Happy Easter

We did a lot to celebrate Easter this year. 

A fun egg dyeing party and egg hunt at a friend's house. 

This girl was a MACHINE picking up eggs, she got the most of anyone. 

The Easter art I made a few years ago finally has a nice place to be displayed.

My neighbor made these and gave me one, I was so impressed!

We also dyed some eggs at our house too.

This morning's Easter family basket. Some chocolates, a new movie, and a couple family games. 

HE IS RISEN!!!

August woke with a fever so just the girls and I went up to my parents' church.

He was feeling better, so they came up for the dinner together.

Happy Easter!

We love our church. But for Easter and Christmas I find myself wanting a more traditional service. I guess you can take the pipe organ building/organist's daughter out of the Lutheran church but you can't take the... I'm not sure how that goes... but on those services especially I find myself just craving those hymns. We sang this beautiful one for the closing service and it just had me in tears. 

Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen!

Song by Lutheran Hymn Project

Alleluia! Jesus is risen!
Trumpets resounding in glorious light!
Splendor, the Lamb, heaven forever!
Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!

Jesus is risen and we shall arise
Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Walking the way, Christ in the center
Telling the story to open our eyes
Breaking our bread, giving us glory
Jesus our blessing, our constant surprise

Jesus is risen and we shall arise
Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Jesus the vine, we are the branches
Life in the Spirit the fruit of the tree
Heaven to earth, Christ to the people
Gift of the future now flowing to me

Jesus is risen and we shall arise
Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Weeping, be gone; sorrow, be silent
Death put asunder, and Easter is bright
Cherubim sing: O grave, be open!
Clothe us in wonder, adorn us in light

Jesus is risen and we shall arise
Give God the glory! Alleluia!

City of God, Easter forever
Golden Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb
River of life, saints and archangels
Sing with creation to God the I AM!

Jesus is risen and we shall arise
Give God the glory! Alleluia!

 Amen!!

4th of July

4th of July fun with friends at our friends' house of the lake. Good friends, tubing, wakeboarding, playing in the sand, good food, and fireworks!

So thankful we live in the land of the free. God bless the USA!

 

Weeks of sickness

 

A mystery bug has been going thru our family. 

One night I found August asleep on the bathroom floor. The next day he told me his stomach didn't feel good, but he had no fever and no other symptoms so I sent him off to school.

Only to get a call an hour later that he threw up on the bus and to come get him, :( poor guy!

He never did throw up again, but he developed a mild fever later in the day and spent most of the day sleeping on the couch. Which if you know August, you KNOW that means he was sick because this boy is all energy.

He spent a total of 3 days off school since the school has a no fever in 24 hours policy and the fever went, but returned again the next afternoon.

He got better and then Doug and I both ended up with coughs and cold symptoms for the next week. Jeanie escaped the sickness somehow! And poor booger-nose Lucy is still suffering, she had a couple nights low-grade fever, but mostly the booger nose plagues her. 

This was her bed this morning, a fun time pulling out all the kleenex was had by her while I slept next to her blissfully unaware. All that kleenex, but did she bother to use one to wipe her nose faucet?!? 😆

Valentine's day

 It ain't Valentine's day without a heart-shaped pizza!

Ate pizza and veggies and went out for family ice cream :)

My precious loves:

"reading" to Minnie. I love that Minnie is sitting on the cushion for the doll cradle, haha. So comfy!

Doing a painting craft in the Valentine's gift from mama

sweet cuddles

Doug and I tried out new babysitters (girls of my friend) and we had a Valentine's day breakfast date. 

Tried out Bread & Roses, pretty tasty.

We did have our +1 with us. but she was pretty chill and slept thru the second part of our date at a coffee shop where we relaxed and chatted and looked at our upcoming year together. Seems like it will be another "stay in the US" kind of year, but we have some fun trips planned and are looking forward to what this year holds!

40

Starting off 2021, and knowing I was turning 40 this year, my goal was to be "40-fit-and fabulous".  Like the next day I found out I was pregnant, so the "fit" part has taken on a slightly different spin, haha. I actually do feel pretty good for being 8+ months pregnant, but anyway, at least I have the "fabulous" part down, lol!

I had a very nice 40th birthday. Started the day with breakfast with my family before church. Doug (and kids) got me a National Parks shirt, gourmet chocolates, sweet cards, 3 gallons of my favorite icecream Eskimo Kisses (!!), and two other things deserving of a little explanation. He knows I am a fan of Lauren & Arie from the Bachelor, so he worked so hard to write to them and ask for them to send me an autographed picture for my birthday. He didn't actually hear back from them, so he printed a picture and wrote a note to me "from them", haha! But I really appreciated the thought. Also, when I was a child I wanted harp lessons, but harps aren't cheap and not really practical so I got piano lessons instead. But at some point I must've mentioned this to Doug and he got me a gift certificate for 3 harp lessons! So thoughtful. It just made me feel so special how he makes my dreams come true. 

We went to church and then after lunch we headed to a friend's house. We had Liz's 40th at her house and it was just so fun with the kids running after chickens and the book club girls and their families hanging out, so it was so generous of her to host for me too! My brother and his family have been in town for 3 weeks as well, so it was so wonderful to have my family there too. 

No super great pics, but such good memories and nice times being with a lot of my favorite people. 

My family 💓 (missing napping baby Juliette)

And all my generous gifts, wow!

I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family, and a new little blessing joining our family soon. I'm excited to see what the next decade holds. 

Mother's day

 So blessed to be mama to these 2 loves. 

They mostly play well together. 

Here they are, August "reading" Jeanie's Big Girl Panties book to her.

I don't know why, but they love sitting in the dining room corner together. 

Everyone likes popsicles on the porch :)

Juice in the corner.

Coloring. 

Bear jammies.

Playing in the diaper box.

Puzzles and toys in the play area.

Mother's day gifts. And out to (well it turned out just pick-up) breakfast at a delicious cafe before church.

Church with my family.

My new "mama" necklace. 

I'm so thankful God gave me the privilege and challenge of being their mama. 

I also had a nice time celebrating my mother, with my sister, getting pedicures and out to dinner at Olive Garden together. But didn't get any pics :(