Pajamas and Pearls

Yes, we were up at 5:15 to watch it all. And with no proper hat to be found,
both of us decided pearls would be appropriate for living room viewing.
We loved every magical minute.

Create-a-Face

I picked up this Create-a-Face pad at our local toy store a few weeks ago for $5. It's perfect for portrait practice and makes for a very easy, low-prep art project. Before they got started I had the kids look closely each others faces for eye placement, proportion, and shape of features. Pencils, colored pencils, markers, stickers, colored paper, glue, buttons... just throw it all on the table and watch them create!

Hannah's portrait

Peter's portrait - I love this

And here is another face I keep seeing this week.
The I've-been-sneaking-Easter-candy face with the blue-tinged lips.
At least he's honest about it. : )

Easter : 1000 Gifts

With inexpressible joy, I add to my list... and reach 1000!!!

0985
City street median strips filled with tulips.

0986
A backyard full of azaleas and dogwoods.

0987
That my kids spend hours outside enjoying it.

0988
The Easter sunrise service with my girl.

0989
Singing Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

0990
Our family Holy Week readings from The Child's Story Bible.


0991
Easter brunch with our dear friends.

0992
Mixed berry french toast. Yum!

0993
MZ made rice krispie eggs filled with M&Ms.


0994
Wills, Connor, and my three not giving us a lovely Easter photo.


0995
A pan of homemade cinnamon rolls given to us.

0996
Mini Reese's peanut butter cups.

0997
New spring green leaves against a deep blue sky.

0998
The empty tomb!

0999
Death conquered!

1000
Jesus! Our Glorious Hope!

The Power of the Cross

Surely He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.

He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Listening this morning...

The Power of the Cross
Keith and Kristyn Getty

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Shakespeare's Birthday Bash

Will, Peter and I headed down to the Folger on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the Bard's 446th. Hannah wasn't able to join us as she was at another birthday party - a Royal Wedding themed party complete with hats, gloves, pearls and "pin the tiara on Kate." So cute.

The theater - kids could bring a prepared reading and take the stage.

The big highlight for the boys was a stage fighting demonstration on the lawn...
with really big swords.

This is the face I get from Peter lately when I have a camera in my hand...

Good Queen Bess cuts the cake.

Two blocks down the road...Tulips, boys, and Supreme Court in the background.

We had "Flat Sarah Mae" with us. Sarah Mae is a dear little friend in Florida who's class is doing a Flat Stanley geography project. The kids have loved touring her around DC. Sometimes Flat Sarah Mae just gets a drive by tour of the sights...

Sunshine

Every spring is the only spring -
a perpetual astonishment.
Ellis Peters

Lessons, lunch, Latin... whatever we could do outside today, we did.
Soccer practice. Dinner on the grill. Evening outdoor play.
All while the dogwoods bloomed before our eyes.

Saying Grace : 1000 Gifts

“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

G.K. Chesterton

Praying to receive each moment as a gift, my list continues...

0968
Cherry blossom petal filled puddles.

0969
Discovering a Georgetown Cupcake gift card in my wallet.

0970
Little boy joy over mud puddles, sticks, and rocks.

0971
The Spring Festival.

0972
Moon bounces and cotton candy.

0973
The almost daily opportunity to be the skinned knee heroine. Peter: "Why do sidewalks have to be made out of concrete? Really smooth mud would be so much better."

0974
Meeting an old friend at the playground.

0975
Having kids at the age where we can sit on a bench an catch-up.

0976
Jane Austen movies.

0977
Small green leaves on the birch tree.

0978
Math lessons at Starbucks.

0979
The Stone Ridge Book Sale. And the pile of $1 treasures I brought home.

0980
With soccer games cancelled, an opportunity to go to a second day... with book-loving Hannah who whispered to me a moment after entering, "I am so sorry I complained about having to come with you."

0981
Finding Peter practicing his winking in the mirror.

0982
That we don't have a new sofa... making it no big deal when I spilled my coffee. : )

0983
Trusting in God's grace.

0984
And resting in His sovereignty.

The Bard's Birthday

We are preparing to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday at the Folger Shakespeare Library later this month. If you are local, head over to Capitol Hill on Sunday, April 17 for an afternoon of good Elizabethan fun.

In preparation, a few books to enjoy...

I love Diane Stanley biographies! This is a beauty.


We are reading another Diane Stanley gem this week - Good Queen Bess.


I haven't read this personally, bu Hannah really enjoyed it...


And all of us love this fun series by Lois Burdett.

Blossoms : 1000 Gifts

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

William Shakespeare

Enjoying a glorious spring Monday, I step inside for just a moment to list gifts
lovingly given and enjoyed this past week...

0951
Spring showers.

0952
Finding an umbrella in the car.

0953
Muddy soccer cleats.

0954
When dinner clean up turns into a dance party.

0955
Will's infectious laugh.

0956
The satisfaction vacuuming brings. (I love to vacuum... I know, I know.)

0957
New water filters. Having clean water everyday.

0958
Hannah indulging Peter with just one more page... over and over again. Sister reading to brother.

0959
Steady rain over just-spread grass seed.

0960
News of a dear friend becoming a neighbor.

0961
Mangoes on sale.

0962
The birds' early morning song.

0963
Hugs of comfort and band aids.

0964
The surprise hyacinth that popped up in the yard.

0965
Cherry blossom lined streets.

0966
Pink in the sun.

0967
Spring, glorious spring!