Ella: "How come when I frow things they always go down?"
I didn't realize that I needed to brush up on my explanation on the law of gravity so soon =)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Harris Teeter Triple Coupons
Harris Teeter is running their triple coupon days from now until May 5th. They will triple any coupon up to $.99. Limit of 20 coupons per day per household.
I've missed the last two triple events...but this time I was ready.
I headed out with the kids this morning.
Brave, I know. But, Harris Teeter is my favorite kid-friendly grocery store. They have the cool rocket ship carts that the kids love to "drive", or, the mini-carts that Ella loves to push herself. I always inwardly cringe when she chooses to push her own cart...my poor ankles always end up with bruises! They also have tons of samples strategically placed throughout the store...deli meat, cheeses, cake, cookies, fruit, etc. You know Ezra is happy as long as there is food! Finally, they have free balloons that I always promise my kids they can have when we leave, pending good behavior of course...even though two balloons in the car with two toddlers is pretty near close to my annoyance limit!
Here's what we got:
Total before coupons = $61.42
Total out of pocket after coupons = $10.98
Here's what I got for free:
- 2 packages of rice
- 1 box Uncle Ben's long grain rice
- 2 cans refried beans
- Daisy Sour Cream
- McCormick Spice: Chili Pepper (for my husbands favorite dinner, Mexican Skillet Chicken!)
- 2 McCormick taco seasoning packets
- 1 McCormick GrillMates seasoning packet
- 1 French's mustard
- 1 Texas Toast Croutons
Here's what I got for under $.50:
- 2 6ct White House applesauce cups
- Breyers Ice Cream
- Dawn dish detergent
- Lysol toilet bowl cleaner
- Special K bars
- Eggo Waffles
Here's what I got for $.75 - $1:
-1 bag tortilla chips
- 1 box Kotex
- 2 boxes fruit snacks
- 1 Bon Ami cleaner
The only thing I paid full price for was a loaf of french bread =)
If you are interested you can click here for coupon match-ups.
I've missed the last two triple events...but this time I was ready.
I headed out with the kids this morning.
Brave, I know. But, Harris Teeter is my favorite kid-friendly grocery store. They have the cool rocket ship carts that the kids love to "drive", or, the mini-carts that Ella loves to push herself. I always inwardly cringe when she chooses to push her own cart...my poor ankles always end up with bruises! They also have tons of samples strategically placed throughout the store...deli meat, cheeses, cake, cookies, fruit, etc. You know Ezra is happy as long as there is food! Finally, they have free balloons that I always promise my kids they can have when we leave, pending good behavior of course...even though two balloons in the car with two toddlers is pretty near close to my annoyance limit!
Here's what we got:
Total before coupons = $61.42
Total out of pocket after coupons = $10.98
Here's what I got for free:
- 2 packages of rice
- 1 box Uncle Ben's long grain rice
- 2 cans refried beans
- Daisy Sour Cream
- McCormick Spice: Chili Pepper (for my husbands favorite dinner, Mexican Skillet Chicken!)
- 2 McCormick taco seasoning packets
- 1 McCormick GrillMates seasoning packet
- 1 French's mustard
- 1 Texas Toast Croutons
Here's what I got for under $.50:
- 2 6ct White House applesauce cups
- Breyers Ice Cream
- Dawn dish detergent
- Lysol toilet bowl cleaner
- Special K bars
- Eggo Waffles
Here's what I got for $.75 - $1:
-1 bag tortilla chips
- 1 box Kotex
- 2 boxes fruit snacks
- 1 Bon Ami cleaner
The only thing I paid full price for was a loaf of french bread =)
If you are interested you can click here for coupon match-ups.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Bowl of Beans
When we were little my mom had a big bucket of dried beans. Every so often she would spread a sheet on the floor, put out bowls and spoons and kitchen utensils, and pull down the bucket of beans for us to play with.
