HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter!

The reason for Easter is to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead after his crucifixion.  It is not about eggs and bunnies and candy. Yes, we can have fun with all of the candy and eggs, but we have to remember the reason we celebrate.

To help us remember we get everyone up early on Easter and go to sunrise service.  It is usually a small gathering and the message only focuses on the risen savior Jesus.  Then we eat breakfast and we go to our regular church service at 10:00.  It is a day to worship the king and that is what it is all about.  I do get my kids an Easter basket but it is small.  This year they each got a book, an insulated cup with a straw and some candy.  It is just a little something fun.  Later in the day we will go to my Mom's house and hunt eggs and eat a meal.  My sister comes with his little boy who just turned 2.  We have a good time with him.

Oh, well we are going to church in a few.  The kids are singing and there will be lots of good music and a message.  I wish tomorrow started spring break, but we have another week.  Also, please pray that we don't get this flu that is going around.  We have been directly exposed several times, but so far the Lord has protected us.  We did get flu shots this year so I hope that helps.  I don't want us sick for spring break.  We are going to the mountains.

Storms

We live in Central Georgia.  We rarely get any severe winter weather but we do get thunderstorms and tornadoes.  Last night we had some terrible thunder storms roll through.  It was only by the grace of God that we did not lose power.  The kids and I swear that the chimney got struck by lightening twice and I was surprised that the TV still worked last night because it is mounted above the fireplace.  This morning many in our county have no power and some of the roads are impassible because of downed limbs.  There is no school today for the kids, but I have to go in at 10:00.  At least it will be daylight so that if there is something in the road I can see it.  The sun doesn't really come up right now until 10:00.

I have been reading a few websites about families who only spend $50 a week on groceries or some other ridiculous number.  I want to find out how they do this and then I find out that it is only a family of 3 or 4.  When I look for large families that mostly eat at home because who wants to pay $100 for a family to eat out junk I see larger monthly totals of $600 to $800 a month.  I stay around the $600 a month category.  I would love to spend less, but we would have to cut back on some treats or other things and right now we don't want to do that.  If we had to we could cut it way back and eat fine, but there would be no good ice cream, no weekend sodas ( I let the kids have one a day on the weekends or when they have friends over) and we would have to cut back on cereals, nutragrain bars and such.  We have to run out the door so fast in the morning that I rarely cook breakfast. I like for it to be something that the kids can get themselves and I like to get the good cereals like oatmeal squares and life.  If I had to I could cook some eggs or make oatmeal or pancakes, but I don't during the week. I do think I will keep working on it.  There is always room for improvements.

It is so quiet in here.  We turned off the kids alarm clocks and they haven't gotten up year.  This makes me know that the kids never get enough sleep.  We do put them to bed at a reasonable time, but I just think that kids need more sleep than they think.  We all do probably.

Well, I might be nice and cook some French toast and sausage when the kids get up.  I better get cracking!

Busy But Good

We had a busy but good weekend.  It started for me on Friday with special Olympics.  I love that these kids get to compete and think that they are special.  Most of these kids can compete in regular sports or even do well in PE.  This is one time a year that they get to shine.  Yeah!

Then Saturday was our small town annual festival.  We had great weather.  The girls all danced with their dance studio and we just walked around and saw people we knew.  There were crafts and food and blow up slides.  We all had fun.

Today was church and even though the time changed we made it to 8:30 church.  We came home and I did laundry, mopped the floor and a few other chores.  Little girl and I took a walk down the dirt road.  We were just enjoying the lovely weather. 

Oh and we also added another pet to the family this weekend.

 

Middle girl just loves rabbits.  We have had others but they died.  They just don't live forever.  We were so happy to find this one and she is so sweet!

 

Well tomorrow is Monday again.  The kids only have four days this week.  Friday is a teacher work day so I have to work, but they don't have to go.  Kind of a day off for me and kind of not.  I really like being at home and getting things accomplished.  I also like sitting on the couch doing nothing. I do like being outside, but I don't like it cold or hot so that leaves me out of all but about 2 weeks out of the year.  The weather here in Georgia is either hot or cold.  It doesn't really get cold enough here to snow except once a year, but it is so humid here that the cold weather feels colder and the hot weather feels hotter.  I do like to plant flowers and keep the yard nice.

 

Well, I am going to go get a bath and hit the hay early.  School and work tomorrow!

Lazy Sunday

Well, not lazy for me yet.  I am about to nap.  We had a great lesson at church today and then we finished up a ladies bible study about lies women believe.  It was really good.  Then we came home and had our usual, hamburgers and hotdogs with homemade fries.  Then I made a batch of fruit and cereal bars and a dozen muffin.  We will eat these for breakfast this week.  Yummy!

I just finished our taxes and yeah we got back enough to pay off the van.  Now we can save some money that we were paying on the van.  I hope to purchase our next vehicle in cash .

Well, nap is calling.  I got to go!

Saturday Night

Is it Saturday night already?  I really didn't get anything done today.  I spent my day taking people places, bringing people things, and shopping.  We did help a family move, but I didn't do much.  I did help clean out the kitchen and I did bring a big cooler for the freezer items, but then Big Girl needed black pants for band and a black shirt.  Do you know how hard it is to find black pants this time of year in her size?  Then we ate dinner at Steven's brother's house because some relatives were in town.

I guess that brings me to the reason that I am in a somber mood tonight.  Steven has already gone to bed.  I think all that moving did him in for the night.  I am just sitting here with the Big boy and he is watching TV.  Ah, I just sent him to bed.  You see, Steven's parents aren't speaking to us, and they haven't for about a year. They got their feelings hurt over some things that I don't even really understand and I think are really silly.  As a result we are no longer invited to their house when relatives visit, and that is hurtful.  It also makes the other relative have to pick and choose who they want to spend time with, and it usually isn't us.  I just hate that it has come to this.  We used to have a great relationship, and then something happened and now we are the outcasts.  I don't understand it.  We are raising these people's grandchildren and they don't care to see them. We have really good kids and the grandparents don't even know them anymore.  It makes me sad for them mostly.  They are missing moments that they can't ever get back.

I am envious of people who have grandparents that are active in their grandchildren's lives.  I never had that and neither did my husband.  My mom tries when she can, but she does not have the support of my father.  He does not care to go to kid's events or hang out with us. The other grandparents have closed us out of their lives so that leaves us pretty much on our own.  We don't need the grandparents, but it would be nice to have more participation in our lives.

Enough of that.  What is the verse, there will be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning?  We have to choose to be joyful.  We have to think of others and not ourselves.  We have to think of what we can do to show Christ to others.  We have to follow his word as much as possible and not worry about the rest.  I know that we live for him and we are raising our kids that way.  I love it that my kids love the Lord!  They are good kids and I can't complain too much.  So many have it so much worse.

Now, what do I enjoy?  Spending time with my kids, talking with my husband, reading, spending time with other believers.  I like to spend time in the kitchen and I love to do for others.  I also like going out to dinners and different restaurants, I like to look in thrift store and quirky antique stores.  I love the mixtures of old fashion and I also love technology.  Crazy huh?

Well enough of my rambling. I have to go to bed.  Church in the AM!