The cutest baby shower

How fun to shower a mama with gifts for a new baby!  The "cake" was a diaper cake decorated with monkeys, giraffes, and polka dots.  Sweetest diapers ever, I'd say!  The cupcakes were yummy!

Mmmm...this candle smells so good!  A little treat for getting 19 out of 21 baby-themed words unscrambled.  The gals did such a neat job with the shower. 

Soon we will get to officially welcome this new little one.

A new haircut...

made him age about four years!  He went with Dad to get a haircut and came home with one himself. 

He pointed out that it was his first one at a shop.  He's right...we have always cut his hair!  Sometimes sitting on the kitchen table, sometimes on the stool, and few times with Dad holding him tightly...my how things have changed!

It's working!!!

It has been said that you eat with your eyes first...

must be true...even if I decided not to add all the fruits we had.

We needed a bigger pan for our veggie man!

If you think about it too much...it is a bit disturbing.

Tracking the day by the dog's napping positions...

morning

early afternoon

late afternoon

evening

We're tracking the snow melt today!

The weatherman said 60 degrees...and lots of wind.

9:00am

12:30pm

4:30pm

We are feeling ready for some green grass!

We are going to do this!

For some reason, the chair-fillers in our house aren't appreciating fruits and veggies as much as they once did.  I know Mom taught me not to play with my food...so I will play with my kid's food! 

I think we need to have some fun with it!  Thanks to pinterest...again!

She was in rare form on March 4th!

"What you said wasn't very nice, even though you said it in a nice way!" said Alisa to her sister Sunday morning as I eavesdropped from the bathroom mirror.  She was right...why do we have to fight and bicker as we are getting ready to go to church?!

"You know the old saying, 'Kiss me now, spank me later." Alisa pronounced at the Sunday night supper table.  I choked on my bite of pizza.  Ashlynn and Teddy wanted to know who said that.  And Ted sat with a smirk and stated that he thought that was a wise saying, "Who said that?" Alisa lost control of her giggles, "I said it!"  Great, just great...this is going to be heard again and again...by me.

"Well, you know, what goes in must come out!" proclaimed Alisa matter of factly in response to a previous action.  That's all it took for Ashlynn and Teddy lose their composure at the table.  I decided to clear the table.  Ted sat there shaking his head in agreement and at the over-abundance of silliness.

I will apologize now for things that may or may not be repeated by our children at various functions.  Maybe this will give you a heads up for the next time you are invited to spend time in our home.  Our children keep us guessing...and laughing...and praying!

2012 Upwards Season

Closed with a game between the Eagles and the Gators in the morning...

and then the awards ceremony in the evening.

Dan Wetzel was the special speaker with amazing basketball handling skills.

Teddy's buddy got to go up on stage and try his skills!

Sitting with his buddy!

Eating chocolate pudding from a spoon with a spinning ball on it!

I've been humming this song ever since choir practice last Sunday...

"Only by His grace, I have found His holy place.  Underneath His wings of love, resting in my God above.
Grace for every need.  Grace that overflows and far exceeds. Lavished on my soul at Calvary.
Only by His grace."

I am more convinced than ever that God brings certain things into our lives at certain times to prepare you for the next step in the journey...for the days that you trip and stumble over a circumstance, for that split second decision that doesn't turn out how you thought, for the bad choice that was made, for the moments when your breath catches in your throat, for those times that something just isn't right...He knows and He spreads His wings of love.  I'm so thankful for that promise.

"He gives grace to His children...grace...that overflows and far exceeds..."

Another change in the weather system...

All this up and down, rain and snow, sun and clouds, lion and lamb, in and out, gray and gloomy weather sure messes with a body!  Soup seemed a good choice for lunch today...maybe it will help me try to fight off the desire for a nap!  But probably not...

Near and far...

we are thankful for the friends and family that God has put into our life.

We are grateful for the prayer and encouragement. This time of year prompts me

to once again say, "Thank you" for being part of our lives.  We are thankful for the opportunity

that God gives us to pray for you too.  As the birds have started singing again each morning,

I am reminded to give a voice to those thankful thoughts that visit me this time of year.  I don't want to 

forget the goodness of our God.   

Spelling matters!

Our number four chair-filler had a Bible test this week.  She did very well!  However, there were some spelling issues on the verse section.  It is not that she can't spell.  It is that she goes too fast which makes for messy writing and silly mistakes.  We are working on that...constantly.  Here is the version of I Corinthians 13:1-2 that I read...

"Though I speak with the tongs of men and of angles, and have not chairity, I am become [as] sounding bras, or a tinkling symbol.

And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mystryes, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove moutains, and have not charity, I am nothing."