I remember making countless bowls of "soup" with my older sis out of these beans. I remember digging my hands into the bottom of bucket. Then my feet. Then my face. Hey, I was little then! I remember sorting the black ones from the white ones and the red ones from the speckled ones.
Countless hours of fun for a preschooler!
I had made a bucket up for Ella as soon as she passed the ol' "everything goes into the mouth stage". She loved it! I kept it reserved for special occasions when I really needed a new and fun activity for her that would occupy her attention for a little while. However, once Ezra was born I put it away until he passed the "everything goes into the mouth" stage. He is much better about taste testing everything now, so I thought we'd give it a try this morning.
You can tell from the pictures that this was a big hit!
I remember making countless bowls of "soup" with my older sis out of these beans. I remember digging my hands into the bottom of bucket. Then my feet. Then my face. Hey, I was little then! I remember sorting the black ones from the white ones and the red ones from the speckled ones.
Countless hours of fun for a preschooler!
I had made a bucket up for Ella as soon as she passed the ol' "everything goes into the mouth stage". She loved it! I kept it reserved for special occasions when I really needed a new and fun activity for her that would occupy her attention for a little while. However, once Ezra was born I put it away until he passed the "everything goes into the mouth" stage. He is much better about taste testing everything now, so I thought we'd give it a try this morning.
You can tell from the pictures that this was a big hit!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Duke Gardens Date
Taking advantage of my mom's willingness to babysit, Jeremiah and I headed out Saturday for a date.First stop, our favorite Durham Mexican restaurant, El Rodeo. I'm salivating just thinking about it =)
Second stop, waffle cones at Ben & Jerry's.
Third stop, Sarah P. Duke Gardens. While we've been to Duke Gardens before, we've never taken the time to actually walk around and see all that there is.
Over 55 acres of incredible gardens. If you've never been...go.
I now see why so many couples get engaged there...very romantical =)
Back at home, Nana and the kids were having a blast! Ella was expertly manipulating Nana into ice cream and extra books at bedtime.
After all, that's what Nana's are for =)
Little River Park
While my mom was in town we took advantage of the incredible weather with a visit to our favorite local park...bikes in tow!
Ella has been able to steer a bike for a little while now. She has also been able to pedal her bike. However, combining the two skills is a new thing for her...and she is quite proud of her new accomplishment!
We discovered a fairy house on the trail =)
Time for a nap for someone...
Ella has been able to steer a bike for a little while now. She has also been able to pedal her bike. However, combining the two skills is a new thing for her...and she is quite proud of her new accomplishment!
We discovered a fairy house on the trail =)
Time for a nap for someone...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Ain't it great...turning twenty-eight!
I am officially 28 years old now.It was a great birthday!
My mom came in for the weekend...so I felt like I had a whole birthday weekend!
Jeremiah made me one of my favorite desserts...angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream...topped off with ALOT of candles!
Ella seemed to get quite a kick out of singing "happy birthday" to mommy this year =)
p.s. I'll be getting caught up on all the weekends activities on my blog over the next day or two!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
New look
I'll be updating my blog over the next few days...so be patient if it looks weird for a while =)
Watch out Milton and Bradley
My children have come up with a new game they like to play.
It goes a little something like this:
1) Ella lets out a high pitched scream
2) Ezra follows suit with his own version of a high pitched scream
3) They both laugh hysterically
This game is both horrifyingly annoying to listen to and heart wrenchingly endearing to watch them having so much fun together.
It goes a little something like this:
1) Ella lets out a high pitched scream
2) Ezra follows suit with his own version of a high pitched scream
3) They both laugh hysterically
This game is both horrifyingly annoying to listen to and heart wrenchingly endearing to watch them having so much fun together.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Fireplace How To
Several people have asked how we redid the fireplace, so here is the low down:
Supplies needed:
- Masonry primer: Easily found at Lowes for about $20 a can. It took a whole can to cover our fireplace because so much of it soaks into the brick. Make sure you get a masonry primer because it seals the brick for the next coat of paint
-Paint: Any interior paint will work once the brick has been primed. We used a semi-gloss finish.
