Easter Goodness~ Take Two

Easter weekend part two!  The babies woke up Easter morning with a trail of marshmallows from each of their rooms down the stairs and into the kitchen where the table was filled with lots of goodies. We do this every year! Last year it was a trail of Easter eggs. The kids just get beyond excited and I love every second of it! Their baskets are filled with a few toys and the rest of the goodies are things like Praise Baby DVDs , The story of Easter books, Jesus loves me ~ I can read books, and so on. We try to keep the focus on Him but include a few seasonal goodies too! I will write a separate post with links to the special Easter things I found this year and just some of the things I use here at home to help teach the children about Him.  

Ashton in action......

The bunny trail.....

These are Resurrection Eggs and served as the most wonderful teaching tool! The eggs are filled with props to offer a tangible way for children to understand why we celebrate Easter! 

I highly recommend these!

Here are a few of the treats we had over the weekend and no I absolutely did not make any of these! :)  I only wish I had that kind of time! But I thought they were so pretty and wanted to share them with you anyway! 

Yummy Carrot Sugar Cookies

Hot Cross Buns

Tiny Easter Egg Cakes!

We decided not to even attempt going out to eat this year and decided to order a ham and all the sides and enjoy the beautiful weather at home! It was much easier and we did not have to sit in a crowded restaurant for brunch and I did not have to spend the entire day cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. It was wonderful and I was so thankful! 

Here are a few pictures of the kiddies enjoying the beautiful weather we had on Sunday!

I will be back with part three and the sweetest pictures of the babies in their Easter outfits!

Easter Goodness~ Take One

My heart poured out this weekend.....

In gratitude, in thankfulness and in tremendous tenderness of spirit.

As I watched my oldest daughter and my youngest daughter together this weekend. It was if it never was ~the years between them. Eighteen to be exact. I was reminded how love knows no age. It has no address. It has no limits.  It is no respecter of persons.
Love just happens.....

 There isn't anything more rewarding as a parent than to watch your children love one another. Even though it isn't always like this, I continually pray for peace, love, joy and harmony over my children. I am so thankful that their hearts have been knit together- one for another. 

We had such a wonderful time watching each little one with their eggs.  

I relished in the moments and cherished every second .....

especially watching these chubby, little hands hunt Easter eggs for the very first time .

I have moments of this weekend permanently impressed upon my heart.

And glimpses of their childhood captured from behind my lens.

And a new sense of gratitude today........

I hope you each had a beautiful and blessed Easter weekend also! I took tons of pictures and will be posting parts two and three next.......

His Love

The living cross my daughter helped to make at school yesterday.

 

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also RISEN, who is even at the right hand of the God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of the Lord which is Christ Jesus our Lord." ~ Romans 8: 31-39

This is one of my favorite scriptures. It speaks so clearly about His love for us. About how there isn't anything in this world or anyone who can separate us from His love for us.  Unlike earthly parents- He will never pull away His love if we disappoint Him.  His love is completely and totally unconditional.

It is the truest and purest form of love we could ever know.  His love is perfect.

It is the greatest gift ever given.

The greatest story ever told.

And yet there are so many of us who have no idea just how much He loves us.

We go through much of our life without any idea.

Without any knowledge.

Without ever experiencing it.

Without ever receiving it.

Without anyone ever demonstrating it.

Sometimes because we are angry with Him.

Sometimes because we believe that He is angry with us.

But He is not angry with us.

He is a loving Father who desires us and longs for a relationship with each one of us.

He loves us and wants more than anything in the world to be reconciled with each and every one of us.

No matter what our life looks like. He loves us. 

No matter what we have been through. He loves us.

No matter what we have done. He loves us.

No matter what we have left undone. He loves us.

He waits each day for us. 

For that relationship. That fellowship. That intimacy. That sweet communion.

He longs for it. 

This Easter if you have never experienced the love of the Father I invite you to do so.

I promise you will not walk away disappointed. 

I would ask you to invite Him into your heart and into your life- even now sweet friend.

He knows it all and will scoop you up into His loving arms and pour out the most precious love you have ever known the very second you ask Him to. He is the most incredible Father.

And He offers us the most beautiful gift in the world this glorious Easter weekend......

May you receive it.

May you treasure it.

And may you never, ever be the same,  In Jesus name.

Suddenly

I am reminded today of how God can be a God of suddenly type blessings. 


This came to my mind recently as I was busy with the children one afternoon a few weeks ago and my Husband called for me to come upstairs. I could only imagine. I just knew that one of the tiny people we live with had done something that was worthy of a "Honey, you are not going to believe this" type of moment.


We have lots of those around here.  But that wasn't it at all.


"Sit down and close your eyes!" He said with a grin from ear to ear.


I knew that look. He had a gift. 
And there isn't anyone who loves to give more than me, except for my husband.
He is an exceptional gift giver. It's not something that happens very often.
Rarely even for Christmas or birthdays. It's all about the kids here at our house. 
And I love that.


But suddenly and without warning. 
Without any knowledge. 
Completely and totally unexpectedly


A gift came.


Wrapped in my favorite colors and with a card attached was one of the sweetest things he's ever done. The tears poured forth as I unwrapped this beautiful package.
And at the same time I wondered where on earth my six foot five inches of 100 % Alpha male Husband had found pink polka dotted tissue paper and matching ribbon. 


And after years of waiting.....


Suddenly I was holding in my hands the very thing that helps me to communicate a love language all my own.


Inside that beautiful, thoughtful gift was a brand new camera.


Not just any camera.


But one that took me from shooting with 10 mega pixels to shooting with 18 megapixels.


I just went from good pictures to "You have got to be kidding me" pictures ~ overnight.


Most girls would not get excited over a new camera.


But this just so happens to be my thing.  


And this just about sent me over the edge and he new that it would.


I'm pretty sure I don't have any tears left after this little demonstration of love.


And isn't this just like God?


He knows what will make our hearts sing.


He knows what will just absolutely send us over the edge with gratitude and thanksgiving.


He knows what will bless us. Help us. Grow us. Teach us.


And suddenly He can give it.


Not because we deserve it. Not because we've earned it. But just because He decides to do so. Just because He loves us. 


We can go to sleep tonight praying and hoping for a baby of our own and then suddenly wake up one morning with two pink lines waiting for us on a bathroom counter.


Just like that.  Oh the joy.


We can go to sleep tonight staring at our left ring finger wondering to ourselves if there will ever be a band on that hand.....


Then suddenly and without warning it happens and before you know it~
you are buying your very own copy of Martha Stewart Weddings and talking about fondant and buttercream and other bride to be lingo. 


We can go to sleep tonight wondering what we are going to do ~


If the house doesn't sell.


If we don't get the job.


If the test doesn't come back positively.


If the agency doesn't call.


If they reject the proposal.


If they ignore your submission.


Then suddenly.....


You get the offer.


The house sells.


The test is good.


The baby is yours.


The check came.


The job opened up.


The blessing............ has your name on it this time.




Be encouraged during the season of waiting sweet friends. Whatever you are waiting for. 


God is a God of suddenly.


And He is about to take you from 10 to 18 megapixels right before your very eyes.


Click. Click. Get ready for your blessing.



Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! ~ Psalm 47:10