Family Alive

thanks to free babysitting from Grandma, Brian took me out for a belated birthday dinner at Brio. It was wonderful! Even after lots of time together on the road this weekend, it was so nice to have a quiet relaxed dinner as just the two of us. It’s been 8 years since we were madly in love and he proposed to me, and I still just love being with him. I’m a lucky girl 🙂

Turning 34 has been wonderful!  It’s been an all-around lovely day, filled with hugs, kisses, snuggles, texts, phone calls, emails, tweets and endless Facebook messages!  What more could a girl need?

My birthday started a bit early, as Brian promised to get up if either of the kids needed something during the night.  THAT is a treat!  A good night’s sleep makes any day look better! The kids greeted me in the kitchen with my gifts: a necklace/earring set, a new purse and wallet, and Mary Kay’s luxurious Satin Hands set. Yay!

I had ordered a new pair of sandals with some birthday money, and they arrived yesterday. Perfect timing! I’m sure I’ll be wearing them all summer, chasing kids and Brian on bikes, and they are super comfortable.

I met my sweet friend Allison for lunch at a favorite cafe.  We enjoyed the sunshine (she got sunburned!), while Josiah ran laps around the fountain and somehow ended up wet.  (This is as good as an iPhone self-portrait gets!)

It’s the little things… yesterday while grocery shopping, I had a quick thought to get both kids Lunchables. A real treat for them, AND I wouldn’t have to make lunch! We all won 🙂

Tonight was Life Group, the best evening of the week.  I was busy cleaning up the house, not my favorite thing to do, but always worth it for our friends. The bonus is that on this birthday evening I’ve got a clean house! For however long it will last… 🙂

I made homemade lasagna and homemade garlic herb bread for Life Group dinner.  Bekah brought one of my favorite cakes for dessert, AND she brought me the most perfect gift after my day in the kitchen…

Handmade and beautiful… I love it! I know I’ll put it to good and frequent use!

What a fabulous day!  If this is any indication, the rest of the year is going to be amazing! God has filled me to overflowing today!

Or is it singular “bunk bed”?  There are 2 beds…

Either way, I found a bunk bed at a garage sale on Friday, and couldn’t pass it up.  I knew it would be a great addition to Josiah’s room… if I can keep him from bouncing on the top bunk and keep Analise from doing gymnastics up there!

The first night was quite an adventure.  They fought over who would get to sleep on the top bunk, but we convinced Analise that the bottom would make a cool “cave” so Josiah could have the top.

(Holding up their twirly egg lights from their Easter baskets. Analise literally moved into the bottom bunk, even though she is only going to sleep there on non-school nights.  She had all her special things and blankets, including pen/paper/stickers, robe/slippers.  So cute!)

Of course, 20 minutes after the lights went out, guess what happened?

In the end, Josiah went back to the top bunk, after waking Analise a couple times with all his ins/outs/ups/downs.  He finally fell asleep after about an hour and 15 minutes.  He was up at 5:30am Sunday morning to go to the bathroom (yay!), and he was ready to play (while Analise was still sleeping) by 5:45.  I had to move him to Analise’s room until we were ready to get up Analise woke us up at 6:30.

Night 2:  Josiah, who had been up since 5:30am, asked to go to bed at 7, was very sad to find Analise was not going to be in his room because it was a school night.  (She was asleep in less than 5 minutes.)  Josiah started on the top bunk, moved to the bottom, came to the bathroom 3 times, fell out of the bottom bunk and came to show us the lump on his head (which there actually was!), and finally he ended up on the top bunk, asleep about an hour later. This morning, he was up at 6:30 to go to the bathroom (good boy!).

Night 3: Tired boy after lots of bike riding, sunshine and fresh air.  Amazingly, we didn’t hear from him after we tucked him into the top bunk, and he’s asleep right where we left him.  Except. I forgot to make him go to the bathroom right before bed, figuring he’d be up stalling. Whoops.  Might be learning to change sheets on the top bunk tomorrow.

What a lovely, lovely weekend!

The kids sang at Lakeside Baptist Church, so we enjoyed worshiping there with Brian’s mom (and dad, who was in the orchestra and hand bell choir).  Analise is in the 2nd row, on the left end, and Josiah is the bouncy boy in the front, 3rd from the right.

We had a great lunch at Toones, and amazingly, family photos were easier to take than in previous years!

Three weeks later, I’m still amazed at them! This makes for one happy mama!

I have always wanted to make these with the kids, but the Saturday before Easter just gets away from me.  But I’ve got all the ingredients this year, and I’m even going to do our Easter Basket fun stuff tomorrow, so that Easter morning is all about the Resurrection.

This recipe is many places, but I snagged it from here…(And as I was previewing it, I realized I may have posted it another year.  Oh well!)

Resurrection Cookies

• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• a pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• a zipper baggy
• 1 wooden spoon
• scotch tape
• Bible

**Preheat oven to 300F.**
Before you do anything else put the whole pecans in ziploc bags, and let your children beat them with a meat mallet, or hammers,  to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

¹Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ²The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face.

