Easter Fun

Happy Easter!  The kids were so excited to get out of bed this morning and find their baskets.

chocolate bunnies

a new train for Griffin, Norman

they both got a new movie and Sydney got a puzzle, plus a few things of candy

We dyed small chicken eggs that a patient brought me this week

instead of the dye tablets were used warm water, vinegar and a small amount of my Wilton food dye

 

Sydney made an arrangement for our Easter table

Video- Story of God

The story of God video !  We watched this at church last week and it was amazing and exciting!  Worth watching and sharing.  Happy Easter, He is RISEN!

Southern Village- Saturday Fun

Saturday we went to this area near Chapel Hill called Southern Village. The weather was in the mid 70's and it was a wonderful day to be out.  We shared slices of pizza and bread sticks from Pazzo.   

We walked around and went in a few shops

beautiful steeple on a church, the bells rang every half hour and it was a joyful noise

the kids had push up pops (a first I think) and later we shared gelato

Griffin got a bit messy but it was so delicious

then we played on the stage and grass area in the middle of all the shops

in the summer they have concerts and also outdoor movies

Griffin was happy to drive his cars around

Sydney and Bill practiced softball

Sydney and I together, she is such a sweet girl

I took a few pictures, I really want to freeze time and have her stop growing up!

Griffin ran around

hoisted himself up on the stone wall

and jumped down

we walked around a surrounding neighborhood and then played at the church playground

it was a great day

Sydney and softball

We signed Sydney up for coach pitch softball! She is on the team with some of her classmates and friends so it is a great time. These pictures are from the very first practice, tonight they may get their uniforms. Our team is called the Southmont Strikers!

Hopefully we will get better with more practice and hopefully she has her dad's coordination and not mine!
No matter what we are ready for fun!

Griffin thinks he is on the team!  We did buy him a mitt and ball and he enjoys practicing too!  Griffin is super coordinated and just seems to be a natural.

We will keep you posted on all the softball fun.

Hello Monday

• I am ready for another week, hopefully one a bit easier than last week. 
• I am still battling a sore throat that came on last Tuesday.  I was able to get some rest and read The House I Loved by Tatiana De Rosnay
• We had a wonderful weekend, and I have some fun pictures to share from a Saturday outing.
• Bill and I worked as a team and got some household chores done on Sunday.
• The kids and I made sugar Shamrock cookies for Saint Patrick's Day.
• Sydney has coach pitch softball practice and the first set of games this week.
• Both kids have haircuts scheduled for Wednesday.
• A friend of mine is having a procedure done on Tuesday and we are praying for good news. 
• I have been singing lyrics from a song we sang Sunday at church

Lord, I need You


Verse 1

              

Lord, I come, I confess

Bowing here I find my rest           

Without You I fall apart

You're the One that guides my heart

 

Chorus

              

Lord, I need You, Oh, I need You

Every hour I need You

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You

 

Verse 2

 

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more

Where grace is found is where You are

And where You are, Lord, I am free

Holiness is Christ in me

 

Bridge

Teach my song to rise to You

When temptation comes my way

And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You

Jesus, You're my hope and stay

I hope you have a great week!

play time

We had a blast at Farmer Elementary school playground on Saturday. 

spin cups

the web, when did Sydney and Sam get so big?

They have changed so much from our previous visit.

fun on the tire swing

Griffins first time on the tire swing

We enjoyed a picnic, the playground and then rode bikes and scooters!  The weather was perfect and so was the company!

My Gram

I just love this picture- it was taken the summer of 2008 (I believe)

Sydney has the chubby cheek cuteness and my Grandma has a great smile, this is the face I see when I remember her

This is my Grandpa that same day and he also has a great smile and is being funny

I love thinking of them both this way

I cannot think of my Gram without thinking of Grandpa (they were married 66 years)

my grandpa is living in a nursing home now and his memory is failing him, it is so sad to see him now, I want to remember him the way he was in this picture

This picture was taken December of 2011 when we made a trip to Georgia to see my grandma, I was so glad she could see Sydney again and meet Griffin

despite her failing health she still had a big smile

this picture turned out slightly blurry but I will treasure it, the only picture I have of both my kids and I with my grandma Sandera

