran into at the zoo. It was a little surreal. There was a crowd of people looking to see if anything was awake or moving around in this particular exhibit & he just wandered up & sat in front of us. I struggle with zoos....I just do. I have this tension of loving the ability to see this crazy creature up close, safe & personal...and then knowing that they don't belong there. And yes, there is lots of room for them to roam, but it's still not freedom. And I guess because I know what freedom for that animal could look like, with all the goods & bads that go along with it, I just wish they could know it too. I had NO intention of writing anything more than, "Hey! We saw Chewbacca at the zoo today!" But for some reason I'm on this rabbit trail & I can't seem to jump off. Anyway, with Easter being this weekend and Easter meaning freedom in so many ways to me....I see it as I stare at this guy. Does he even know he's stuck? Maybe not. But I wish for more for him. I believe our hearts & souls were made to live on forever & ever. And I don't think that means that we're all going to heaven. I just think we were meant to live on forever. And I grew up thinking that you either went to heaven or there was just nothing, (because the nothing was easier than believing in hell)...and I don't think that's it. I believe in heaven & I believe in hell. So anyway. Freedom. Knowing that my soul will live on forever gives a grander purpose to things. Knowing that the 'atta boys' in my time here are not what I'm after. But to trust in the bigger plan of a God who said to love one another, even when it's hard. To forgive one another, even when they hurt you. To pray for your enemies, even though they are...well, ... your enemies. A God who said when you have cared for the least of these you have cared for Me. A God who said I care so much about being with you again that I will take the punishment so you don't have to. A God who says I see the freedom that you could have & with the goods & the bads that come with that freedom....I want more for you.

And for whatever reason, and I say this because I lived it for so long, but for whatever reason I pushed back on this idea of being rescued. I don't know if I pushed back because I didn't think I needed to be rescued that I could work it all out all by myself. Or that I just didn't like the way the people who "preached" that message lived - they seemed to criticize & judge people's behaviors so often...and I didn't see much love lived out. But I see my judgement on those people in that statement. The freedom that comes from knowing that God has a plan & a purpose for my life.....that may actually be for the benefit of many...that He freed me up from having to "get it right" because I never will & freed me up from having to earn my way, because I never can. He freed me up by taking my place on a cross, conquered death so that I can live on & trust that there's a bigger message to spread. To love God, trust Jesus & love others...and to resist letting my opinions getting bled into that.

All of that rambling...from this picture of an orangutan.

busted

we're at it again!

Soccer is back! It's fun to see her develop a little more interest & a little more skill & a little more learning how to work together with a team for a common goal. We love this group of girls, parents & our coaches are the best. They care about the girls' character 1st & foremost.....it's just nice to have peple come along side us as parents in the extracurricular stuff.....this is a sweet time.
I need my pause button.

camera fun

I snapped these the other day & i was so pleased with how they turned out but the bummer is that i have NO idea what I did to have them be exactly like I wanted them to be! The best part is t hat I feel like I "got" her. Captured a part of her that is so just "her". She's is a mess. And the snuggliest, sweetest baby in the world. Lee & i describe her as a kitten who is absolutely certain that she is a lion.

rah rah rah

This would be the cheering squad at the soccer game this morning.

and we did not win.

my girl

I've had some heavies on my heart that I am not sure if i want to post or not. It's therapeutic to type it out.....it's the publishing part that makes me a little gun-shy. So for today...and maybe even for tomorrow ... i'll stick to the soft stuff. The gluttonous weekend that was my boy's birthday sugar throwdown. A morning filled with Krispy Kreme followed by a cake. I would not have dared take my 1st born near a Krispy Kreme donut at this age.....but this baby is the 3rd....and I feel certain this is not the last time she will be exposed to the bads way before her time......we do love our donuts :)

THREE!

Too big. He has grown so much just in the past 5 weeks or so.....and he is the funniest little boy. So much fun. I know about the terrible twos & i know about the secret that people don't really tell you about until you actually have a 3 year old...in that the 3s can be even more challenging than the 2s....and I may very well eat these words.....but I just cannot imagine a terrible 3s with this one. It's not that he doens't give me fits....it's just that he's so sweet. And so snuggly. And very tender. I didn't know what having a boy would be like....and maybe that's not a fair statement because I honestly just never knew what having this boy would be like. But however you look at it - he has brought me so much joy. And born smack dab in the middle of March Madness......I remember being in labor watching basketball with my brackets & highlighters :). Great memories of being in the hospital just snuggling with him & following the games. A favorite time of year for me now for those 2 reasons.....a season that I met my son & well, basketball.......an immediate bond.
Happy Birthday Little Man. I am beyond in love with you & your precious heart.

hula hooping

st patrick's day

Well, last year i read on somebody's blog somewhere that they made this awesome-ly fun cake for St. Patrick's Day. So I made a note of it.....and a year later....we did it! It really was so cool & very fun.....& yummy to boot.

those faces

These are not the best pictures. I know this. I am far from a photographer....maybe one day. But the memories behind these pictures are so beautiful. I just want to freeze. To tell everyone to just stop. They are all growing too fast.