Taking a Moment

We've had a wonderful week of swimming lessons, Bible study, playdates and trips to the park. I am unbelievably humbled and grateful that our personal week has been so ordinary.

However, an overwhelming number of people's lives have been indescribably impacted by the events of this week.

I'm taking a moment of blog silence for this week to remember to pray for all of those people and their heartbreaking stories, as well as to be thankful for the blessings of God that can be seen in the midst of the chaos.

Easter

Morning began with discovering Abby Jane had smeared A& D diaper ointment in her freshly-washed-for-Easter-Sunday hair after being put to bed Saturday night. (?????) So she had a quick shampoo.

Then it was onto making Resurrection Buns (note wet hair). Fabulous hands-on story and oh dear heavens, delish (better be- look at the ingredients!)

Empty bun= empty tomb. Make these next year. They're great.My Easter girls and their baskets!After church, we went up to Jake's parents' to join them and Jake's sister's family for Easter dinner and the kids' naps.Bop Bop and Blythey.Then it was egg hunt time!!Twins' first hunt...

Joy stopping to give a kiss. This is her pre-kiss face.

Joy did figure out the hunting, but Blythe REALLY got the hang of it. After she collected as much/more than the big kids, she started also gathering sticks, pine straw and pine cones along with her eggs.

It eventually got too heavy for her to lug around, so she handed her full basket to me.

Two year old Luke is so sweet hearted- but look at that cold shoulder Joy is giving him! We'll need to show her this picture to remember such good form in turning away boys in about 15 years.

Yes, the big kids hunted too, but they were so fast that it was hard to get too many shots. This is about their pace...

Cade and Luke are both very uniquely athletically gifted. Luke pounded away his first pitches (instead of using a tee) on Sunday afternoon, following in his grand-slam hitting 4 yr old brother's footsteps.

Jake and Cade "getting" Joy...
Our day ended with Bop Bop blowing bubbles for all the pajama-ed kids to play in while moms and dads finished packing the cars.
Hope your Easter was sweet!

Park and Picnic

We met the Sheerin family at a centrally located park last weekend to play and have lunch. Going to the park is fun when it's just moms and kids, but it's actually relaxing when the dads are there. We're super excited that they are closing on a home that will put them not too far from us! Carlton (3 weeks younger than the twins) and his dad...

Crazy Jane...Blythe and Joy: "Us too, us too!"This is a fantastic story. While we were finishing lunch, Abby Jane tackles Blythe on the walking path (pictured behind her). Blythe is fine, but we tell Abby Jane to get off her. Janie pushes up to her knees by putting one hand on the side of Blythey's head, further smashing Blythe's face into the ground.

Blythe thought it was hilarious. Do you see the clods of dirt on the side of her face?
A better shot here. We really want to make sure our girls aren't too girly, and I think they're getting the idea so far.

Keeping sweet boys around sure helps out!

Grace, Mercy, and Love Day

When I was thinking about the meaning of Good Friday last week, that's what popped into my head. I like it.

On our Good Friday, we watched our friend Grant while his sweet mama had an appointment. He is one week older than the twins, so voila: this is what my table would look like at lunch if I had triplets!

This is my disclaimer that if I am lucky enough to get to watch your son for a while, I cannot guarantee that while in my household of girls, he will not find a high heel as suitable toy (granted he used it as a hammer on the dishwasher.) How cute is this kid?

During naptime, I iced these: sometimes I believe the making of these cookies are mostly for my obsession because I could do some serious damage to this spread all on my own.

Then the true highlight of the day: Jake and I joined sweet friends to go to Good Friday Atlanta. To say we were blessed is an understatement. It was an amazing night of worship with 12,000 other people, of experiencing the Spirit of God moving, of just loving on our Lord, and of being freshly amazed and humbled by Who He is and what He did for us. I prayed several weeks ago that the Lord would make Easter fresh and new to me this year, and it has been so sweet to see Him answer that prayer!

Side note: For those who wanted a "Minnow" update, we were back to this face last Thursday:

possibly partially because her old teacher Miss Kayla was filling in. But today was another successful class with Mr. Doug, so it looks like we have turned the corner! Both lessons started with some loud misgivings, but we were able to hammer out a deal that got her in the pool both days. Today I offered getting to wear some special ladybug clips with her pigtails during her lesson. She accepted, and I'll take the deal. No shame here!

Minnow, Take Three

Jake and Janie had a chat on Monday night about what would be expected at swim lessons and on Tuesday morning, she was super excited... until we walked in... then the waterworks. Jake then earned Daddy of the Year and handled the situation, culminating in her quietly going through the lesson and him sticking to his promise to sit right by her... in his dress pants no less!

But the kid went through the lesson like a champ. Here she is kicking along without her teacher even helping her!
Ring around the rosy, bubble blowing style.
This Daddy knows how to take care of his girl!