- Good painters tape: Again, found at Lowes for about $5 a roll.
- 1/2" thick paint rollers: You'll need the thicker napped roller to make the painting easier and to fill in all the crevices of the brick
- Drip cloths/paint brushes/etc.
- Spray Paint: The kind that adheres to metal.
Total cost of everything for us was around $80.
Steps:
1) Prep the fireplace
- Remove brass fireplace grate
- Pull off old mantle
- Clean off brick
- Tape off edges
- Lay drop cloths, etc.
2) Prime the fireplace
- It only took one coat for us
3) Paint the fireplace
- Again, just one coat was all it took
4) Spray paint the old brass fireplace grate
5) Wait for everything to dry =)
6) Put new black grate back on
- We had looked at purchasing a brand new grate, but the cheapest ones we could find (that we liked) were $300. So we just decided that we would go with the old one...made new with a $6 can of spray paint!
7) Put mantle back on
- If you aren't able to remove the mantle like we were, just tape the edges really well.
And there you have it folks, a simple 1 1/2 day project for under $100 that makes a big difference!
By the way, HGTV...if you are reading this...I would LOVE my own show =)
Supplies needed:
- Masonry primer: Easily found at Lowes for about $20 a can. It took a whole can to cover our fireplace because so much of it soaks into the brick. Make sure you get a masonry primer because it seals the brick for the next coat of paint
-Paint: Any interior paint will work once the brick has been primed. We used a semi-gloss finish.
- Good painters tape: Again, found at Lowes for about $5 a roll.
- 1/2" thick paint rollers: You'll need the thicker napped roller to make the painting easier and to fill in all the crevices of the brick
- Drip cloths/paint brushes/etc.
- Spray Paint: The kind that adheres to metal.
Total cost of everything for us was around $80.
Steps:
1) Prep the fireplace
- Remove brass fireplace grate
- Pull off old mantle
- Clean off brick
- Tape off edges
- Lay drop cloths, etc.
2) Prime the fireplace
- It only took one coat for us
3) Paint the fireplace
- Again, just one coat was all it took
4) Spray paint the old brass fireplace grate
5) Wait for everything to dry =)
6) Put new black grate back on
- We had looked at purchasing a brand new grate, but the cheapest ones we could find (that we liked) were $300. So we just decided that we would go with the old one...made new with a $6 can of spray paint!
7) Put mantle back on
- If you aren't able to remove the mantle like we were, just tape the edges really well.
And there you have it folks, a simple 1 1/2 day project for under $100 that makes a big difference!
By the way, HGTV...if you are reading this...I would LOVE my own show =)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Library Story Hour:Take two
I had a written a post several months ago about our library story hour experience.
**You might want to read here to catch up if you don't remember**
Despite the disaster we still go to the library every Tuesday.
We just don't go to story hour.
We either go before or after or while story hour is going on and the library is so nice and quiet.
Well, it has been several months and Ezra is now 19 months old and I thought we would give the boy a second chance at redeeming himself at the local library =)
So, off we headed this morning.
I told Ella on the way there that we were actually going to story hour today and she told me, "Oh no, Ezra is going to be a dinosaur!"
I assured her that if that happened again we would just leave and play in the kids section and pick out our own books like we normally do.
I gave Ezra "the talk" while walking into the library. I'm not sure that any of my words made sense but his eyes sure were big and round and serious as he listened to me =)
...and he did remarkably well.
Actually, maybe well is too strong of a word.
...he did remarkably better!
What a difference a few months can make.
He did have more fun walking around the room and trying to get all the other mommies to smile at him, and trying to steal other "friends" snacks, and climbing onto the chairs and off of the chairs and onto the chairs and off of the chairs...than actually singing the songs and listening to the storyteller.
