Easter

Sunday was Easter.

In past years we have had a little egg hunt around the house, inside the eggs were words...

that when solved gave the kids a memory verse.

Last year...


This year...




My babies are growing up :(

This year we were invited to brunch & egg hunt with friends.

It rained on us and we didn't care.

The food was divine.

The fellowship was awesome!

Here are a few snipets of the day...
(at least the morning... because the afternoon was spent lounging on the couch reading a book)

the Hilton for chickens..
I will just mention that our coop does not look like this.


Staying out of the rain.




fabulous hostess


the hunt...


It was a good family day.
But never far from our minds was the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross so many years ago.
So thankful for a heavenly Father who would give His only Son for me.

Good Friday

Good Friday.

The day that Jesus was put to death.

Dying for each one of us, for all of our many sins.

Will we chose Him?  Will we chose the world?

Wishing you all a weekend full of God's Love with your families.

May you find rest in the Lord & may you find peace for whatever is burdening your soul today.



You are all loved and appreciated.

And know that the burdens you carry, the Lord is carrying them with you and for you.

You are not alone. 

Give it to Jesus.

Milderhurst Castle - aka - FLS Book Club

Last night we took a trip to Milderhurst Castle.

Okay not really.

We actually just showed up at my house and I fed everyone, we discussed The Distant Hours, and Jasmine revealed...

in a nutshell.  :)

some highlights.

my sweet Sam designed and created the sign for book club.

I have found a new love of birds, still birds.

You remember I have 21 chicks and 8 hens at the moment.
I am preferring the still, none eating, drinking type.
The kind that look beautiful and are low maintanence.


Unfortunately we were down one... Shelly thought it would be more fun to hang with a bunch of high schoolers on a Biology trip.  Really?

Shelly if you are out there.  We missed you girl.





and drumroll...
everyone's favorite time of the night...

{food}

Okay not really, we all love the reveal and the discussion at the end of the evening...
but here's too food.

grilled veges... in a balsalmic, EVOO, and fresh herbs... yum.

since we don't eat lamb...
it was yorkshire pudding, vege meatloaf, salad with berries & feta, rosemary hard bread & havarti...

followed by fabulous fresh fruit, coffee, and the true drumroll


Jasmine's vanilla bean scones...
btw Jasmine, not sure if you got the butter & powdered sugar, so I will be dropping some by.
THANK YOU for saving me with desert... which as usual was to die for!

3 cheers for Star Flour Baking :)

and lucky for us she chose the next book selection...

and if you know me at all I love the 1940's and WWII...
all 3 of the books I have chosen the last 3 years are from that time period, just from differing countries and viewpoints, so I am super duper happy to dive into this book!

at the end of the night I was just glad to have time with girlfriends, to laugh, eat, and talk.  It does my heart good to have that time, I just wish that our lives weren't so crazy that we could do it more often.

I guess I always have next month to be thankful for!

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in other news.

I may have worked all day, sat on the soccer field (and FROZE my butt off) for 3 hours...
only to come home for 30 minutes before heading to church board meeting...



She might be tiny (53lbs) but she sure gets in there... and sorry people she is stinking cute I am just gonna go ahead and say it!

Unfortunately my sweet emma had an ankle injury and was benched by her daddy... hoping she will be back to gladiator status by Tuesday...

(from Tuesday)

and from the tulip fields (of which I will dedicate a post...)

ninja boy... seriously in every shot... some sort of gangsta sign ?what?

and btw apparently I am married to McGyver and didn't know it!  Tonight our TV exploded and he not only replaced the lamp in the TV (which required tools :) he had a backup and there was only a bout a 10 minute delay in the watching of Survivor while he got things fixed up!  I was impressed!

so my friends, I leave you with this.,

the mug of my favorite 4 yr old boy ever.
nite.

Busy

I've been busy.

Like the kind of busy where you don't talk to anyone on the phone.

You don't check your email.

You don't look at facebook.

You don't upload pictures.

You don't blog.

You don't clean.

You forget your kids piano lessons.

Pretty much you stay busy...

and then you sleep.

Work, Campouts, Cleaning, Drama, Field Trips, Soccer games, Swim lessons... my list goes on.

I would like to say that I will be updating my blog tonight...

But it is FLS Book Club at my house.   And after that the Laker game.

I have not cleaned.  I have not cooked.  I am not ready.

I must go, but I just wanted you to know I am alive, and life is good.

Just busy.


even the little man isn't happy about it.

What to Expect: the 39th year

(this is stolen from Sarah Schmelling-Real Simple 2009)

So in between laying on the couch or my bed today, due to a bug of some sorts...

I found this and had a good laugh.

"Your 38-year old is always on the go, exploring her world and trying out words like ergonomic, Twitter, and spa day.  But even if she's often brimming with confidence, you can still help her to build on her skills and expand her dynamic personality.

