Thankful Tuesday...only 3 days late!

Soooo, I really wanted to be good about posting on Tuesday's the things I am grateful for AND I actually did have them ready to go on Tuesday due to some rare alone time at Panera, but alas, the transfer from paper to the computer did not happen... But better late than never so here goes the Top 20 things I am thankful to God for this past week: 1. Smell of a freshly shampooed and soaped child 2. Quiet time at Panera by myself after a long week 3. My ever cautious, rule following son coming out of his room after nap saying, "mommy, can I come down?" 4. Alea falling asleep in the van less than a minute after a Jester Park outing, head hanging way down 5. Mickey taking care of me after I fell running 6. Nice lady giving me a bandaid so I could run two miles home w/o spreading blood all over Ankeny 7. Garage sale deals, example an Old Navy winter coat for Ev for $5! 8. The way Alea gives kissers 9. 2 sets of intact, loving grandparents for our kiddos 10. Much needed rain 11. 2 friends telling me they see my spiritual growth, it is all God, but I love how God is changing and molding me! 12. Old friends and new friends 13. The new homeschooling group at my church 14. Fresh blueberries on my oatmeal 15. Mickey tearing up while watching Courageous,love his sensitive heart to God's call on his life to be a father 16. New opportunities 17. When my 2 little ones are cuddling together on my king sized bed 18. Grilling out and eating outside! Less for me to clean up! 19. 4 bathrooms to clean...wanted to complain about this the other day but thought that people with no bathroom at all wouldn't mind cleaning 4! 20. God is teaching me more and more everyday, I feel His pull on my life in ways I never imagined. There you have it! Come back this coming Tuesday and I encourage you to take some time and give thanks! Psalm 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Thankful Tuesday

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp is a book I have read recently and a book that has significantly impacted me and hopefully will eventually change me... (it is hard to change life long ingrained attitudes!) I will write more about the book and what it is about another day, but for now, a short synopsis and some giving thanks. The main idea from this author is to experience the true joy that God wants us to have, we have to CONTINUALLY give thanks... That when we focus on all the "gifts" God has given us and gives us daily, we can then let go of the sadness, stress, and stuff that ultimately gets us nowhere. This author hits it hard too, she has been through some stuff that would not make it easy to be giving thanks. So that is it about the book for now, I would highly recommend it and will review it fully in my next post. But as a tired momma who needs to go to bed,I want to list some things I am thankful to God for this past week.. 1. Putting on pjs and washing my face after a long day 2. Watching Evan, Isaac, and Solon run around the park, just 3 lil boys without a care in the world 3. Friends who sacrificially bring a meal/food to help our family out 4. Movie night in the basement with smiling excited kids 5. A hot sweaty 4 mile much needed prayer run 6. My Titus girls 7. A church family giving abundantly to a missionary family leaving our church 8. Looking forward to my kids being in my cousins wedding 9. Playing words with Friends with my mom 10. Ev saying to me while hugging his sister, "I love her." 11. My dishwasher! 12. A great GI doc for my lil girl 13. Making the bed 14. Coffee ( can I list this several times?) :) 15. Hosting the Wilson's, missionaries from Hungary who have blessed us more than they can imagine 16. Watching Esti and Eliza Wilson dance ballet in our living room to classical music never having taken lessons 17. Eating a catered lunch from Panera via my pastors wife Judie with her, PJ, and some missionaries while kids napped! 18. Blue skies 19. Giving sandals to Ev's lil buddy Isaac and seeing his face light up when we gave them to him 20. Being encouraged and blessed by Zsofi Wilson during some one on one time while kids are sleeping That is it for now but more lists to come! It was fun to think about all the good gifts God has given me just in the past week, this list doesn't even cover it. Sure, there have been some stressful and hard things on there too but that is the point, why focus on those? I feel more at peace than I have all week after sitting down and really counting my blessings.. Try it, you may just feel better too! Thanks to the book for this idea and to my friend Erin who is also counting her blessings on her blog. James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

18 month old baby/little girl

I have been so busy lately with my 2 kiddos 3 and under, combined with being a stay at home mom and having a husband who works a rather odd schedule, I sometimes don't even realize what day of the week it is.  But with Alea's 18 month doctor's appointment looming on the calendar, it hit me, she is 1 and 1/2 years old!  How did that happen?  I know with Evan I was always on top of these things but it is not as easy with two... I remember my dad telling me it was the same way when I came along 2 years after my brother Josh.  Now this does not mean my little girl doesn't make her presence known, wowza!  She is feisty, adventerous, funny, determined, stubborn, sensitive, curious, tender-hearted, smart, crazy, and simply beautiful.  I am still in shock sometimes that I have a daughter and I get to be part of her life and watch her grow and change.

