Easter 2011 Recap

Our Holy Week festivities really began on Palm Sunday.

But, they continued with Ballerina's school party and egg hunt on Holy Thursday.She did not care a whole lot about the egg hunt...Most of the kids in her class did not stop for 2 seconds, but she ASKED for me to take her picture. Oh, Ballerina...you are too much for me!

Good Friday the boys all had school (make up bad weather day), so Daddy, Ballerina and I ran oodles of errands that should have been run a long time ago - like getting the oil changed in the car - and doing things that we do not get too do all that much because we are teachers ourselves - like eat lunch with a pretty cool kindergartner.

Then Saturday we were back in celebration...remembering again the greatest sacrifice ever given for us...Okay, we DID talk about the great sacrifice He made for us on the cross, but we also hung with some of our favorite friends and family...Oh, and played in the boat, on the jetskiis, in the pool, on the slot machines, the "piano on crack"...you know, all of the normal fun things at Gigi and K-Dan's house...

Lest, there was also a serious egg hunt.Well, the boys took it pretty serious.The girls were more interested with putting their Easter baskets on their heads....and being sure there were no bugs in their baskets...CRAZY GIRLS!

Oh, and there was also egg dying...The egg dying, however, was pretty darn funny...Actually, it was the funniest thing I have seen in a while! I did not get pictures, but Avery taking a bite of the newly died yellow egg and then trying to wash it down with the blue dye was darn hilarious. After a fun day of Easter celebration, we were off to a family wedding! I, however, am an idiot and somehow my camera was set funny...and every picture I took there is a big white blur. :( Boo! I am pretty ticked at myself. I seem to be having camera malfunctions like that a lot lately.
And then Easter Sunday...I just cannot help but to make them pose at church! It is not ever surprising that they were not real interested in taking a picture and that Ballerina was acting like a nut!

Than it was home to find what the bunny had left...It was truly an incredible weekend...one that truly reminded us of the great sacrifice He made...It is not often we are able to rejoice as we did these days. God IS good!

With that, our Easter weekend recap comes to an end...and The BIG TAKS week 2011 begins...

Palm Sunday

After the 8:15 service and before the 11:00 service...G: "Why are we waving tree branches at church again?"
Me: "They are not just any tree branch, they are palm branches...Today is Palm Sunday, remember... Pastor Jerry talking about all of the people waving their palms when Jesus was walking with the cross during the children's church this morning?"
G: "Yea, but when he kept saying they were waving their palms, I thought he meant the palms on their hands."
That IS slightly confusing to a well-intentioned 6-year-old! :)

Perhaps Ballerina was confused as well...and that was the reasons she was AGAIN so grumpy as she walked down the aisle waving her palm.Nope, I doubt it...I think she just looks grumpy even when she is not. :)Now, she wasn't at all grumpy as she took off on the egg hunt.Serious, maybe, but not grumpy. But, lets be honest, egg hunting is some serious business when you are 3!G's hunting this year was a little more calculated. He was in search for eggs with the letters that spelled "HE IS RISEN!" However, he was offended that all of the letters he needed were pink and purple. Of course... But, he got over it. :)And, even consented to posing for a picture for me! Wow, right?...And one with his sister! Double WOW!Yet, this little poser wins the posing prize for the day! How cute is he?Better yet, check out this entire crew! Love them!

Palm Sunday...a perfect celebration in preparation for the holiest of weeks...

Because What is Spring in Texas Without Them?

Dance Pics

1. Let's keep in mind that this little one has THREE older brothers and a father that is a coach! Our house has a plethora of balls, bats, helmets, nerf guns, etc.

2. I would also like to remind you that this mommy was not oober prissy when I was younger. Yes, I am aware of the fact that I was a drill team officer and all of that jazz, but I felt more comfortable with the "guys" in German club and on the Yearbook Staff...were were was not a single other drill team member (besides my sister that does not count).

3. This is Daddy's only little girl (Well, that we know is a girl...baby is yet to be determined!) and Daddy does not do real well with HIS little girl looking for grown up!

So, with these things being said, dance pictures were a little rough in our house. Those of you out there that are good at these things...feel free to laugh at me. I can handle it. But, know that these sort of things make me crazy, and they are the VERY last thing from "fun" in my world. In fact, I think would have rather plucked all of my eyebrows out one by one...

Yet, Ballerina was WELL aware that dance pictures were this week, and has literally been drooling to wear her costume that has been hanging in the doorway for the last 2 weeks. When I went to pick her up from school she said, "Okay Mommy, we need to hurry home...it is dance day, and I need to get pretty!" So get pretty we did...

...and I think that she is prettier than pretty...
...She is perfectly pretty.
...even when she is a little grumpy because she wants for Mommy to quit taking pictures at the house and get to dance class...

...where she has far more patience than she does when we are at the house...

...and finds such great joy moving to the music!

As much as she loves dance, I am guessing that I am going to have more picture days like this in our future...And, her delight in them MIGHT change my mind! :)

For the Love

This past week...

I watched as two boys played...for the love of the game...and nothing more.

They do not care if they are the superstar on the team.

They do not care if their team wins every game......or even if they win a game at all.They just play......because they love the game.

As I reflect on their love for the game I am reminded of I quote I once heard...It said something like: "Baseball was made for kids...and adults only screw it up." Yea, one could read into this quote in many ways, but the truth of the matter is that adults often do screw up kids' love for the game. Yes, there is much of great value that children can learn from adults about the game, but unfortunately, they often learn/take away the wrong things...and they forget why they ever loved to play in the first place...

G and Gunnar love the game, and their love for it delights my soul. Our prayer...That we as parents/adults always foster that love and any other - be it football, gymnastics, dance, drama, band, etc. - that might capture their hearts.

I love their love...