By this year, your 38-year old should be able to:

• color-coordinate her own clothing. (this is why 38 yr olds wear black...)
• plan a weekend getaway.  (Not sure what this is)
• change a diaper in under 2 minutes (I have mastered this skill)

Will PROBABLY be able to:

• Host a last minute dinner party.
• Operate a food processor.
• Start an insightful discussion on both Federal spending and Japanese fashion.

May even be able to:

• Write a best-selling novel, work full-time, and run a charity organization.

What you may be wondering about.
MANIC MILESTONES
"My 38-year old has started talking about the big 4-0.  she wavers between saying, 'Forty is the new 30,' and pretending she's too young to remember Duran Duran.  What should I do?"

"Make small changes to ease her through the transition.  Arrange to have her carded at her favorite restaurant. (when she orders iced tea)  Or slip the cute young waiter an extra tip to hit on her for the evening.  Just so long as he avoids comparing her to his mother."  (Ladies... I am going to do this to one of you just so you know in advance!)

--------
Random I know.  But it brought back memories of my first few kids when I literally obsessed about their milestones and how they were doing. 

Could they roll over?
Feed themselves?
Stand while holding something?
Write their own name?

I haven't done that in years.
But I guess as a parent there are a few things that I hope my "adult child" will be able to do (when they eventually get there)

1.  Have a relationship with Jesus.
2.  Move out of the family home.
3.  Call home on a regular basis and even come visit, so that their parents (Josh & I) don't get lonely.
4.  Have a job and be successful at it.
5.  Treat others with respect.
6.  Be caring, compassionate, and giving to others.
7.  Have and maintain healthy relationships with ALL their siblings.
8.  Stay out of debt, unless it is on a house or car.
9.  Be actively involved in their community, church or school.
10. Graduate from college.

Anything else will be a bonus... I hope!

On a side note,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing and wonderful Mother.  I believe she is 40 today ;)
I LOVE you Mom!  I hope that you know how much you mean to me.  I appreciate all the sacrifices you have made through the years for me!  You are awesome!
xoxox- Suzanne

p.s.  Thanks for all the prayers for my friends in North Carolina.  Baby was born 6 wks early and believe it or not was 6lbs 4 oz!!!  Mom had 3.5 hour surgery following the c/s, She lost 7 units of blood and they gave her 4 units.   Haven't heard any more reports, but the initial details were good news.  They will of course need lots of prayers in the coming weeks and months as mom will be in the hospital recovering for a while.

p.s.s.  I am subbing in 5/6 grade tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

{laundry} & prayer & fb

Today was an at home day.

You know the best kind of days where you just get to work at home and clean things, but with no particular agenda to follow?

Believe it or not I actually made progress in one room in particular, the upstairs laundry.

Seriously it has NOT been this clean since we moved here 3 years ago.  Just keeping it real people.

I don't know how many of you have seen my laundry room before, no day in particular, they are all about the same.  Messy.

But for one moment in between loads it looked like this.  :D  I am in a happy place.

There is still a basket of socks and underwear.
But HUGE accomplishment today!

----------------------------------
Please pray for some friends tonight & tomorrow who will be delivering a baby at 34 wks and then mom will immediately go into major surgery for Placenta Percrata.  Jason & Heather and their baby girl will be named Hayden.
--------------------------------
facebook.

Lately I have been troubled by fb.  Am I the only one?
I don't spend as much time on there as I used too, thankfully.

But whenever I do go on it is the same stuff.  I am also sick of people giving every intimate detail of their life.  I don't want to know when they go to the bathroom.  I don't want to know every move they are making.  I don't care about Farmville or any other game.

and if I am being honest,  it is sometimes difficult to see things that you are not a part of that you would have liked to be there. 

I guess there was a study done that some people actually are getting depressed because all the status updates they see are wonderful and uplifting and exciting and happy... and they think that their life isn't great. interesting?  crazy?

On the other hand, without facebook I would not have been able to pray for Jason and his family because I likely would not have heard about it.  I would not have been able to see the footage from the Fernando's wreck, videos from bf's kids and the activities they are doing...

There is the dilemma for for me.  On one hand I hate it, it is a time sucker... and the other it keeps me connected with people I really care about, and allows me to pray for others and to encourage others, and it let's me share things with others quickly. 

Maybe I just need a break from it.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Hey Birdie & Auction Party

A month ago I attended the Rock & Worship Roadshow with some friends.  We had a fantastic time singing and dancing... and while there I fell in love with a little bluebird on the shoulder of a Jars of Clay guitarist.

Apparently Judy remembered my love for the bird, and she has been on a bird hunt since then!


this is my new bird, birdie.
I am going to find him an adorable perch in my home.
He makes me happy.
He is in one of my favorite colors.

Dear Judy,
Thank you for birdie.  He is a delight and I love him.
I appreciate our friendship.
Love,
Suzanne

-------
tonight was the auction at MG.

It was tons of fun!
We sat with a group of teachers from the school, but many of our friends were at different tables around the gym.  (yes it was in our tiny gym... but somehow it all worked!)
Josh and I actually bid on something in the live auction and won... Shocker I know.