Her eyelashes go on for miles which complement her huge brown eyes.  She has a little baby mullet as we like to call it as she sleeps on her tummy so it grows in the back and she rubs it off in the front!  :)  Her feet are long and flat like her daddy's.  She has already slightly chipped two of her teeth and has at least a few new scrapes on her body daily.

She ADORES her big brother and calls him "Buddy".  She imitates him, wants to do everything he is doing, wants to play with whatever he has (which doesn't annoy him at all! ha!) If he is in timeout, she goes and joins him.  If he is sad, she gives him a hug. 

Enjoying some dessert at the park with big bro

Wrestle time with daddy is a highlight of her day.  She is not scared to try and knock him down and get rough with the boys.  Getting chased around the house by daddy makes her scream in delight. 
She loves carrying around a dolly and recently a little Belle figurine (since brother loves Beauty and the Beast).  She is getting into Legos and sticks with it till she gets a pretty big tower built.  She love play-do but I have to make sure she doesn't slip it in her mouth-it is like she is still trying to figure out what it is!  If she is outside, she is the happiest.  She would stay out there all day if I let her...  she loves digging in dirt-not afraid to get messy one bit, swinging at the park-she sees them and bolts for them while saying "wings!", she loves riding in her little pink push car while Evan rides his bike, and running out into the middle of our cul-de-sac much to my dismay-still working on this, and now that it is hot, we have had our little pool out and whether clothed or in a swimsuit, she just gets right in. 


Loving the natural playscape at Jester Park

Visiting daddy at the firestation, all dirt smudged from climbing around the fire trucks

I lost track of how many words she can say now and she can string together 2-5 word sentences.  She pronounces all words with the K sound with a T sound-like cookie sounds like tootie.  Our doctor was pretty shocked at how well she was speaking at her appointment, she even said, "hi Dr. White" perfectly after I told her to say hi.  My favorite is how she says love you, she says "love ooo"...it melts my heart. 
We have standoffs at the dinner table quite often.  We usually make our kids eat their veggies 1st and she will sit there FOREVER and refuse to eat so has gone without dinner at times, but then sometimes she scarfs them down!  Girls!  :) She loves crackers, pretzels, pancakes, ketchup, hot dogs, noodles, broccoli, banana, applesauce, and pears. 
As you can tell, she keeps me BUSY!  I can't imagine life without her and though I was never planning on her at that point in my life, God had the best plans in mind when allowing me to become her mommy. 

;mbbbbbbb       ziuiujjummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmk  (haha, Alea just got hold of the computer and did this!)

Giving me bday kissers before going on a walk

Tumbling Class, such fun!

So Ev is now old enough to sign up for some of the Park and Rec activities in our town.  We decided to enroll him in parent/tot tumbling class.  It was so fun!  Now, the class was only $18 and it was taught by a couple of high school students so it wasn't the most technical class, but just perfect for a 3 year old boy who needs practice listening and doing what a teacher says and exercising while at it!  It met for 45 min. one day a week for about 6 weeks.  He learned how to stretch out, do somersaults, walk on a little balance beam, and got to jump on a little mini-trampoline (I think he would have been happy to do that the whole time!).  His other favorite thing about class was when they would stretch and smell their stinky feet!  You will see what I am talking about in a picture below. 
I would highly recommend this class, especially if you are not sure if your child will like a tumbling class, since others in town are super expensive.  It is a great little starter for an active tot! And as a mom, it was so fun to just watch him do it on his own...made me sad to think about how big and independent he is getting, but a little proud too at how well he did! 

Next up swim lessons in July/August!  Last year, we signed up for June and it was the week of 40 degree weather.  Hoping for better timing this year! 

Smelling his "stinky" feet!

Balance!  Look at that focus!  :)

Backwards somersault with some help from the teachers!

I think he is trying to convince the teacher to let him just keep bouncing away!

To say the least, she was a handful to keep entertained during these classes, I let her get on stuff when the other kids weren't on and that helped a little!  She just wants to do what big bro is doing! 

