Easter 2011

The cross. I have them all around my house for good reasons. I never want to forget what Jesus did for me so long ago.

I think about what it must have been like, carrying the weight of it down the dusty road on the way to Golgotha. I imagine how sharp the thorns were that they drove into his scalp. I envision the embarrassment he must have endured being naked raised above the crowd, his flesh marred beyond human recognition. I can hear the crowd mocking him, the soldiers casting lots at his feet.

The Son of God asking for our salvation... even as he suffered under the weight of our sin. He loved me that much.

God the Father, looking down on his ONLY Son, hearing him plead, knowing his suffering. Unable to look on him as he bore our sin. He knowingly sent him down to Earth to die for us. To die for murderers and thieves, to die for liars and terrorists. To die for children and women and men. All whom He loves equally. I cannot fathom this kind of love.

One of the first thoughts I had after having BWK was about this kind of love. I looked down at this precious baby I loved so much and thought to myself, "God sent his only little boy to die for me." The baby my husband and I had waited so long for. The baby that we dreamed about. I looked down at my son and tried to imagine knowing that I had delivered him only to send him to die for someone else. Someone who could just as easily deny his precious gift. I could not fathom it. I remember crying out to God in gratitude. I have always been grateful of His sacrifice, but it wasn't until I held my own son that I could even comprehend the magnitude of what He did for me. I am so grateful that Jesus died for me, and I rejoice that the grave could not hold him. Jesus is alive!

"Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was laying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you.""
Matthew 28: 5-7

It seems that we are on the mend! Yay! I finished the second basket liner and obviously the first was beginner's luck that it turned out so well. I had some length issues with the second one in the curve on one side of the basket which resulted in some puckering. Oh well, it's a learning process! I'm definitely learning!

C's first two teeth are ALMOST in! The bottom two are almost in and bless his heart he has been having a tough time of it this week. I was putting Or@gel on his gums to soothe them but he started breaking out in a really bad rash so I'm not sure if he's developed an allergy to it. That means no Or@gel until the rash clears up so I can challenge him with it again... Allergies are no fun for him and very frustrating for me! I have them too so it breaks my heart when I see him scratching because I know how bad it is to feel itchy all of the time. I spent my whole childhood hiding inside because I was allergic to all things outdoors and would break out immediately if any grass or pollen touched me! I've grown out of some of it, but it still bothers me. C is fortunate to **so far** per the allergist not be allergic to mold, pets, trees. He says that those allergies usually develop later, but I'm hoping that maybe his is limited to just food. (That's hard enough.) I can't imagine being a boy and having allergies to grass and trees and pets. He's such a trooper. He has the biggest smile on his face even with the rashes and scratching.

B loves to play outside and is getting so independent. He plays by himself very well, but really enjoys having C to play with. He is a great help to me! We cook together almost every night. I know that sounds scary to most people, but my parents let me help them cook and I LOVE to cook as a result. I find that he really is much more open to eating different things when he has helped prepare it. He pulls his chair up to the cooktop and helps me stir, peel, and grate the ingredients.

A big mistake...

Did I say we were flu free? BIG MISTAKE! BWK was diagnosed with the flu about 4 days after running fever (and about 4 days after my last blog post) which meant no Tam$flu for him... Which meant Tam$flu for the rest of us! (Even little brother). The good news is that since we all (except little brother) had flu shots none of the rest of us got flu. The bad news is that the rest of us got some kind of mutant cold that has had us coughing ever since. Yuck!

Spring is here and we are all ready to be able to play outside in the beautiful weather we've had. Both boys love to swing and we've been outside most pretty days after work swinging until suppertime. C loves his swing as much as B did. It's so sweet to see his face when he really likes something. His little fat cheeks swish up so tight you can't even see his eyes anymore!

HK is still working on his shop/garage and now is in full swing keeping up the yard. This is a major undertaking when the grass starts growing. He has also started on our spring/summer garden. I love the smell of the dirt being tilled up! It reminds me of my maternal grandparent's freshly planted cotton fields at Easter when we would go hunt Easter eggs at their house! We are not planting cotton here of course, but probably purple hull peas, potatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and carrots I hope!

I am in the process of teaching myself to sew. I have always wanted to sew. ALWAYS wanted to sew! My mom knows how, but never really liked it, so I never learned. My paternal grandmother loved to sew and I think about her every time I see a sewing machine. She would have been very proud of my pursuit. I am not very good so far, but I have had a blast learning. I sewed a basket liner for the boy's Easter basket that turned out pretty good! I have one more to sew before Easter. The hardest part to me so far is trying to sew in a straight line! I had to make my own pattern for the basket liner and it is NOT easy trying to sew a straight line and also sew in a circle! Me and curves do not like each other so far.
Speaking of curves, the other basket liner is not making itself right now, and Easter is next weekend... so I better get started!

What's Up?

What's up is that I have been seriously busy living life (and loving it!). A quick overview of what's going on with us is: we were expecting... we had a baby... I went back to work... Christmas and the holidays came and went... cold and flu season hit... we were blessed not to get flu, but did get strep and a couple of colds... found out WCK has allergies after a visit to the ER... it's now spring and we're finally getting the hang of things around here I think!

As for me, I started the year out with a committment to memorize two scriptures each month with the LPM blog and have been very surprised that I'm actually hanging in there with it! It's been a blessing and I am now 6 scriptures the richer! I've also started a Bible study in Psalm and have enjoyed it. We've been away from church for several weeks due to sickness and work, so it's nice to have quiet time each day!

HK has been hard at work making cabinents in his shop with the assistance of the greatest little man ever (BWK)! I'm going to try to post some pictures of their progress soon.