Easter and misc....

Here we go.... we are going to play a fast game of catch up this week!

We had two different weeks of Spring Break this year. I can't even remember what I did all that time now. Shopped with the girls.... I don't even know what else. Darn it!

We did have two days where the breaks overlapped. One of those days we hung out with our good friends, the Nangles. We hiked through a nature reserve, went for ice cream and then went fishing... and caught... some algae. And, something crawled in my shorts and bit/stung me. I love it when that happens. I especially love wondering about what insect might be in my shorts, if it's going to happen again and where the insect might go next. I desperately wanted to rip my shorts off and run... but something told me that wouldn't be appropriate.

I want you to note the difference in the two boys. Andrew looks has nary and speck of dirt on him.... and then there's Jackson. They were playing in the same place. Do you see why I might name this blog Dirty Laundry?


Emme... she's been working on a fake smile.

My friend, Janae, has taken her Zumba class and turned into the amazing ministry. For Easter, women in the class brought in enough candy/gifts for 25 Easter baskets. Janae and I spent 4-5 hours putting together 25 Easter baskets.

They were taken to an apartment building for families in transitional housing. That's a nice way of saying... this is the last stop before being homeless. The Navigators, Paul's ministry, tutor, mentor, play with the kids 4 days out of the week. It is a very sad, very dysfunctional place. Lots of the kids are also picked up on Sunday and taken to church. Pray for these families. It seems like such a hopeless place.

After we put the baskets together that day, we went to dye eggs.

Emme sporting a new outfit and some upside down sunglasses.

On Easter Sunday, we were running behind schedule.  I wanted to arrive at church at 10:30 and instead we were trying to hop in the car at 10:30.  Trying... because the sliding doors wouldn't slide open.... which meant the battery was DEAD!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

All because I couldn't find those stupid peanut butter eggs.  I thought they were in the van and I left the light on.... hence, the dead car.

Our neighbor had to give us a jump.  I missed the first song I wanted to hear at church.  I hate peanut butter eggs!

After church... um, could my two on the end make worse faces?

I'll get back to Easter in a minute.  This has taken me so long to write and add pictures... that I am not about to rearrange the pictures.

In that crumpled up piece of paper, there's a dead, squished bee!  We were in the car with our friends.  Paul and Michael were in the front and Janae and I were in the back... with a bee.  I'll spare you all the details, the screaming and hitting... at the bee of course.  It should be enough for you to know that we had to pull over to the side of the road... on the highway... to take care of the bee.  

We won.  

But, there's something about me and Janae and highways and way too much pulling over. (Click here if you need further evidence.)

We went to see a Casting Crowns concert.  Steven Curtis Chapman's boys opened up for them and 10th Ave North.  The boys said they would be around if people wanted to talk with them.  Well, of course, Paul wanted to talk with them.

I followed and got to have a really great conversation with Mary Beth Chapman (Steven Curtis Chapman's wife).  We were able to thank her for the scholarship awarded by Shaohannah's Hope so that we could adopt Emme, show her pictures of Emme and talk about the loss of their precious little Maria.  I was also able to meet Shaohannah and Stevie Joy, their other adopted girls from China.  She was very sweet and easy to talk too.  I also mentioned to her a letter that I had written after Maria died.  I had enclosed a picture of their daughter Emily when she was about 4 or 5 years old.  I have been following SCC for a long time and played with their little girl after a concert one night.  She remembered my letter and said that SCC had that picture in his Bible.  Kinda funny, huh?

SCC came out and sang one song.  When the concert was over this was him talking to Mark, Casting Crowns.  I thought it was such a cool picture as they stood and talked like that for a long time.

Ok, back to Easter.  Here are the kids with Paul's sister's 7 children.  Can you see any evidence that Jackson may have been tired of the picture taking?

AHHH!!!  He looks like he's about to crawl out of his skin.  I cracked up when I went through the progression of pictures.  Do you know how long it takes to get 11-12 kids to just LOOK at the camera?  

FOREVER!!!  That's how long!





So.... not so fond of this picture as it looks like I have a fold on the side of my face/neck/ chin.  Please move along... there's nothing more to see.

I'm not making any promises about postings this week, but GEESH!  I've got to get it together.  Maybe I'll have some extra time since I can't do Zumba due to a broken foot!!!  

Yeah, I'll get there!  Never a dull moment.