Allow each child to smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl.  Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

²⁸Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Add the egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Put a little of the salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. (If you have a lot of kids like I do put the pinch of salt INTO the bowl and then allow them to taste a little of  salt or you will have too much salt in the recipe!) Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.  Read Luke 23:27.

²⁷A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

So far the ingredients would not make a very good dessert!  Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.  Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

¹Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. ²He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”³In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.^[a]“

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 17:57-60.

⁵⁷As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.  Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

⁶⁵“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Now, go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20,22.

²⁰I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

²²So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

¹After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ²There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. ⁵The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” ⁸So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

One more Easter baking idea… Balloon Buns from Scribbit.

I love Easter.  I love the spring, the joy of this season, and I always hope that I can use our amazing Easter testimony to grow faith in our kids’ hearts.  I found this easy, fun Easter project that the kids and I are working on, making your own Calvary Hill and Empty Tomb.

I’ll post pictures with our progress!

Well, I’m a week late on posting his huge milestone (sorry, second-child-syndrome!), but here it is!  As Analise was riding in the driveway on Monday of last week, her 2nd day on 2-wheels, Josiah begged for us to take his training wheels off, too.  We thought, what the heck… but imagined we’d be putting them right back on.  Lo and behold, I held his seat and he literally just rode away from me!  It must be in the genes!  He’s amazing to watch!  The learning curve was a bit steeper, and he wasn’t as quick to catch on to braking.  But now he’s got it down.  He still can’t get himself started, but we’re getting there.  He pedals so fast on his little wheels!  I love watching both of them ride!  We rode tons last week during Spring Break!  More videos forthcoming, but these two are great to start with, Josiah’s first ride and my pro girl, Analise, on her 2nd day.

What a day!

On the outside, it didn’t look very promising. 40’s and intermittent drizzle, at a 2.5 hr bike race. But we took warm clothes and rain boots, as well as the kids bikes, with us to Guntersville. Over the course of waiting for Brian to come around for each of his 4 laps, the kids rode and played on the damp playground.  Despite my warnings, they ended up sliding down a slide into a puddle, and Analise was completely wet. Of course, I’d packed lightly, with no extra clothes for anyone. She had to change into Brian’s cycling tights, vest, and rain boots, and she shivered the rest of the day. Then,  Josiah told me too late he had to go to the bathroom. Damp and chilled, I wasn’t impressed with the state of the day halfway through the race!

We’ve been talking it up for a while, and so Analise asked me to to take her training wheels off and help her ride. And so we did…

At the end of the day, my sweet girl can ride a 2-wheel bike without training wheels by herself… and even stop! And Brian won the race! The soft rainbow we saw summed up the day!

A few more pictures…

Learning to get on and start by herself (a work in progress)

Blurry, but the most obvious photo of riding on her own.

Josiah tears around on his little bike, over gravel and grates, flying around the corners, coming at you full-speed, and screeching to a halt. And of course, he is asking for me to take off his training wheels, too. Man oh man, can the world handle 3 Toones on 2-wheeled bikes? Watch out!

A few iPhone pictures that didn’t resize right… Email me if you want a larger version!

Brian's on the right... His teammate, Sammy, is an amazing sprinter. Brian led him out in the sprint, but when Sammy looked back and seen they had a big gap, he sat up, and Brian stayed in front. A Tria 1-2!

The promise of a good day 🙂

Exhausted after a hard day of riding... and working hard on falling asleep without sucking her thumb. All these milestones!

Ok, please don’t judge me.  Yes, Josiah will be 4 in June.  And yes, he still uses a pacifier at naptime and bedtime.  Until very recently, I didn’t care.  I just love finally getting some decent sleep, and really… why mess with that?  But before we see the dentist in May, I figured we’d better be done with the pacifier, so I don’t get another raised-eyebrow-look.

Josiah and I had decided this weekend we’d be done with the ‘fiers’ as he calls them.  Brian was away on Sunday, and as we neared bedtime, I reminded him that we were going to get rid of them, and that he and I were going to Toys ‘R Us the next day to find something to celebrate him being a big boy.  We were ok for a while, but right at bedtime, after a long day, he unraveled into coughing and tears.  He’s been sick for a couple weeks, and when push came to shove, I gave in… sort of.

I tossed 2 pacifiers, and took the remaining 2 in the kitchen and quickly poked holes in them.  They don’t suck right when they have a hole, and he tells me to throw them away, because “they’re broken”.  So I gave them to him as he was laying down in bed, and just as I’d hoped, the first pacifier didn’t work, and I told him I’d throw it away.  Unfortunately, the 2nd pacifier worked ok, so I guess the whole I poked wasn’t big enough.

So, we’re not quite free of the pacifier.  And I could push the issue.  But we’re down to one, and who knows how long it will be around.  I keep warning him that if it gets lost, that’s it… we’re done.  And it has a hole in it, so I’m sure it’s not going to work much longer.

I’ll keep you posted!