  

Marriage on the Rock (s)???

Is your marriage (or relationship) on the rocks?  Or rocky?  Or even pebbly?  Because mine certainly has been all of the above for quite some time now...What I mean is I allowed for everything, big or little, to become a stumbling block in our marriage.  It was as if we were trying to climb a mountain (which let's be honest, marriage can feel like an unclimbable mountain at times!), and as if climbing a mountain isn't already difficult enough, I would choose the most difficult, incorrect, treacherous, path even when presented with a knowingly easier way.
I was blessed enough to be able to attend a marriage retreat 2 weekends ago, hosted by our church, and facilitated by a husband and wife who have been counseling couples for a LONG time now...All I can say is "Amazing".  God pulled everything together in a 24 hour time span to change my marriage for a lifetime.  This is just how God works too-He knows exactly when we need something and how to give it to us.  Mickey and I were at a point where neither one of us were going to budge on certain issues, we were only looking out for ourselves, our own interests, and the only time we would give a little is IF the other person gave a little.  This is NOT how God designed marriage and let me share with you some highlights about what we found about how marriage should work in God's eyes.

Agape Love
1st, God calls us to "agape" love our spouses.  This Greek word means to love in a totally unselfish way, to give and keep on giving without expecting anything in return.  What???  So, even when my hubby chooses a hobby over me, or doesn't give a thoughtful gift for my birthday, or forgets to take out the trash leaving me to do it in the freezing cold, I still have to LOVE him?  I can't get mad and give him the silent treatment or nag at him???  ugghhhhh, so hard...  but when I think about the last 7 years, I can't remember the last time nagging did any good.  It just makes him mad and justifiably so, who wants to be around someone who is always on their case?  So, I thought to myself, I should do this.  I should just love Mickey no matter what.  He is never going to be perfect and neither am I.  Jesus loves me even though I am constantly screwing up and as a Christ follower, I am called to be like Him.  And I LOVE that I can always count on Jesus LOVE.  It is what gets me through each day.  So, how cool if I could provide that for my husband?  How uplifting would that be for him?  If he could always count on my LOVE?  I want him to be the best person he can be and I thought I was helping him by always pointing out how he could do better, boy, is that the wrong way to go about it.  I know now the best way I can help him is to LOVE him unconditionally.   Which brings me to the next topic we discussed at the retreat.

Loving our Husbands
Did you know that men and women are different?  haha... I am sure you did.  But at the same time, how many times have you expected your significant other to know exactly what you need in the relationship without telling them?  We are made differently and are a perfect complement to each other when we allow ourselves to accept the unique way God created us.  We were taught at this retreat that men need 4 things from a wife: 1. companionship with us 2. to be respected by us 3. to provide and protect us 4. physical union with us.  Let's go back to #1.  Guys love to have a friend and we need to be their best friend.  We need to do things he enjoys (even when we do NOT enjoy them).  It means the world to them, so even though you may hate golf, or despise looking at cars for no reason, if your husband wants to do that with you, DO IT!  It is a small sacrifice to show him that you LOVE him.  2nd, men desire our respect.  They need to know we believe they are capable.  They need us to be their cheerleader and give them confidence.  If men don't have that, disastrous things can happen.  Their whole demeanor will be that of a broken man who isn't able to accomplish anything-we have that kind of power over our husbands.  So next time, your hubby comes to you with something he wants to do, encourage him.  Let him know you believe in him.  3rd, men have the need to provide and protect us.  It is built into their soul.  You can easily help with this by not complaining about the things you don't have and thanking him for the work he does for the family.  To him, provision for his family equals LOVE as told by our speaker.  He may not always SAY he LOVES you verbally, but if he is working hard to provide everyday for your needs, he LOVES you, so be grateful.  4th, within marriage, God designed sex to be beautiful and enjoyable.  Husbands NEED that time and experience with you, it is not something they can help or change about themselves.  Just like wives can't change their need for acts and words of love...and we wouldn't want our husbands to say, we are too tired to show you love by working or to tell you we love you...So wives, let's go!  (I know this is personal, but it is sooooo important!)  It the one thing that only wives can provide for our husbands out of the 4 things he needs, if we don't provide it for him, who will?