But, hey...at least we didn't have a wild t-rex roaming the room this time!
**You might want to read here to catch up if you don't remember**
Despite the disaster we still go to the library every Tuesday.
We just don't go to story hour.
We either go before or after or while story hour is going on and the library is so nice and quiet.
Well, it has been several months and Ezra is now 19 months old and I thought we would give the boy a second chance at redeeming himself at the local library =)
So, off we headed this morning.
I told Ella on the way there that we were actually going to story hour today and she told me, "Oh no, Ezra is going to be a dinosaur!"
I assured her that if that happened again we would just leave and play in the kids section and pick out our own books like we normally do.
I gave Ezra "the talk" while walking into the library. I'm not sure that any of my words made sense but his eyes sure were big and round and serious as he listened to me =)
...and he did remarkably well.
Actually, maybe well is too strong of a word.
...he did remarkably better!
What a difference a few months can make.
He did have more fun walking around the room and trying to get all the other mommies to smile at him, and trying to steal other "friends" snacks, and climbing onto the chairs and off of the chairs and onto the chairs and off of the chairs...than actually singing the songs and listening to the storyteller.
But, hey...at least we didn't have a wild t-rex roaming the room this time!
Monday, April 20, 2009
A big fat zero
After 15 weeks of constant lab appointments I finally got the call we've been waiting for this afternoon: my HCG levels are finally at zero!
This means my risk of abnormal cell regrowth is gone and I only have to get blood work drawn once a month now for 6 months and then I am considered officially clear!
This means my risk of abnormal cell regrowth is gone and I only have to get blood work drawn once a month now for 6 months and then I am considered officially clear!
Fill vs. Drain
A few weeks ago Jeremiah came home from staff meeting having done an exercise in identifying what fills you up verses what drains you. He found it helpful to actually think about it and write it out and he encouraged me to take some time to do the same exercise.
So here's what I did:
Made 2 columns on a sheet of paper.
Labeled one fill and the other one drain.
Under these 2 columns I thought about:
- What am I doing?
- Where am I doing it?
- Who am I with?
Here's what I came up with:
My top ten fills:
-Exercise
-Coffee and quiet times
-Being creative:
-Organizing/Rearranging/Cleaning
-Family time
-Reading
-Giving
-Getting away alone
And some of my drains:
- Feeling rushed
- Being unorganized/unprepared
- Entertaining
- Sick kids
- Negative people
- Having to be "on"
- Lazy people
- Traveling with kids
- Being off schedule
- Skipping exercise/eating unhealthy
Why do this?
We all have different activities and tasks that we love to do, things that leave us feeling energized and excited and refreshed. And we all have things we have to do that just drain us, empty us, and use up all our energy. And sometimes, even things that we love to do can still drain us.
I think Christ exemplified how to balance the two.
Of course he was fully God and continually sourced with divine power. But he was also fully human during his earthly ministry and subject to the same stress and drains that we are today. Scripture tells us that he made a habit of "getting away" by himself (Mt. 14:13, Mk. 1:35, Mk 6:46, Lk 6:12, Lk 9:18 just to name a few). I think this was his recharge and fill up time after periods of intense ministry.
If Christ recognized this need to be refreshed, I should look to his example and make sure I am allowing (or scheduling) in times for my own renewal. I am learning that this means I have to get creative or make other sacrifices to get that time...by getting up early, making myself say no to my to do list, or communicating my needs to Jeremiah in a positive way, or just learning to say no in general to things that drain me and hold no eternal value.
I said I was learning, didn't I =)
How about you? What fills you? Drains you?
If you get a few extra minutes I encourage you to make your own list!
So here's what I did:
Made 2 columns on a sheet of paper.
Labeled one fill and the other one drain.
Under these 2 columns I thought about:
- What am I doing?
- Where am I doing it?
- Who am I with?
