Easter

Our Easter was quiet, happy, & muddy. We did our usual traditions...dying eggs, candy filled baskets, backyard egg hunt, church at 11:00, & egg salad for lunch. This year, however, the afternoon involved a hunt for frog eggs. This led us to mud up to our thighs which led to some crazy sprinkler fun. The girls said the mud was their favorite part of the day :0).

Danny first had them jumping on the trampoline with a sprinkler attatched and then had the idea of putting a hose on the slide.

I've Had a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day~

Do you remember this book? Alexander still comes to mind when I have a bad day. I think I'll move to Austrailia :0)

Peep Smores!!

It's a little sad to think of holding a peep over an open flame to make these, but I think my girls could see past that to the deliciousness of a smore :0). If you don't have an open flame nearby...just pop it in the microwave on top of a graham cracker & chocolate and zap for a few seconds. Not too long or you'll have a HUGE mess. Then simply put another graham cracker on top. You could also use a broiler. Enjoy!

I Want to Be A Free Spirit!!

I really do! On a good day, I think I'm 75% there. Are you a free spirit??

Bunny Waffles

With it being the first girl day of spring break, I thought a fun breakfast was in order. We have a giant box of waffles from Costco in the freezer, so I was trying to think of what I could do with those. Then I had a flashback to my 'teen living ' class in middle school where we made a bunny cake out of two round cakes...I'm sure you've seen it before. So...I had the kids make their own bunny waffles the same way! Just cut one waffle so that there are two bunny ears and the middle section is the bow. We used a grape for a nose, yogurt rasins for eyes, and banana slivers for the whiskers. A fun "hoppy" way to start the day!

Recipe for Easter Morning Rolls

I usually make homemade Hot Cross Buns for Easter, but I'm thinking I might try this recipe instead. It looks easy & the kids would love it!

http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2010/03/easter-morning-rolls.html

Jamestown

On Wednesday, I went to Jamestown with Anabelle's class. It was nice to go on such a big trip with her. It was also eye opening to see what 20 third graders are like together! Yikes! God bless those teachers! Although I spent a majority of my time making sure four 9 year old girls were safe, I managed to get a few shots with my little FinePix camera. As I get older I find that I'm much more interested in learning the history of these famous places in Virginia. Maybe one day I'll actually stop and read all of those little signs in the museums :0).

I Got the Job!

I got off the phone with the director of Woodlake United Methodist Church Preschool yesterday & was in tears. After two interviews, lots of preparation, and a long wait she offered me the lead teacher position for the 2 1/2 class! I called Danny right away & he said, "Why are you crying??" I was overwhelmed with joy, pride, and peace of the Spirit leading me to that moment. A year ago I started praying for direction on what I was meant to do & where I was meant to be when Sadie started school and I found my place. Although I'm a little apprehensive about this change & this new responsibility, I'm excited to serve Him (even if it means potty training 10 two year olds :0)).

First Fire Building

One of the highlights of the trip was Danny teaching Anabelle & Elise how to build a fire. I was a little nervous about it, but they did great! Anabelle built the evening fire and Elise did the morning one using embers from the night before. It was a great moment to watch Danny pass on his skills to his girls.

Rain, Mud, and Camping

This weekend we went to James River State Park. The weather was supposed to be 60 on Saturday w/ clouds and 81 on Sunday with lots of sun. Perfect camping weather...right? Well, that's what we thought. After a full day of preparing for the trip Friday, we left Saturday morning to a light mist that we were sure would blow away when we arrived. At least the forecast said it would. The weather ended up being a high of 47 on Saturday with rain most of the night (downpours at times) and 55 on Sunday with clouds until the Dows left the park. The low Saturday night was supposed to be 51, but was actually in the low 40s.

To add to the fun, we camped next to a stream that the kids were instantly attracted to. Within minutes, Elise fell in & Sadie soon followed leaving only one extra pair of long pants. Their sneakers were soaked and when I sent them back out with boots, they came back with two inches of water inside their boots & socks soaked. Hmmmm.."Well then, let's put your pj pants on and STAY OUT OF THE WATER! You guys can play in the stream tomorrow...it's supposed to be hot!" Ha ha! Well, we tried to dry everything by the fire, but that quickly ended when the thunderstorms started. By then we were trapped under the canopy....Thank you Danny for bringing that...and played cards. It was actually nice. Danny & I even took turns roasting marshmallows under an umbrella for the girls. It was almost time for bed, so we sang some songs about rain, did some magic card tricks, and headed into our nice new dry tent to tuck the girls in when we discover that one of the girls left the door unzipped and the window open...our bag of clothes was soaked along with the edge of our beds and the floor. Great! We used our only towels to clean it up.

Then the night began... rain, rain, and more rain. The sides of the tent were wet, leaving wet blankets and cold kids. I probably woke up a total of 15 times praying that day ligh would come. I think my words were, "Lord...let there be light!" Well, light came, but only behind clouds. We had a decent morning despite the cloudiness....pancakes for breakfast, fishing, & more exploring. After realizing the sun just wasn't going to cooperate, we packed up, went on one little hike to an overlook and headed home. Just as we stopped at the bathroom to leave, guess what popped out? Hello, Sun! At least it made the drive home pretty :0).

Kindergarten Registration Day

Yesterday I filled out all the forms, brought all of the required documents, and sent her away to be evaluated. Sadie isn't a baby anymore...she's off to kindergarten in the fall. I knew this was going to be a tender day for me and although no tears were shed in that room yesterday, my heart was aching. I've been anticipating this day for years, but always thought I had time. It came so much faster than I wanted it to. As a mom, it's so hard to let go. We want to keep them near & hold them forever. But, as the saying goes, "Let your children go, so they can grow." I know she's ready for school and will grow in so many ways and I'm excited to watch her bloom. I'm also so grateful to have been able to stay home with her and enjoy every second I could. What a gift!

So... my sweet little Sadie seed, grow and show the world how beautiful you are~!

The Breeze

This morning I came downstairs & opened the windows to this wonderful crisp breeze and thought of this poem I had heard a while back. I've always loved windy days...everything outside seems so alive and fresh. I thought I'd share this poem with you~ Enjoy the breeze~!

An English Breeze

UP with the sun, the breeze arose,

Across the talking corn she goes,

And smooth she rustles far and wide

Through all the voiceful countryside.

Through all the land her tale she tells;

She spins, she tosses, she compels

The kites, the clouds, the windmill sails

And all the trees in all the dales.

God calls us, and the day prepares

With nimble, gay and gracious airs:

And from Penzance to Maidenhead

The roads last night He watered.

God calls us from inglorious ease,

Forth and to travel with the breeze

While, swift and singing, smooth and strong

She gallops by the fields along.

Robert Louis Stevenson

I Did It!

1 hr 5 min...

Of course that judge in my mind came back & said I could have gotten closer to an hour, but I beat last year's time by 7 minutes, so I'm happy :0)! Here's me with my running buddy!

Race Tomorrow!

Tomorrow at 9:20 my wave will leave the starting line. I'm more nervous this year because I'm pretty sure this is it and I want to do well! I keep thinking about what our coach said...you have two people running with you in your mind. The judge and the architect. Don't listen to the judge....kick her out...listen to the architect who is building the race step by step and telling you how awesome you are!

If you're reading this, please say a prayer for me. Please pray for my strength, endurance, speed, and my knees. Oh...and for my ability to kick that judge to the sidelines :0). Thanks!!