Loving the Wife
Women are a little more complicated.  We only have 3 needs but there are so many different ways to fulfill them and men need to know them all!  1st, men need to just simply love us.  Tell us constantly.  We need to hear this day in day out.  We need hugs in the middle of the day, we need phone calls over your lunch hour, we need you to study us and know what makes us the most loved.  (The 5 Love Languages book is a good place to find out how best you feel love).  Each woman is unique, don't assume cuz another husband bought his wife flowers, that this is what you should do.  I, for one, think that is a waste, would much rather have a gift card to a spa or a handwritten note.  LOVE your wife in her way!  2nd, understand your wife.  We are not like you!!!  We have to say about 20,000 words a day compared to your 12,000.  Listen to us wholeheartedly.  We have so much to say!  haha!  Know that we love that you are the man and we expect you to do manly things (like killing spiders and buying a car!)  Understand that we are much more emotional and it doesn't help us for you to just try and solve the problem, just listen and empathize.  That is all we want.  3rd, honor your wife.  I LOVE the list our speaker gave so I will share it:
1.  Stand in "awe" of her. 
2.  Compliment her.
3.  Brag about her in front of others.
4.  Thank her for the things she accomplishes.
5.  Treat her with respect as the weaker vessel. (1 Peter 3:7)
6.  Cherish her.
This hits the nail on the head for me!  What do you think your wife would be like if you did these things for her?  I would say you would have a wife who is glowing from the inside out.  You would have a wife who would feel like she could do anything.  Don't you want your wife to feel like that?  C'mon guys, do it!  Make her feel like she is heaven on earth (even when she is not deserving).

Okay, well I could go on and on...if you can't tell, I love the topic of marriage.  I want so badly for Mickey and I to have an amazing, God-inspired marriage.  We only have this 1 life!  I don't want to spend it arguing with the person I CHOSE to marry.  And that is what it comes down to, choices.  I have to choose to AGAPE LOVE my hubby regardless if he reciprocates.  Whether it changes my marriage in this life or not, I will stand before God one day and have to discuss what kind of wife I was.  And I want to be able to tell God that I did my very best to do marriage His way. 
So, don't let rocks or pebbles or rubble get in your way of climbing the mountain of marriage.  There is an easier way. (even if it seems more difficult at the time)  We all know the view from the top of a mountain is the same whether we struggle to get there or not.  So, get up to that view and enjoy, the sooner, the better! 
(I want to give credit to Todd and Kari Heilman who facilitated the retreat.  They did an amazing job and God has gifted them to help people realize how awesome marriage can be.  Praise God for them!)

Banff, Alberta, Canada-Guest Post by my hubby!

Enjoy this little summary of our trip to Banff, Alberta, Canada written by my hubby...he has a passion for travel as you will tell!

The Inspiration
There is a bit of irony involved in an Iowan wishing to escape the uncharacteristically mild winter in search of the cold and snow.  While there was no complaining during the 60 degree days in January or the 80 degree days in March, we were left with a void in our hearts that could only be filled with snowballs, hot chocolate and a frost bit nose.  So we took to the heart of the Canadian Rockies, Banff, where they have hit record snowfall this winter season and are still counting.  Banff, a picturesque mountain town approximately 60 miles west of Calgary, provides a perfect stage for numerous outdoor pursuits.  It is conveniently located near 3 mountain ski resorts, has ample hiking trails, boasts several species of wildlife for viewing and has many other fantastic activities to keep the most avid sportsman busy.  Also, the town is home to world class dining, hotels and tour operators.  With the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, one could find themselves actively pursuing all the mountains have to offer or simply staring out the window of the car at the postcard view unfolding at every turn. 