Here's what I came up with:
My top ten fills:
-Exercise
-Coffee and quiet times
-Being creative:
- Blogging
- Photography
- Painting
- Sewing
- Gardening, etc.
-Organizing/Rearranging/Cleaning
-Family time
-Reading
-Giving
-Getting away alone
And some of my drains:
- Feeling rushed
- Being unorganized/unprepared
- Entertaining
- Sick kids
- Negative people
- Having to be "on"
- Lazy people
- Traveling with kids
- Being off schedule
- Skipping exercise/eating unhealthy
Why do this?
We all have different activities and tasks that we love to do, things that leave us feeling energized and excited and refreshed. And we all have things we have to do that just drain us, empty us, and use up all our energy. And sometimes, even things that we love to do can still drain us.
I think Christ exemplified how to balance the two.
Of course he was fully God and continually sourced with divine power. But he was also fully human during his earthly ministry and subject to the same stress and drains that we are today. Scripture tells us that he made a habit of "getting away" by himself (Mt. 14:13, Mk. 1:35, Mk 6:46, Lk 6:12, Lk 9:18 just to name a few). I think this was his recharge and fill up time after periods of intense ministry.
If Christ recognized this need to be refreshed, I should look to his example and make sure I am allowing (or scheduling) in times for my own renewal. I am learning that this means I have to get creative or make other sacrifices to get that time...by getting up early, making myself say no to my to do list, or communicating my needs to Jeremiah in a positive way, or just learning to say no in general to things that drain me and hold no eternal value.
I said I was learning, didn't I =)
How about you? What fills you? Drains you?
If you get a few extra minutes I encourage you to make your own list!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Weekend Project
I woke up Saturday morning and said to myself, "Self, lets makeover the fireplace today."
It was about this point that I realized that self and I had better inform Jeremiah of his new-found plans for his Saturday =)
Since he had a middle school boys campout to get to and I only had the use of his massive muscles for a few short hours...we got right to work. I went off to Lowes to gather supplies and left him to "prep" the fireplace and entertain the kids.
Side note: I love the way Lowes smells =)
Somewhere between when I left and I got home...Jeremiah decided that it was a great idea to repaint some of the spots in the bathroom that had needed touching up.
Now, I probably wouldn't have encouraged this...seeing as how we were now very committed to the fireplace project...and cramming another project into our very short timetable was a tad bit overwhelming to me.
But hey, when the man gets motivated, just get out of the way and let him go! =)
Without further ado...
The before shot:
The during shot:
Oh yes, the kids were a huge help =)
And finally...the after shot:
It was about this point that I realized that self and I had better inform Jeremiah of his new-found plans for his Saturday =)
Since he had a middle school boys campout to get to and I only had the use of his massive muscles for a few short hours...we got right to work. I went off to Lowes to gather supplies and left him to "prep" the fireplace and entertain the kids.
Side note: I love the way Lowes smells =)
Somewhere between when I left and I got home...Jeremiah decided that it was a great idea to repaint some of the spots in the bathroom that had needed touching up.
Now, I probably wouldn't have encouraged this...seeing as how we were now very committed to the fireplace project...and cramming another project into our very short timetable was a tad bit overwhelming to me.
But hey, when the man gets motivated, just get out of the way and let him go! =)
Without further ado...
The before shot:
The during shot:
Oh yes, the kids were a huge help =)
And finally...the after shot:
Saturday, April 18, 2009
An everyday conversation
Me: Ok, Ella it's time for your nap. Go pick out one book for us to read together.
Ella: I'm going to pick out four books!
Me: How about two.
Ella: Reluctantly picks out two books.
Ella: I'm going to pick out four books!
Me: How about two.
Ella: Reluctantly picks out two books.
Missing Warning Label
Ella has a set of craft popsicle sticks that are missing a very important warning label:
WARNING: Do not put in mouth or sticks will stain your teeth blue!
WARNING: Do not put in mouth or sticks will stain your teeth blue!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Meet and Greet
We have reached our one year anniversary of living here at the farm.
