my happy 30th

Despite entering my fourth decade, it was a happy day.

Time with these two precious ones...

 

Then, time with fun friends...

 After a long wait (thank heavens we were kid-less!), we had a yummy dinner on the patio at Natty Greene's.

I sure do love having a night with my handsome husband and so many dear friends. And I love when my parents graciously agree to take care of my children so that we could have a night out like this!

Afterward, we invited everyone over for some margaritas (my favorite!) and some dessert. Yes, I did make my own birthday cake. Is that totally lame? What is not lame, though, is what I made. Growing up, I always requested cookie cakes since I'm not a huge fan of regular cake. The problem is, I hate how cookie cakes are so flat and thin and 3rd-grade-skating-party-esque. So, I improvised!

I made a regular batch of cookie dough, baked it in two 8" round pans. Then, I found a tub of store-bought icing in the pantry and threw that on as well. Yum.

 

Let's just say... this didn't last too long in my house.

Happy Birthday to me!

generational friendship?

I guess, even when you are the greatest of friends with someone, that friendship is not necessarily passed down to your respective children...

Don't worry, Sarah. They'll be great friends someday. We'll make them.

the best thing

For our family, Easter was full of so many good things...

an early morning with cousins:

the quintessential family photo shoot that always goes so well:

yeah.

(it got a little better!)

rides with Papa on "Darlene", the 4-wheeler:

fun with Aunt Susan:

(with her tiny pregnant belly!)

 

 extra daddy time:

marmee's* easter baskets for her grandbabies:

(*I'm not sure if Marmee hides from the camera but she is all-too-often missing from pictures. We will try to work on that. And Aunt Marion... was she even there?! Don't know what happened. Kids were too cute, I guess.)

 

 an Easter egg hunt:

 

a first real visit with our nephew Evan, 6 weeks:

So many good things. There was very little about our time together that I would change even if I could. 

Really, though, how can that goodness compare to the reason we gather, the reason we feast, the reason we celebrate Easter at all?

Jesus is alive. That is the best thing.

"Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin:
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein;
Invisible and visible,
Their notes let all things blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen
Our joy that hath no end."
-- John of Damascus

ahhh, spring

For a long time, I used to say that summer was my favorite season. This was clearly until my world no longer revolved around school breaks and swimming pools and getting tan and, well, whatever I wanted.

Now I can confidently say that spring is my favorite season. Spring, to me, is hope. It is newness and mercy and life and warmth and light. It is walking outside in the morning and not bracing against the cold. It is watching tiny sprouts grow and stretch and blossom. It is venturing outdoors in summer clothes because it's finally 70 degrees.  It is watching the world transform from grey to green. It is a reminder of Jesus.

So, deep sigh of relief. Spring is here. And we have been drinking it in...

 

I used to listen to Nichole Nordeman "Every Season" a lot in college. It reminded me that God is revealed in every season and is IN every season. Both in the outside world and in my life.

 

"And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced, teaching us to breathe. What was frozen through is newly purposed, turning all things green. So it is with You and how You make me new with every season’s change. And so it will be as You are re-creating me: Summer, autumn, winter, spring."

Especially spring.

caught

Annabelle is a mover and a shaker. She is into ev.er.y.thing. As my friend Millie says, "Oh, help us". This morning, I came around the corner and stumbled upon this sight:

Wow. I didn't know whether to laugh or scold or grab my camera. I'm pretty sure I may have down all three.

Look closely at the lovely milk carton Easter basket: "Cooper". He had just brought it home from preschool moments before. Let's say he was none too thrilled at this small disaster.

Annabelle, on the other hand, was tasting jelly beans for the first time in her little life and was enraptured. The black drool was amazing. And disgusting.

The scene of the crime.

Incriminating evidence: she was caught green-handed. ;)