Can't Keep Up

I'm having a tough time keeping up.

I won't bore you with details.

Let's just say I have had to let a few things go... like the blog.. and, also housework. 

If you stopped by right now and asked to use my bathroom, I would let you, but you'd probably end up squatting like you were at an Arco station in Bakersfield. 

It's that gross.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

School. ends. next. Thursday.

Phew.

Now on to the good stuff- the pictures.

We birthdayed

We Disneyed

We celebrated Mother's day with my dad on Balboa Island

We registered for kindergarten. kindergarten!

I'm hyperventilating into a paper bag.

Aw, come on! She's ready!

Easter 2012

Ron and I went to the Great Triduum services at church starting on Maundy Thursday and ending with the Holy Saturday service.  Holy Saturday has a Christmas Eve-ish feeling to me... with the anticipation and expectation of celebrating Christ's resurrection.  That night, we always help prepare the church for the 4 morning services. It's amazing.

Saturday brought our traditional pre-holiday brunch with Mrs. Edie and Uncle Jack and then it was  home to decorate Easter eggs. I can only show you the picture of Rosie because Sadie decided to dye the eggs I gave her in her birthday suit. Hey- it's easier this way, people. No smock needed. 

The girls had new dresses to wear to church on Sunday morning. I picked them with comfort value in mind, but of course, come Sunday morning both girls were "itchy" and "uncomfortable" and "hot" and  "can I please wear something else?" The focus that I had on the love of Christ the night before was hard to hang onto and suddenly I'm shoving little arms into the sweaters and saying things like, "oh yes you wiillllll wear this, missy." 

And then, those glorious mommy moments where you sit back on your heals (because most of my mommy moments take place on the floor) and sigh. and laugh. and let go and remember that some most things don't matter. 

And, as the girls walked into church, I realized that their dresses looked a little like the outfits that the Von Trapps wear in the sound of music.... you know, the ones that Maria MAKES out of the green curtains? 

 Sigh. Laugh. Let go. 

After church, it was up to Pasadena for a wonderful afternoon all together as a family, a bountiful egg hunt and scrumptious taco bar with multiple meats. Then, there's the Corn Hole... the sport that my mom effortlessly out throws us all while the rest of us just concentrate on not accidently hitting one of the kids with a rouge bean bag. 

What joy to be together to celebrate Christ's love for us.  

And the best kept secret of Easter? The egg salad sandwiches the week after. 

Saturday fun

 

Dying eggs

Early morning egg hunt

Church

Hunt at the Hunts

Pray for Daisy

I was going to tell you all about the Swallow's Day parade and Sadie's first haircut and that we are just about done with diapers.... BIG things in our little house. 

But there are bigger things. 

I started to peruse the blogs that I follow there on the right hand side. Daisy's blog has been updated and they discovered another tumor. She has been cancer free for 4 months. This will be 3 times in 3 years. She's 7. 

My BIG things don't seem so big at the moment.

Would you pray with me, for her? 

http://prayfordaisy.com

Popcorn and a Handsome Daddy

Ron was gone this week on his mentor retreat. We all missed him terribly. We often rely on Wrigley for all of the masculine duties while Ron is away... but oddly enough I still have not been able to teach him to kill a spider, lock the doors at night or make a decent pot of coffee. We're still working on it. 

The girls and I had several adventures while Ron was away, one of which was going to see The Lorax. I highly recommend it. It was wonderfully thoughtful and stirred up some great 4 year old life application questions  for the car ride home. 

OK, yes, I confess: I was that person with a giant purse full of food. I wasn't sure how my youngest would do sitting through a full length movie so I came prepared. The ticket counter guy was totally on to me and my dishonest popcorn and skittle sneaking ways, but he turned a blind eye and a deaf ear even when Rosie announced, "Guess what! My mom said I get licorice and a juice box when the lights go out!" 

It's a good thing my kids are cute, I tell ya. 

Ron came home to us on Saturday. That evening Rosie prayed at supper:

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for the Lord of helping us and taking care of us.

Thank you for creating us to do fun things.

Thank you for making our house and thank you for making Daddy so handsome.

Amen.

Oh, Rosie. You have it all right. Amen. 

Cheese

Most nights I pray the Numbers 6:24 blessing over the girls before they go to sleep. 

It says, "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and bring you peace."

Rosie has memorized it by now and I often pause at the end, as in, .... and bring you...(pause) and she fills in the blank, peace. 

Today I put Sadie in her crib for her nap and was putting clothes away in her room. Rosie came in and asked if she could give Sadie her blessing. She recited in in her sweet little voice, with the r's that sound like w's and it almost brought me to my knees. At the end she paused just like I do and waited for Sadie to fill in the word, peace.
Do you know what Sadie said?

Cheese.

May he lift up His countenance upon you and bring you.....cheese.

Amen.

Spring in Central California

We went "home" for President's weekend with the Hunts and Welches. Although I love where we live, I miss this area. I miss the trees, the open space, the smells, the colors... one of the things that I miss so much about this area is the weather, or the variation of weather. 

I read an article that Anne Lammott wrote for this month's Sunset magazine this afternoon. She wrote about Northern California and although Bass Lake is technically Central California, it reminded me of February/March growing up.

 It's a long excerpt, but I know you'll indulge me because you know of the big crush I have on Anne.

Northern California spring is not a nice orderly progression that you recognize from any other part of your life. It's a kaleidoscope. On almost any day, it could be almost any season. Hot, warm, very cold, rainy, gray then blue. Then it rains, and when you try to adapt to the hopelessness of it all, you wake up to bright blue skies, and the warmth of the sun, and then the fog rolls in. An then we get that cold mean wind that pricks at your skin and your very being, and then soft golden warmth. Nature hikes up her skirt and bops you around and laughs, and you laugh with her, like when a sweet person teases you. 

Here are some pictures from a little mini-hike that we did with the kids one day.

That's Amore!

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, 

that's amore!

Happy Valentine's Day from our Italian pizza shop to yours :)

Lots of love.