While we have gotten to know a few of our neighbors...we realized that there are still so many we had never met.
So last Saturday we prepared Easter goodie bags and set off to meet and greet the neighborhood. We got to meet several new faces...and the kids had a blast!
Ezra was so tuckered out by the last house that he couldn't even keep his head up on the walk home...
While we have gotten to know a few of our neighbors...we realized that there are still so many we had never met.
So last Saturday we prepared Easter goodie bags and set off to meet and greet the neighborhood. We got to meet several new faces...and the kids had a blast!
Ezra was so tuckered out by the last house that he couldn't even keep his head up on the walk home...
Leave it to Beavers
The kids and I went for a walk around the pond yesterday and we discovered that we have some very busy little beavers hard at work!They have felled several trees and are making progress on at least a dozen others.
I'm not quite sure why this is so exciting to me...but I walked down to the pond tonight and there they were just swimming around and flapping their tails! They were seemingly unafraid of me and much bigger than I expected. I always wondered how they were strong enough to move big trees around...but they really are quite large.
I did some research (yes, I know I am a retard!) and thought I'd share some interesting beaver facts for your Thursday night enjoyment:
- Average lifespan is 25 years
- They can weigh up to 60lbs
- They can swim at speeds of up to 5 mph
- They can remain underwater for up to 15 minutes and have a set of transparent eyelids that act much like goggles.
I'll be sure to let you know about it =)
Now, what was I saying?
I started 3 new blog posts yesterday.
Started is the key word.
I got about half-way through them and just lost my train of thought.
Poof. Gone!
I turn twenty-eight next week and I think it is starting to catch up with me =)
Started is the key word.
I got about half-way through them and just lost my train of thought.
Poof. Gone!
I turn twenty-eight next week and I think it is starting to catch up with me =)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The hardest hour
It always seems like the hardest hour of the day for me is the hour before Jeremiah gets home from work.
Naps are over.
The kids are hungry.
Dinner has to be made or at least finished up.
and...I'm ready for some help and adult conversation.
I do my best to be creative with the kids, take them outside if it's nice weather, make as much of the dinner preparations earlier in the day, etc. to make this hour easier...
but, honestly...no matter how prepared I am...it is still the hardest hour of the day for me as a mom.
What about you?
When is your hardest hour and what have you found that helps you during this time?
Naps are over.
The kids are hungry.
Dinner has to be made or at least finished up.
and...I'm ready for some help and adult conversation.
I do my best to be creative with the kids, take them outside if it's nice weather, make as much of the dinner preparations earlier in the day, etc. to make this hour easier...
but, honestly...no matter how prepared I am...it is still the hardest hour of the day for me as a mom.
What about you?
When is your hardest hour and what have you found that helps you during this time?
Breakfast in the buff
Ezra escaped during his morning diaper change and headed straight for his breakfast...There is no stopping him when food is on his mind =)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easter Family Photos
We had a wonderful Easter Sunday celebrating our Risen Lord!
Of course, we had to grab the obligatory Easter outfit photos. They were hard to get this year. Ella wouldn't smile for anything and Ezra wouldn't hold still =)
Hope you had a wonderful day!
Happy Monday...
Of course, we had to grab the obligatory Easter outfit photos. They were hard to get this year. Ella wouldn't smile for anything and Ezra wouldn't hold still =)
Hope you had a wonderful day!
Happy Monday...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
A reminder for all the fellow couponers...
Don't get a paper tomorrow, Easter Sunday, as there won't be any coupon inserts in it.
I hate when I forget those holiday weeks!
I hate when I forget those holiday weeks!
Holy Week: Eggs
We had fun making a mess...I mean dying our eggs last night...
If you can't tell from the pictures, Ella was bouncing off the walls...we're still not sure what got into her =) Ezra could not figure out why we wouldn't let him eat them. We finally gave up and just peeled one for him to have.