On our hike up a mountain in the town of
Banff

The Hotel
Our vacation deal was struck online with little knowledge of the area other than what we had seen in photographs and magazines.  We opted to splurge and stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs, arguably one of the most exquisite hotels in all of North America.  While the caliber of this hotel is by no means on my radar for places I could afford to stay at, the deal online with the lift tickets for skiing proved too good to pass up.  This hotel, along with the similar Fairmont Lake Louise, were on my personal bucket list of places to stay.  I am not usually akin to putting a hotel on a list of things I really want to experience  (I would much rather experience an expensive city in a cheap hotel than vice versa), but sometimes an exception can be made when the hotel truly is a destination in and of itself.  The deal was similar for both Fairmonts, it was decided however that the hotel in Banff would be more convenient for shopping and dining.
I am typically quite uncomfortable and out of place staying at 5 star hotels.  The hotels seem daunting to me because I am pretty much the lower crust of society.  I don't like valet parking, am uncomfortable with porters moving my bags for me, am afraid that I will be charged for the coffee and tea in the room and I am constantly worried that I will be found out as a poor commoner posing in a fancy hotel.  And while the restaraunts were far too expensive ($40 and up per plate) and a massage at the spa was completely out of the question, the hotel was refreshingly not full of the pretentious snobbery that I had built up in my mind.  Rather, the hotel was full of amenities that were on the house.  We were left a decorative plate of chocolates upon arrival, given a fruit basket with a personal note for the general manager and a tin full of sweets later in the week, all for simply being a guest of the hotel.  The fitness facility was top notch, better than any I have seen in any hotel.  The pools included a large indoor pool, a decent sized hot tub, a kiddie pool indoors with a number of floaty toys and a large outdoor pool heated year round to 100+degrees.  It was worth devoting an hour to walking around the hotel and exploring the vast expanse of rooms and halls with elegant turn of the century decorations.  There was literally something for everyone.  Those who desire top notch service, cuisine and pampering were obviously in the right place.  For those like me who like to take home the shampoo bottles as souvenirs (the Fairmont has some good soap) and uses the extra single use coffee in a bag in their coffee maker at home, then things like the free chocolates and fruit baskets and a bed that didn't squeak were just the icing on the cake to a wonderful place to stay.

Enjoying the "hot" pool outside at our hotel with the backdrop of the Rockies

Yep, that is our hotel you see in the distance, how cool is that!

The Flights
Flying in to Calgary from our home of Des Moines would have been a bit of an expensive endeavor had we not used our frequent flier miles.  The cost of the flight was around $550 through Delta, however we scored the lowest mileage cost of 25,000 miles for our round trip ticket.  Flights from the midwest are more reasonable from bigger airports such as Chicago and Minneapolis.  Calgary was by far the easiest international destination I have ever flown into.  We had our luggage quickly and there was literally nobody in line at customs.  The airport was convenient to the rental cars, which are on site, and we were out the doors and in our vehicle within 45 minutes of landing.  The airport is convenient to downtown Calgary, which is surprisingly a destination in and of itself.  We were downtown and parked within 20 minutes of leaving the airport and began our brief expoloration of downtown.

Downtown Calgary, had a lovely walking trail, very Central Park like

The Slopes
A winter trip to the Canadian Rockies should at the very least include a day on the slopes.  Our deal included lift tickets at the "Big 3", which includes Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay and Lake Louise.  These resorts combine a total of over 8000 skiable acres.  Late winter and early spring is a fantastic time to ski in Canada.  The weather is a bit less harsh than the dead of winter and there is typically a fair amount of snowfall to provide the coveted powder that the ski bums live for.  Lake Louise is the biggest and provides an exceptional amount of bowls on the back side to ski.  One could ski at the resort for a week and not ski every run the mountain has to offer.  There was little snowfall during my stay.  This didn't spell disaster as it could have during a similar trip to popular American mountains.  The size combined with the lack of traffic meant that the runs were not chewed to shreds and there was plenty of places to get out of control without worring about skiing over an exposed rock or a sheet of ice.  Sunshine Village was also a spectacular place.  Though not quite as large as Lake Louise, it was a unique place to visit and offered some extreme terrain that rival any resorts in the world.  The Village is accessed via a 20 minute gondola ride from the parking lot.  From there were several lifts taking you to different peaks in all directions.  Due to the lengthy ride up, the resort boasts a lengthy 6+ kilometer trail of continous riding back to the parking lot.

The Town
Banff town packs a big punch in a small area.  The town has residency and building codes that limit the expansion of the town, ensuring it to remain the quaint mountain town that it is for years to come.  It is located in the Bow Valley and surrounded by several beautiful mountain peaks.  Wildlife are known for walking around the backstreets (we spotted an elk and a deer while driving).  The Bow river winds it way through town and provides a scenic place to take a walk.  With all the natural beauty the town has to offer, it is any wonder how anyone could want to spend time walking in and out of shops.  That is however, exactly what we found ourselves doing during every visit to town.  There is shopping for every taste, from high end stores like Helly Hanson and Patagonia to the typical souvenier peddlers selling magnets, t-shirts and other useless trinkets.  There is a wide variety of restaraunts to chose from, many paying homage to the English heritage of the city.  There was a bit of sticker shock involved when we got our weekly ration for packing lunches on the slopes.  We resolved to PB&J's due to the cost of food in the store.  Having beer on the slopes was also out of the question when I found that it cost $13 for a 6 pack of Budweiser.  So I was a bit uneasy after a trip to the Safeway when shopping around for where we would eat.  After scoring on a brilliant local website, www.taximike.com, we were able to eat like a local at restaraunts by timing their specials like 2 for 1's and other deals.  Perhaps the best deal we scored was the Tuesday night movie at the theater where every ticket comes with a large pop and popcorn for free!  I only payed $10 to see the Hunger Games, which was a ripoff for other reasons, but at least I had the option to see a decent movie and stuff my face with popcorn for a relatively fair price. 

