Easter Week

Easter is probably my favorite holiday.  

I love focusing on the amazing love and gift of our Savior and the full set of emotions that come through the sadness of Good Friday to the celebration of the Resurrection/victory 

and all Christ did for us.  

Although, it didn't 'feel' like Easter this year, as the week started with inches of snow on Palm Sunday, it was still special.  Thankfully the week ended on Easter Sunday with sun and most, if not all, of the snow melted.  Funny how I've come to be thankful for and excited about temps over 50 degrees!  It was over 50 on Easter Sunday and the girls were so excited that they could wear sandals and their Easter dresses to church (with a sweater)! :)

Sledding with friends and their cousins from Alabama on Palm Sunday

Making a giant snowman in the front yard before sledding

A common scene here.
I liked the red barn in contrast with the snow, so pulled over to snap a shot.

We again enjoyed our traditional Passover Feast (again on Good Friday instead of Maundy Thursday, because Doug was traveling Wed & Thurs and home late).  Unfortunately, our friends we were to share it with were unable to join us due to illness.  But, at the last minute, Lexi & Wesley joined us because they stayed over to drive to MN to see their parents the next early morning with us.  It was fun to share their first Passover meal with them and to remember all God has done for His people.

We ate dinner first this time and did all the Seder plate tastings and readings between dinner and dessert.  Doug likes it better that way so dinner doesn't get cold :).  We had yummy grilled lamb, butternut squash 'pie', grilled asparagus, charoset (apples, walnuts, cinnamon, lemon & orange juice, currants blended to paste), and apple kugel for dessert.

Our Seder Plate

Lamb Shank Bone - represents the lamb that was originally slain on the first Passover.  

It reminds us of the substitutionary death and the shed blood of the lamb that was needed to 

secure the redemption of God's people.

(Hebrews 9:22)

Hard Boiled Egg - represents Pharoah's hard heart in resisting to let God's people go.

(Exodus 8:32)

Bitter Herbs (Maror) (horseradish) - reminder of the cruel and bitter time of slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt.

(Exodus 1:13-14)

Charoseth (sweet apple & nut mix) - symbol of the mortar and bricks that the Jewish people were forced to make in order to build Pharaoh's cities.

(Exodus 1:11)

Karpas (green vegetable, usually parsley) - symbolic of hyssop that was used to apply the blood of the lamb to the doorposts of the house.  This was dipped in saltwater (in the wine glass in pic) which represents tears shed in Egypt during time of slavery.

(Exodus 12:22)

And I made Matzah (unleavened bread) with sprouted wheat flour (& one with coconut flour), which represents the unleavened bread that was eaten in the homes of Israel during the first Passover night in Egypt.

(Exodus 12:8)

Driving through Iowa on the way to Rochester, Minnesota
to visit Derek & Leann at Mayo Clinic

Both Iowa and Minnesota looked exactly like Central IL except that
there is still snow on the ground in Northern Iowa and Minnesota.
So thankful that spring is closer here!

It was good to be with Derek and Leann.  They can definitely tell many are praying for them.  Their spirits are good.  So thank you so much for those who are praying!  Please continue to pray for them, the family and for healing for Derek!  Here is their blog to keep updated.

The kids and their Easter Basket after church.
We spent Easter evening and dinner with whole Earl Sauder family in Tremont.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.....

.....oh wait, it's Palm Sunday!

I posted this on Facebook this morning, but figured I'd post it here as well to have in the journals for looking back on later :).  I guess this is pretty normal or at least not surprising for people around here, but still a bit crazy for a Californian.  Thankfully, we just had the longest string of sunny days that I can remember (4 in a row!) right before this snow.  And, spring has to be coming sometime around the corner - at least that's what they keep telling me!

Wise Words

Copied this from Girl Talk.  Words I often need to remember!

