Easter

Once again, I ventured away from blogging over Easter...But, I did want to post pictures of the special day. We had a lovely Easter celebrating our Risen Savior with friends and family. And, hope you did as well!

Where does time go?! Last year's pic...Crazy how much the girls have grown!

 Nana and Granddaddy were here to share this Easter together.  And, Nana made the girls' dresses - LOVE them!! She is so gifted with sewing and smocking! Thank you, Mom!

Aunt Jynne spent Easter with us as well!

 

The Grandaddy and Grandad :)

Daddy getting ready for church.

 Sweet girls! Friends from church.

 "Everybody hug!"

What would we do without this sweet friend?! We love you, Clarissa! 

 A sweet surprise - our "other" family:) Mr. Trey and Miss Ella

 Elisea's "Big Brother" and "Big Sister"

 Our dear friends, The Fairbairns:) So special to see them on Easter! And, they looked so nice in their matching outfits! Love the coral!

 Our church has a bare cross that on Easter Sunday, everyone can place a fresh flower on it to represent new life!

 Easter egg dying:)

 Great idea - using a whisk!

 3 generations:)

 Little Jules easter basket - I love getting "goodies" for the girls! Especially, when they are practical and fun!

 Big E's easter basket - I collect things throughout the year for different gift giving purposes...makes it a lot of fun:)

 Sweet gift from the Aunt and Uncle:)

 E's aunt bought her a butterfly kite  - and the uncle put it together:) She loved it!

 What would we do without puffs?!

 Fun at the park.

We live, because He lives...

2 Corinthians 5:15

"And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again."

Framed Hair Bow Holder

I've been sick for the past week and a half.  But, thank goodness, I'm now on the mend!  After 3 doctors' visits, I finally got diagnosed correctly - strep.  But, feeling better, and determined to get my health and energy back!  I think the older I get, the harder I feel like I get knocked down when sick - even though I know strep can hit hard.  My body has taken a toll these past few years, but I'm not going to let it get the best of me!

On a crafty note...Something I've been wanting to do for a while is make a bow holder for Elisea's bows.  So, I grabbed a frame at Goodwill, some spray paint and ribbon at Wal-Mart - and finally got around to making it.  A super-easy project that I'm excited to hang in her room.  And, if it wasn't for two girls three and under always being at my beck and call, I could have whipped this thing up in no time!   I laugh at how long it takes me to accomplish things sometimes because having children changes EVERYTHING...But, if it wasn't for my girls, I would have no need for a sweet little bow holder!  Simple joys...and a very grateful momma's heart.

 Love this ribbon.

 I just stapled the ribbon to the back with a staple gun.  It took me a couple times to get the ribbon placed correctly.

Elisea's Bow Holder

 I decided to leave out the pink polka dot ribbon I had originally planned to use.  Too many patterns competing.  But, love the paisley!  It might be an obsession. 

Too cute.

 

Fun part of having little girls:)

Easy Chair Re-Do

A few months ago, I bought some fabric on clearance at the fabric store.  And, finally, this past weekend got around to recovering the dining room chairs.  Sometimes, it's the little things that can make me so happy!  But, the dining room set belongs to our church.  Most parsonages come completely furnished - so, we are very blessed to have furniture provided for our family.  Our home is a mix of personal and church furniture.  But, to give the chairs a little update, I changed out the fabric on the seat.  And, I just left the other fabric underneath in case the next family wanted to change it back.  But, SUCH an easy way to update a chair!  All you need is fabric and a staple gun.  So easy and a great way to freshen up a piece of furniture! Of course, if these were my personal chairs, I would paint them white!  But, for now, this is a fun, simple way to update. 

Before:

 After:

A fun, neutral pattern...light and simple.  And, it was $4/yard! Always check out the clearance/marked down sections in fabric stores - sometimes you can find just what you're looking for! 

And, it looks nice with our china - kate spade bonnabel place.  Which we use all the time - ok, maybe not!  But, it looks nice in the china cabinet!  One day...

 

Happy Heart Day

 "We love because He first loved us." I John 4:19

Happy Heart Day!

Days Off

Aaron's days off are few and far between.  Being a Pastor is no doubt a full-time job! When the phone rings, he has to answer and respond...whether that means getting up from the dinner table and heading to the hospital or being gone all day with visitations, work and meetings in the evenings. And, our weekends are a little different than the average family!  But, when he does take a day off, it is SO nice to have family time and just be together! This was a little outing we took to a local duck/geese pond.  And, I am not kidding when I say there was at least 50+ ducks, geese, and sea gulls! A fun day though...love my family.

Not the most attractive bird. Pretty coloring though.

Look! 

Singing...one of her favorite things.

Such a big girl with her hands in her pockets! Where has time gone?!

Love these 2 punkins...an awful lot!

Have a blessed week! 

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before Him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is He who made us, and we are His; 

we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving 

and His courts with praise; 

give thanks to Him and praise His name. 

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; 

His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Psalm 100