Main St. in Banff, such a picture perfect mountain town

The Prices
Hotel and Lift tickets were purchased at www.skibig3.com as a package deal.  6 nights at the Fairmont Banff Springs, a 3 of 4 day lift pass for my wife and a 4 of 5 day lift pass for me, valid at Mt. Norquay (don't bother, too small), Lake Louise and Sunshine Village.  Total cost = $1350 with taxes. 
Flights were booked with frequent flier miles, but would have cost $550 to fly from DSM to YYC.
We rented a mid sized car (hatchback for the skis) for 7 days for $175, no need for insurance because American Express combined with my car insurance covers rentals.  Fuel runs about $5 per gallon, a bit odd since Alberta is a major oil producing province.  As noted earlier, food and alcohol is quite expensive.  With due diligence, we were able to save a bit on eating out and still had a great time.  It helped to have a Safeway card, which is free to get, and getting groceries for breakfast and lunch, although more expensive than Iowa, was much cheaper than eating out for those meals.  There are several good restaruants highlighted on Taxi Mike's website that we tried out, none of which were dissapointing.  We averaged spending $25 with tip per dinner for the 2 of us. 

One of the restaurants we ate at, it was the Irish night special!  Score!

The Assessment
Banff National Park looks and feels like giant postcard.  Opportunities abound for even the poorest photographer to take poster quality shots. The Canadian Rockies are a great place to go either during the summer or winter. Since the winter lasts from November through May, the slopes are an ideal place to go for a late season ski. While it may sound intimidating to head north for the winter, the shoulder season provides much more moderate temperatures. We experienced average weather for early April, which was temps just over freezing in the valley to around 15 degrees on the slopes. The only regret to going during the winter was that we missed out on the pristine, turquoise colored waters of the many lakes that dot the landscape of Banff Park. Summer, in hindsight, would provide ample outdoor pursuits for travelers of all ages as well as profoundly beautiful scenery.
There are ample resources available to read up on geared towards whatever pursuit you are intersted in.  Rest assured, if you love the mountains, the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park will not dissapoint. 

Easter

Well, we got home from our hubby/wife vacation just in time to celebrate Easter at our own church with our two little ones.  I LOVE Easter, because to me, it is the day, that changed the course of my life for eternity.  I believe that Jesus fulfilled prophecy (there were about roughly 425 prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament) by coming to earth as a man, suffering on the cross, and rising again.  Isaiah 53:3 says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from who men hid their faces he was despised,  and we esteemed him not."  People, just like us, put Him on that cross.  They were threatened by Him, which it is easy to see why, as He had attracted many followers.  But the best part of all of this is, it was all part of God's plan.  He sent His son knowing this would happen and did it all for us.  To demonstrate love through sacrifice.  It gives me chills just thinking about it.  Which brings me to how we celebrate Easter.  We basically go to church, take pictures of our family to commemorate the day, and just enjoy the day together (as our kids get older, we plan to be a little more focused on the Easter story, but for now our kids are a little too young to get in too deep).  I don't have anything against Easter baskets, egg hunts, and so forth, (so please don't feel like I am saying you shouldn't do those things!), but we just choose to keep this holiday really simple. 
Just like Jesus, a humble man, with a simple
message-I love you, please accept my sacrifice, and have a relationship with me. 

Alea in front of our lovely neighbor's Tulips-thanks Tiffany! :)

Evan doing his cheesy smile, what a goof!

this little boy has my heart...

Daddy and Evan-they are growling at each other in this pic

Alea was digging in the sandbox instead of taking any pictures-she will be a tomboy!

Our family pic, everyone smiling except for Alea who is mad I took her away from the sandbox!  haha!