Mr. Who

We have a resident owl.  So fun!  I wanted a resident owl badly when we were living in the farmhouse to kill mice! :)  I even looked into how to attract one.  We have had mice in our garage here, but thankfully none in the house.  Very thankfully.  We have noticed this guy hanging around the last few weeks.  Glad to have him hunting mice.  Also very fun to watch him.  In our brief research, we have decided he is a Barred Owl.  The kids have creatively named him Mr. Who.

This morning, I tried to sneak out to get a picture of him.  Unfortunately, I still have not invested in a telephoto lens, so I could only get so close before he spun his head around to see me and flew away.

His back was to me in my initial pursuit

 Then his head spun 180 degrees to see me.  He paused long enough for me to snap a photo.

This is a bit 'pixely' because I zoomed in digitally.

 

 Here he is flying away.  Awesome creatures!

Kerrigan's First Tooth Lost

Kerrigan lost her first tooth while we were in Florida.  So sad to not have been there for her first tooth losing.  She doesn't even have the tooth to show for it!  She literally lost it.  She thinks she swallowed it while eating popcorn!  She was SO cute, though, when she talked to me about it on the phone (when I called from FL) - she said, "It's OK, Mommy, I will probably lose another one."  Sweet girl :)

It's hard for me that my baby is entering non-babydom - starting to lose her baby teeth :(

I finally got a picture of her this morning!

In a Nutshell

I copied this from my friend and cousin through marriage, Jody's, blog.  Love you, Jody! 

Thought it was a great quote and an excellent articulation, simply and concisely stated that applies to all situations of life.  With this focus, we can have hope, joy and peace in all circumstances.  Think I will read it every morning to keep my focus in the right direction :)

Life in the kingdom

At its core, life in the kingdom is not so much about pursuing a thing; it is about pursuing a person. It is about having the eyes of my heart focused on Christ. It is about a soul filled with appreciation and brimming with affection. It is walking around astounded that he would place his affection on me and even received my flawed love. It is living with the hope that someday we will no longer be separated; someday I will be united to him and live with him forever. 

— Paul David TrippA Quest for More(Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2007), 168

Funny

This will help explain why I'm such a wimp and can't handle the cold here.
I was cracking up -

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year - very belated (in our typical blog fashion)!
And, as usual, we figure better late than never :).

We now understand why people from here (Illinois) 

send Christmas cards with summer or fall pictures!  

The weather is not very cooperative for pictures after that! 

So, through a few missed opportunities, 

we finally got our picture (freezing) in our backyard (not in Chicago as we'd hoped).  

Some Highlights from 2012: (we hope to add to the blog at some point the many that haven't yet been) Trip to Sanibel Island, FL in March Brooke's Trip to Northern CA in March Trip to Southern California & Brooke's Family There in July Trips to Chicago  Sutton's Summer Horse Camp Hudson's Baseball & Gymnastics Sutton's Soccer & Gymnastics Kerrigan's Gymnastics October trip to Charleston, SC, Hilton Head, SC & Savannah, GA Visiting Nashville, TN and Brooke's Family There in October Visits from Doug's Cousin, Krista & Family & Brooke's Mom & Stepdad News of Doug's Brother, Derek's, Brain and Spinal Fluid Tumors Shrinking Some  Two New Nieces (Tyra & Lainey) Classical Conversations Homeschool Co-op Brooke Teaching P.E. at Co-op Making Good Friends Here Quoting a friend, because it's so fitting and well said for us, as well - "It's been a couple years of challenges and loss, and triumphs and gains" We are thankful for God's love, mercy, patience and trustworthiness.

Our lovely picture attempt in Chicago.

The forecast was sun, but we got overcast and snow!

And, poor Doug was really sick!

Ahhhh

Sun, warmth, green and beach!

Doug had a business trip to Miami and graciously brought me along!  What a wonderful time of much needed relaxation and all that I mentioned above!

Many thanks, as well, to Doug's parents, Leann & Aunt Helen for all rallying together to take care of our children while we were gone!

I didn't want to lug my big camera around, so only had my iPhone camera.