As kids and later as teens my sister Amanda and I went up north to visit our dad and we always visited our grandparents.  Some summers we stayed at their house for days, sleeping over with our favorite silky blanket and purple velvet pillow.   We have so many fun memories of our time with our grandparents.  My grandma used to take us garage saleing and she always had a supply of clothes and "kinis" (bikinis) for us to wear while visiting.  We used to go fishing with my grandpa on the pontoon boat, sometimes Gram would come along but she would always pack us drinks and snacks.  When we got home from fishing we would watch my grandpa clean the fish at the utility sink and then help gram fry them for dinner in her cast iron skillet.  We helped pick berries from my grandpa's garden and then ate them on plain yogurt.  My grandma would sew us little dresses and let us play dress up with her jewelry.  When we stayed over we were allowed to drink coffee and stay up to watch Golden Girls on TV.  My gram used to walk with ladies in her neighborhood and we were always allowed to go along, sometimes we would ride the three wheeled tricycle.  We would do all kinds of craft projects together.  My grandma always had Squirt in the fridge and nutty butty bars in the snack jar.  My grandma made chocolate brownies and put powdered sugar on top, and my grandpa would throw the brownie on the table a few times to knock off what he called "choke powder".  We would sometimes stop at Burger king to eat on our way around the lake.  Gram took us to a park near their house that we called Marky Parky.  Once my sister and I each did the makeup on half of grandma's face.  We played in the apartment behind their house.  We exercised to Richard Simmons tapes together.  One thing that I never noticed as a kid but I now realize was that all the fun things we did were very inexpensive and yet they are so special now.  The memories are endless and they are forever! 

New Recipe Kale and potato quiche

We tried this new recipe over the weekend and oh was it yummy!  The kids were not crazy about the kale but Bill and I loved it!  I think the beauty of quiche is that you can use the basic recipe and substitute ingredients.  I know my kids would be happy if I added some ham and took out the kale or you could substitute spinach for the kale.  I actually added some Romano cheese to ours.  Appears to be a lot of work but it is actually super simple and quick to put together.  Leave a comment if you try it and tell me what you think. 

Trip to Houghton Lake

My grandma passed away on February 2nd and the service was February 23rd.  Last Friday I flew to Detroit to meet my sister (who flew in from Maine) and we drove to pick up our mom and then headed up north to Houghton Lake. Despite a cancelled flight, not enough time to make a connection, last minute booking on a flight to Washington DC and then having an issue with not being able to take a full plane, and a passenger hiding in the bathroom, I made it to Detroit and had a few stories to tell.   Our hotel right on Houghton Lake 

the lobby, it just felt like up north with the antler light fixture

my sisters foot prints on the balcony, she was cooling off after her run

My sister Amanda and I

view from the balcony, you can barely see the shore on the other side of the lake

the lake was frozen and there were lots of snowmobiles, ice shanties and even cars and trucks on the ice

Me standing on a snowbank on the edge of the lake

Our grandparents old house on the lake, several years ago they moved to a house on the same side of the lake as my dad.  With age came the need to be closer to everyone and also a home without all the up keep and docks.   Amanda and I have so many memories tied to this house and time with our grandparents.  About 2 years ago I wrote my grandparents a letter telling them thank your for all the wonderful times and letting them know that I will never forget all the fun we had.  I often tell my kids stories from my childhood and many of them are times spent in Houghton Lake.  Going back to this house as an adult it seemed smaller and the distance to the lake shore seemed shorter, funny how your perspective changes as you age.

snowmobiles, they were everywhere, I took pictures because my kids have never seen one

 

Amanda and I with our grandpa

He and my grandma were married 66 years, he is going to miss her so much

While in town we had a family gathering at my Aunt Martha's house and we were able to see so much family.  My sister Ashley and her husband Miguel were there with their little girl Daniela.  I was able to meet Miguel for the first time. 

This is Amanda was Daniela and Caleb (my cousins little boy)

Sisters, we are just missing Audra (who lives in New Mexico)

My aunt Annie in the middle with her 4 kids and some of her grand kids (I think we are missing 2 of the boys)

some of the cousins and their spouses

Miguel pulling Daniela in the sled

my uncle Allen had built these slides and boy did we have fun

I can remember as a kid he would build us forts and igloos

Amanda and I with our dad at his regular restaurant... it was so good to have time together remembering and talking about our lives.  As kids when we were up north we always went out to breakfast with our dad, for years it was Charlie Brown's donut shop and then it became Randy's and now Bunker's. 

Detroit airport, fountain and people mover.   My flight was delayed on the way home but I did not mind as much it just gave my sister and I extra time to visit.   We were able to make a sad reason for travel into a wonderful trip.