Happy Easter!

 

Lyrics from one of my favorite songs from worship today:

 

There is a love that came for us

Humbled to a sinner's cross

You broke my shame and sinfulness

You rose again victorious

 

Faithfulness none can deny

Through the storm and through the fire

There is truth that sets me free

 Jesus Christ who lives in me

 

You are stronger, You are stronger

Sin is broken, You have saved me

Is is written, Christ is risen

Jesus You are Lord of all

 

No beginning and no end

You're my hope and my defense

You came to seek and save the lost

You paid it all upon the cross

 

You are stronger, you are stronger

Sin is broken, you have saved me

Is is written, Christ is risen

Jesus you are Lord of all.

 

Stronger by Hillsong

Indescribable Love

 

They nailed Jesus to the cross.

 

"Father, forgive them," Jesus gasped.  "They don't understand what they're doing."

 

"You say you've come to rescue us!" people shouted.  "But you can't even rescue yourself!"

 

But they were wrong.  Jesus could have rescued himself.  A legion of angels would have flown to his side--if he'd called.

 

"If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!" they said.

 

And of course they were right.  Jesus could have just climbed down.  Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop.  Like when he healed that little girl.  And stilled the storm.  And fed 5,000 people.

 

But Jesus stayed.

 

You see, they didn't understand.  It wasn't the nails that kept Jesus there.  It was love.

 

Excerpt from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Menu Plan Monday: March 25-31

  

Honestly, the only thing on my menu plan that I actually made last week was the Perfect Pot Roast.  It was yummy.  And it made house smell heavenly all afternoon long.  I highly recommend using the fresh rosemary and thyme because they really do make the dish.  And don't forget to add the mushrooms like I did.

Most of my menu plan will be carryovers from last week (that were carry overs from the previous week).  Eek!  I better make this stuff soon or my fresh ingredients will go bad.

Breakfasts: Banana Chocolate-chip baked oatmeal singles, tomato basil quiche

Lunches: Buffalo Chicken Quinoa salad, dinner leftovers

Monday:   Slow cooker salsa chicken, black beans & rice, green salad

Tuesday: Leftover Perfect Pot Roast, roasted red potatoes, green beans

Wednesday: Chicken Sausage & lime kabobs, brown rice, green veggie

Thursday: Dinner out for my birthday!

Friday: Dinner out with friends

Saturday: World's Best chicken, wild rice, green veggie

Sunday: Brown & Maple Sugar pork tenderloin, garlic mashed red potatoes, roasted asparagus
 

Check out Laura's blog for more Menu Plan Monday.

Gettin' my scrap on ...

Back in February, I got to spend a whole weekend (Thursday-Sunday) scrapbooking with some of my very favorite people!  We have been scrapbooking together since I was pregnant with Claire.  I think our very first weekend "retreat" was in Gatlinburg the week before I found out if Claire was a boy/girl (Nov. 2005).  We have made a lot of memories together ... literally.

 

Here are some pictures of everyone hard at work. 

 

 

Claire did all of her "scrapbooking" on the computer.  She had a lot easier time packing up than the rest of us!

 

 

I worked on 3 different projects while I was there.

 

#1: a scrapbook about Will's 2011 trip to Cape Town, South Africa. 

 

I finished the entire book on Thursday afternoon/night.  It still needs a few titles and some journaling from Will, but otherwise, IT IS DONE.  I haven't said that about a scrapbook in a long time!

 

I used a Creative Memories Picfolio album.  I highly recommend this if you want to finish an album quickly, but you are somewhat limited in the number of photos you can use.  (I think they are expandable now ... I bought mine back in 2007 ... it's vintage!)

 

 

#2: Claire's baby book.

 

This is a book about my pregnancy with Claire thru her first year of life.  Yes, I know she is ALMOST 7, but I've been busy since 2006!  Here are a few pages from her book that I just love!

 

I worked on Claire's book all day Friday and Saturday and I made it to 8 months (and Christmas).  So I only have 4 more months to go!

 

#3: David's baby book.

 

I know, he is 4.  But I have done a little bit in his book. 

 

Like the title page ... 

 

 

Ultrasound photos ...

 

And pictures of his nursery.

 

I worked on David's book on Sunday morning.  I was missing a few pictures I thought I had already ordered so I spent the majority of time organizing the pictures from his entire first year and separating them out by page and making a list of pictures I was missing that I needed to print.

 

Luke's baby book got no attention at all.  Sniff, sniff.  I have purchased supplies for his album and printed pictures so I am headed in the right direction!

 

Now I just need about 3-4 more of these weekends away to get these baby books finished up!  Ha!

Field Trip: Adventure Science Center

Last week, we took what is hopefully out last field trip for 1st grade.  (I had 10 spare days to fill from our curriculum).  We headed out with some other homeschool buddies to the Adventure Science Center.  I went here when I was a child, although I think it was called something different at that time.  I just remember it was a fun trip!

 

The main reason I wanted to go was to see the Magic School Bus exhibit.  It was pretty neat.  It was all about WEATHER.

 

 

Claire and her buddy McCall.

 

We learned a little bit about sound and light in the adventure tower. 

 

 

Then we headed up to BodyQuest where the kids played brain storm-they controlled the ball by controlling their thoughts.

There was a giant heart ...

 

And a water table that showed how blood flows through our veins, arteries, etc.

 

They even spent a little time in the OR.

 

They answered some gross intestinal questions.

 

And they brushed a giant tooth!

 

More fun on the Adventure Tower ... climbing up the vertebrae ladder.

 

The space exhibit was AWESOME!  I loved the giant solar system.

 

Some of the "little planets".  Little compared to Jupiter and Saturn!  The girls really wanted to do the moonwalker (which gives you the feeling of walking on the moon) but you had to weigh at least 50 pounds and our girls clocked in at 41 and 44.  Too bad we couldn't put them in a harness together to meet the weight minimum!

 

In The Magic School Bus exhibit, we learned all about weather.  The air blasters were a big hit!

 

This was Tim's Hot Backyard.

 

Claire was calling in to check the local weather.

 

The girls were dying to get in the "Wild Winds" booth, so Leigh and I scrounged up $2 to play.  The winds got up to 90+ mph.

 

There was hair everywhere!  But they had fun!