I learned some new things about the meaning behind the Easter tradition of dyeing eggs here this week.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Holy Week: Passover Meal
After doing some research on an authentic passover meal, called a Seder, we decided to designate tonight as our passover night.
Now, an authentic Seder includes the following foods:
Red Wine
Matzah or unleavened bread
Roasted lamb bone
Bitter Herbs: Horseradish
Green Vegetable: Parsley
Apples and nuts
Eggs, hard boiled
Salt water
However, due to budget constraints and the fact that I wouldn't even know where to begin to cook a lamb bone...much less explain to my children why I am serving them horseradish and parsley...We opted to make a few substitutions =)
Our passover meal included:
Grape juice
Roasted chicken cooked in "bitter herbs" aka italian seasoning =)
Crackers - I've had matza before...blahh!
Broccoli and green beans- as our green vegetables
Applesauce
Eggs
Before dinner we read to the kids a portion of John 13, the night before Jesus went to the cross. A major act of that "last supper" was Jesus washing his disciples feet. A very humbling act, that only slaves did at the time. Yet, Jesus did it and demonstrated his servants heart through it.
To drive home this concept to Ella and Ezra we washed each others feet tonight. They loved it. Actually, Ezra had his done two times =) I'm pretty sure they didn't understand the significance and concept behind it...but they will someday.
Now, an authentic Seder includes the following foods:
Red Wine
Matzah or unleavened bread
Roasted lamb bone
Bitter Herbs: Horseradish
Green Vegetable: Parsley
Apples and nuts
Eggs, hard boiled
Salt water
However, due to budget constraints and the fact that I wouldn't even know where to begin to cook a lamb bone...much less explain to my children why I am serving them horseradish and parsley...We opted to make a few substitutions =)
Our passover meal included:
Grape juice
Roasted chicken cooked in "bitter herbs" aka italian seasoning =)
Crackers - I've had matza before...blahh!
Broccoli and green beans- as our green vegetables
Applesauce
Eggs
Before dinner we read to the kids a portion of John 13, the night before Jesus went to the cross. A major act of that "last supper" was Jesus washing his disciples feet. A very humbling act, that only slaves did at the time. Yet, Jesus did it and demonstrated his servants heart through it.
To drive home this concept to Ella and Ezra we washed each others feet tonight. They loved it. Actually, Ezra had his done two times =) I'm pretty sure they didn't understand the significance and concept behind it...but they will someday.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Holy Week: Clean House Clean Hearts
In preparation for the passover, Jewish families typically set aside a day for cleaning.
No surprise here, but I actually like to clean, so this one was right up my ally =)
I also love the symbolism involved in cleaning...not just physically cleaning out a closet or a room...but spiritually cleaning and examining what is in my heart as we approach this Easter Sunday.
I've gone through so many Easters as a Christian (16 of them to be exact) that it is easy to just go through the motions and not really think about the magnitude of what I'm celebrating...
My prayer this whole week is that the story of what Christ did on the cross would be made new and fresh to me.
Back to the cleaning...
We got the kids involved with their own sets of spray bottles and rags. Ezra is a dangerous sweeping machine =) We talked about the importance of not just having a clean house, but having clean hands and a pure heart before the Lord.
No surprise here, but I actually like to clean, so this one was right up my ally =)
I also love the symbolism involved in cleaning...not just physically cleaning out a closet or a room...but spiritually cleaning and examining what is in my heart as we approach this Easter Sunday.
I've gone through so many Easters as a Christian (16 of them to be exact) that it is easy to just go through the motions and not really think about the magnitude of what I'm celebrating...
My prayer this whole week is that the story of what Christ did on the cross would be made new and fresh to me.
Back to the cleaning...
We got the kids involved with their own sets of spray bottles and rags. Ezra is a dangerous sweeping machine =) We talked about the importance of not just having a clean house, but having clean hands and a pure heart before the Lord.