We flew into Fort Lauderdale and spent the first 2 days there.

We went for runs and walks on the beach.  LOVED it!  

Thoroughly enjoyed running in shorts and a tank top again!!

So pretty!

This is Pompano Beach.  

We hung out here with Doug's Uncle Marv and Aunt Mary who have a condo near this beach (two miles from where we stayed).  So envious of them who live there most of winter!  

We had a nice time going to church, lunch and hanging out on this beach with them!

Our little motel in Ft. Lauderdale.  

We didn't realize back when we were booking tickets and hotel and such that the big BCS National Championship game was while we were there, but that explains the difficulty in finding reasonable plane tickets and available reasonable hotel rooms.  After some reworking of our schedule, flight days, etc., we were able to make it work.

We then drove down to Miami to the hotel that Doug's company put him in.

Driving over this bridge to Miami Beach reminded us of the bridge to Coronado in San Diego.

Fond memories.

Crazy how these mansions had their own private yachts parked in front!

On the island, we walked Lincoln Road.

Reminded us of the Recoleta in Buenos Aires and Santana Row in San Jose, CA.

More fond memories.  

We love all the al fresco dining and people of all cultures and types

and fun shops that are definitely not in Central IL

Our self takes never really turn out.  Seems we always get a little warped, but oh well.

 Miami Beach - at the end of Lincoln Road

The sand is white here and the water even a prettier blue 

than the already pretty blue water in Ft. Lauderdale.  

Gorgeous!

 I couldn't stop taking it in.  Surely didn't want to leave!

Beautiful turquoise water

Driving back over the bridge

Love the palm tree lined streets and bridge

 Went on a nice long, morning run the next morning.

Doug had a work meeting all day.

I had a nice day just hanging out in the warmth and beauty, soaking it in.

 I ran over two bridges through two islands.  

This is the view looking back.  More beautiful, clear blue water.

Sat here and read my Bible (gotta love ESV Bible on iPhone) 

enjoying the peace and quiet and beauty

 Running back.  Loved that there were so many other people out running, too!

Heading down one bridge

skyline at bottom of bridge

Enjoying an omelet in the sun by the pool after run :)

That night I got to join Doug and those from the meeting on a really fun, delicious, interesting and educational culinary/historical tour of South Beach Miami.  That's a whole other post.  

I hope to post about that soon.

Very cool!

It was so hard to come back.  It was beautiful and sunny and 80 degrees in Florida.  Big difference from here.  Thankfully, it was sunny the day we returned, but the sun didn't come again (except for 2 hours one day) for a whole week until today.  Crazy how hard that is on me - especially after being used to sun nearly all the time for 40 years!

Here's what we flew back into. 

Doug and I now jokingly call it 'the tundra'. 

Most of the snow had melted while we were gone, though.

The Kids Got Their 'Wish'

Snow!

I'm thankful it held off until now, but it is pretty and nice to have a White Christmas.
The cold that comes with it, though, not so much :)

Kerrigan was napping while it was snowing, but Sutton & Hudson could not wait until it stopped to go out in the snow!

 Sutton sledding down the hill on the side of the house

Hudson boarding

They then moved to the front yard to build a snowman.  

It is crazy how long they can stay out there!  They were out there for hours!  

I took this (blurry) series from inside through the window.  It's blurry because it was getting dark and I was cracking up :).  They tried a few times to get the snowman's belly on top of his bottom piece.  It was very cute to watch their wheels turn as they figured out a process.  Hudson put his hands flat on the ground while Sutton rolled the ball onto them.  They then both hoisted it up.  They got it up on their third try :).  

My Greek blood and California upbringing do not make my body very tolerant of the cold!  

Hence my pictures from indoors :)

The sun came out the next day!  

Still cold (below 30!), but pretty.

sunrise

 With their snowman that Sutton and Hudson made all by themselves

And playing in the snow again later with sun and Kerrigan this time