And Away We Go

We're on holiday this week exploring a bit of eastern Europe. I'll be offline for the week and will catch up when we return!

And I Quote

S: Mom, look at my blueberry!

The Measure of a Good Day

is how filthy and exhausted one is, right?

This will also serve as a disclaimer to the great responsibility I take in censoring the photos that I put on our blog. There are many, many more of these photos than I care to let on!

Happy Easter

From our family to yours!

Here are the highlights of our day. It started with the discovery of evidence from a certain Easter bunny visit:

followed by the hunt of all hunts:

and then a survey of the goods:

followed by dressing up in our Easter finest:

and then off to church:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

1 Peter 1:3

Thank You Aunt Cynthia

You are thoughtful beyond words!

Day Tripping

We spent Good Friday quite appropriately in Canterbury visiting the Cathedral among other sites, and enjoying the long history of this most sacred place.

To stand in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral on this day, this day, was especially poignant. To be amidst other Christian pilgrims that have been praying in this place for over 1,400 years was a moment that was profound and unforgettable.

As I reflect on the events of this day, I cannot rid my mind and heart of those that watched the suffering and horrific torture of Jesus. Surely they felt abandoned and frightened. Surely they were confused and fearful. It is truly amazing to consider how the cross can serve as a symbol of torture and death yet also as an image of life and hope to millions. I think this is because the story thankfully does not end on Friday. Yes, these events only lead up to one moment, one moment that is more powerful and dramatic than anything we have seen!






Meanwhile, outside the cathedral . . .

We stumbled upon a charming market and enjoyed strolling along, just taking it all in and enjoying our moment in time here in this place.

We finished our day trip at a playground which was a highlight for our little stooges!

Truly a great day!

They are Ski Bunnies, Too

I snapped this photo right before G left on his school trip. Makes me laugh out loud!

Seems all the ski paraphernalia was greatly discounted being the end of the season and all. So, we did what any parent would do in the midst of a recession . . . we outfitted the entire family for a ski trip that has yet to be planned!

In all honesty, we could not pass up the deals we found and bought gear big so that the boys could wear all of this for years and years.

My Little Easter Bunnies

A few weekends ago, we had our first family scheduling conflict as G had a basketball game and we also had tickets for the Kensington Chelsea Womens Club Easter party. We have made a conscious effort to stay together as much as possible on the weekends to savor our time together as a family. It's also much easier to get out with all the boys when there are 4 hands instead of 2! Nevertheless, we decided to divide and conquer and I took the little ones to the party while the big ones made their way to the game.


Truth be told, I was a bit tentative about taking the 2 little ones out on my own in an open area with a crowd no less, where I would be forced to let them out of their buggy in which I prefer to keep safely buckled and close to me. But this is no way to enjoy an Easter party, right? As I parked the buggy and let them out of their locks, I mean belts, this is what I saw:


And it was that exact moment that my heart just melted over these 2 precious little boys!

Yep, we managed to stay together and no one was out of my eyesight for more than a couple of minutes or so. Only kidding! Really it was easier than I had anticipated as S seems to be turning a corner and is understanding and obeying directions that are given. B is still a wild card though, so I had to keep him at an arms length.

Seems the boys get just a bit easier with each passing day. This time with them both so young has been a wonderful challenge for me, and I do know that I am going to miss this time terribly when it is gone. I've held onto the quote, "These days feel like years and the years will feel like days" and I am finding it very, very true.

Bring the Rain

My heart is heavy right now. Very, very heavy. With each recent phone call or email that I have received, be it from a friend or from our family, the challenges and burdens and difficult seasons as I like to call them, that others are going through are seemingly overwhelming and they are weighing quite heavily on my mind and in my heart.

We have dear friends dealing with some pretty scary seizure-like episodes with their infant daughter. My sister has been put on bed rest as she is trying to keep her blood pressure down at a safe level to continue her pregnancy. My father has been ill and unable to shake a nasty bug for months now, and we have another friend that is coming upon the anniversary of the death of her brother. The list does not end here unfortunately.

These are tough seasons to walk through. I cannot imagine having to give my child CPR during a seizure. And the fear of something happening to an unborn baby is something I have experienced and those feelings and emotions are indescribable. And I dare not even think about losing someone I love. Yes, these seasons are dark and my heart is physically aching for those I love that are walking down these paths.

But I do know this to be true, it takes a dark, difficult season to see the light.

I sadly know this first hand and the memory of that arduous season in my life is still real and painful at times . But I did make it through that interminable season. I did. And that is the only reason that I can wholeheartedly say that it takes a journey such as that to truly see and believe the absolute sovereignty of our Lord.

That's not to say I don't wish there were another way around it because I do. Oh, how I do! But I just don't think life works that way. I think you have to feel the pain to know the joy. I think you have to experience the disappointment to know the gratification. I think you have to walk through the rain to see the rainbow. I think you have to fall to be carried.

With these burdens on my heart, I keep turning to this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m17af0XmPFo

Yes, Lord, bring me anything that brings You Glory, even bring the rain!

G in Grechen

More photos from Grechen:

Can't wait to get my hands on him tomorrow when he arrives back home!