Roast Chicken: Check

I did it! My goal of the month was accomplished. My friend Lindsey posted a step by step here.

Here's the bird...

Here's what I got from it. I used half last night for some chicken curry, and I'm using the other half to make chicken salad later in the week.
I poured the vinegar on the leftover chicken junk, as instructed...
Added my veggies and water to the crockpot...
Then presto! Our house smells like Thanksgiving and by this morning my super-nutritious broth was ready. I don't need it this week, so I measured it out into baggies to freeze!

So now May can come.

P.S. Turns out several of you were already in-the-know not only on cooking whole chickens but also this apparently fabulous-for-you broth. Makes me wonder how many other great kitchen secrets I'm in the dark on! Share more if you like!

#9 turns 1!

Sweet Maggie, the ninth grandchild on my side, turned one last week! We spent Saturday celebrating with them in Chattanooga. Here, Jodi, is evidence that my husband apparently swept the leg on your only son...

Maggie had willing helpers in big sis Katie and big brother Ian to explain how great cake is.

She decided she believed them.

When she got bored, her daddy through some baby bait on top of the cake to keep her attention. It was pretty popular when she discovered it!

We love you, sweet Mags!

Zoo time

We asked for an annual pass to the zoo for Blythe and Joy's birthday, and we finally bought the pass last week! Katie and I took our collective four (not including her baby girl-on-the-way) on Friday morning for our first big zoo adventure, and we had a wonderful time (despite some crazy crowds)! Here we are with Willie B...

I had forgotten in the time since we went to the zoo in Greenville that Joy doesn't actually like zoo animals. Here is a classic moment- everyone is excited about the animals, Blythe is trying to get out of the stroller, Joy is leaned back as far as she can and crying.

And again, Blythe on the left, so excited about the giraffes; Joy... not so excited, to say the least! I will take advantage of this pic to say that all the animals at all of the exhibits were awake and doing interesting things, but this was our favorite- the giraffes (including a mama and baby), zebras, and ostriches were all together, so it was really neat.
But Carlton shared Blythe and Abby Jane's affinity for the animals and had a fabulous waving and laughing. He is one of the most joyful kids you'll ever meet!

This was one hilarious moment as we were leaving. Abby Jane had been watching a bunch of kids posing with the lion and Katie and I were talking while she watched. All of the sudden, I realized she was up there posing while other people waited for their kids' turn, waiting for me to take her picture!

I told Jake the night before that my prayer was that everyone have a good time, have good attitudes, and that we didn't lose any children. Other than Joy needing to work on animal relations, it was an utter success!

Minnow, Take 2

It was a definite repeat of Tuesday. She was upbeat and excited until the moment her bottom sat on the pool stairs, then it was all downhill from there. Though it wasn't for lack of encouragement and kindness from the teacher and other parents there! And to her credit, she did half-heartedly accomplish all the skills asked of her... except blowing bubbles... because that involved stopping crying...

Jake and I conferenced on it last night, and we're pulling out the big guns for next week.

Daddio is having one of his "conversations" with the girl, then coming with us to swim lessons on Tuesday!

I have high hopes for getting back to her old gumption and enthusiasm, or at least just not crying for the entire lesson. If she were fussing because she felt that learning some skill like floating, jumping off the side, etc., was scary, it would be different.

But this is straight-up three-year-old drama and will be handled accordingly. Bless her baby soul.

Minnow, Take 1

Abby Jane's first lesson as a "Minnow" with her new teacher was great for the first 8 seconds. One second after this photo, she lost her grip and went sideways underwater (picture still holding onto the waterski rope after falling and the boat is still going). The rest of the lesson was tearful, to say the least. It was, however, a great moment of bravery, because the kid did everything asked of her, despite calling for me constantly (a complete 180 from the last session as a Tadpole)!

Her precious friend Andy is in this class as well, and he gave her this flower afterwards. In the car on the way home, she held it and studied it. She asked me to put it in her room to remember how Andy made her feel better with the flower. Jake pointed out that it was her first flower from a boy other than him.
Tomorrow is our next installment in our new life as a Minnow, so I hope to give a glowing report of tear-free courage and enthusiasm!

FYI

One of these beverage containers WILL spill coffee ALL over your shirt right before you walk out the door to Bible study. The other one will not.

This is how the top of a travel mug looks. This is the one that does not spill.

On the other hand, this is how the top of a thermos looks that is only for keeping your coffee warm until you pour it into another container. (What is the point there?)

When your husband says, "Have you used that thermos yet?" He does not mean, as some may mistakenly perceive, "Have you taken it in the car with you to use as a travel mug?" Said husband may find it hilarious if his wife mistook the question as a suggestion to drink out of the thermos. To Jake's credit, he did offer some sort of sympathy... after he finished laughing at me.