It was a trip to Hawaii.
We are going alone!

Okay, slight fib there.

It was a certificate for Orthodontia.  We aren't going to Hawaii.  We did not bid on any of the cool trips.  We bid on something we knew we were going to use no matter what.  But seriously Orthodontic work? 

So boring.  So practical.

One day I want to just surprise myself and do something I would never do.

Like visit Hawaii.

Or bid on a trip at the auction, any trip.

Did I mention that we won a bid for a silent auction item for $65 to a restaurant we have never heard of???

WHO PUT MY # ON THAT SHEET? 

Thankfully Janet says it is good Hawaiian food so we went ahead and paid for it...

That is the closest I am getting to Hawaii. 

At least in the near future.

On a side note $46,000+ raised for MG tonight!

------------
Meanwhile back at the ranch (aka our home)
Sam was taking care of our kiddos.

They were all in bed when we got home.

I saw this on the table and I just had to share.

I guess Sam got on the computer, typed out menus for all the kids, they wrote down their order for dinner, turned in their "menu", and then she prepared their meal.  The stack of 4 order sheets was sitting on the kitchen counter where she left them.

This one was my favorite because McKenna wrote "Thank you Sam, for kid sitting us."
Makes my mommy heart super proud.

And I am sorry, but seriously how cute is that menu?  I am keeping them all. (kids & menus!)  Their cute handwriting is on there, and I love the creativity of Sam.

A good day for sure.  Night all.

The Thursday Afternoon Cookbook Cleanup.

*** Sidenote *** There are 3 separate posts today.***

Yesterday I went to grab a cookbook so Jack and I could make some yummy banana chip muffins.

I opened my cookbook cupboard and it looked like this.

Seriously? How can I find anything in there?

So I took it upon myself to reorganize, & reduce.
(Janet you just may be getting a few donations for next Fall's book sale.)

After 25 breaks to check on Jack, Syd, & Madi, who were riding bikes with the break in the weather, 
5 breaks for muffin tin filling, baking, and snacking, it looked like this.


I feel much better now.
Just had to share the disorganized life that is mine.
I love it.
I own it.
But I sure do like it when it is less cluttered. :)

p.s. Jill... LOVE your new layout & can you come clean my house?
p.s.s Jill... Thank you for your music comment, made my day!  Feel free to make requests ;)
p.s.s.s. Shelly... the weather??? Was that you?

Spring Week of Prayer Update.

I know this is a terrible picture, and I am terribly upset with myself for not being prepared with a camera -- still or video.

I don't usually do this (ok, I TOTALLY do this) but I must give some serious props to my girl, Samantha.
(and Shelly thank you for raising an awesome son who stood beside her each and everyday playing along with her and being a great support, even though he won't sing ;)... from one mom to another, it totally rocked)

1. I knew she had been asked to be in charge of organizing & leading out the praise music for WOP.

2. I watched her pick out songs, deliberate over which kids from each room would help lead out. Spending hours the week before in prep to through it together.

3. I didn't know what a big deal it was until Thursday & Friday when I actually was at the school to watch her.

and can I just say "Is she really my kid?"

WOW. I was impressed. She was like a mini Brian Ford up there leading out with the mic, playing her guitar, AND interacting with all the kids like it was not big deal.

It was a BIG deal. I never would have done that. I never would have done it as well.

I am a button popping proud momma for many reasons, but here are a few.

1. She was doing it for JESUS.

2. She amazed me with her interaction with the kids, she just "get's them"

3. She has a beautiful voice, and she didn't get embarrassed if she messed up. She just said "Oops, let's try that again."

Anyway, I learned my lesson. My girl has changed/grown up right before my eyes.... I still remember her hiding behind Janet in First Grade at recess saying "Can we go in and do a worksheet now?" Never wanted to get involved up front... more content with books, projects, and assignments.

I am gonna carry a camera everywhere... and I am going to try to slow this ride down and savor ever moment.

Swim Update.

We had our first swim lessons on Wednesday.

Can I just say that it was worth every penny?

Here are some photos, but not too many because I was too busy smiling and videoing.

Jack during his lesson.  He LOVED it.  Tia was his teacher and she was wonderful with him.  The photos are from when he had his "nemo" lifejacket on, but the video I have is without when he was doing some diving and swimming.

the little man even got a ribbon for diving down and getting a ring off the bottom of the pool...
without his life jacket.

Super Syd.
They started her out at Level 3.
By the end of her class they said move her to Level 4.
She was pumped up, LOVING it as well.
They are both counting the days till next Wednesday.


The girl is a little fish.
And can I just say... precious, adorable, goes with the flow, and a blessing?

Honestly I was stressed about putting them in lessons?

It costs so much.
What if they don't like it?
What if I don't like it?
It costs so much.

Then I went to the lesson and I watched their faces and listened to their stories about class... I knew we had done the right thing.

and it was worth every penny... even if it means a few more sub days for me.