HAPPY EASTER

I was trying to be the good Mom this morning and make sure Michael had an understanding of Easter. Turns out, I learned something! This was our conversation (me in blue, MJ in green)
So, Michael why do we celebrate Easter?
So we have Easter candy!
Well, yes, we get candy. But, what does it have to do with Jesus?
Ummmmmm
Well, when Jesus died-
Jesus died for our SKINS
Oh baby, (giggle) yes, he died, for our SINS
Oh, for our sins
and when they went to find him-
he was GONE! He went to be with God in his home that was waiting for him!

For a three year old, that was good enough for me! As my Nana would say, God love him!
HAPPY EASTER everyone. May we remember the best part of Easter as my son put it, we have a HOME waiting for us!

Let the Fun Times BEGIN!

First, let me say sorry to anyone that feels like we have been distant lately. We have spent MANY of our free moments lately getting our house ready to sell. (I am actually procrastinating on a task by doing this blog!) However, tomorrow we sign the official papers that makes it FOR SALE! We are very overwhelmed with this task. It is incomprehensible to us how we are ever going to have the house "show ready" before we walk out the door for work EVERY day. We are generally neat people, but neat and "show ready" are two separate things. This means that we are getting up 10 minutes earlier (now 5:25AM) to tidy up in the mornings---woo hoo! Whenever our house sells we will need a place to rent, another daunting task. Then we will begin to build. So in the midst of all this, we are looking for the right piece of land. There is one 6 minutes past where we live now that is BEAUTIFUL, but it is 6 minutes further out . . . something I am not excited about. We need prayer. Prayer for the house to sell, prayer we can find a place to rent, prayer we find the right piece of land, and prayer that amidst all of this we don't kill each other! If you know anyone looking for a great house---give us a call!

I Hope It's Not to Be

As many of you know, Bryan is visiting his friend Scott in Ohio this weekend (Thursday afternoon-Monday afternoon). I just want everyone to know that I am NOT cut out to be a single mom. So please know that if the day ever came---and oh how I pray that it NEVER will---the boys and I are moving in with one of you!

Thank you to everyone who fed and entertained me this weekend! I truly appreciate the help and humor.

Truly, Madly, Deeply

So this is a bit mushy . . . As many of you know my 8th grade English teacher, OM coach, and much later (4 years ago) colleague passed away Saturday night. She was much too young to be leaving us, but she is finally healthy now after a battle with cancer. It's in these times that we often reflect on what we have and how short life is here on Earth. I feel so blessed to have two wonderful sons that I cannot imagine my life without. But, in this moment I want to thank God for my husband. It is hard for me to express how truly, madly, deeply I am in love with him. He is such a blessing to the boys and I. It's so nice to be almost six years into my marriage and still get butterflies thinking about coming home to him. I love you Bryan!

On a Mission

Once again I will be on a mission to lose weight. Last year I joined the Memorial Mission Hospital's Fit4Life with three other women at my school on a team. One of our teammates has lost almost 100 pounds!!! We are SO proud of her. She amazes me. A single mom of two wonderful girls, a Christian, and a devoted teacher. This year my team is two women, a man, and myself. However, we have 4 teams total at school. I think things could get competitive (at least I hope so!). I have joined a gym and am going with the woman I carpool with most everyday. Bryan and I are also doing Weight Watchers again (it really works!). I am pretty close to the weight I was when I stopped WW last year, I just have to get back to it to lose more. It's not about the pounds for me, it's the size. I am like Colleen from Biggest Loser---I want to be able to go in a store and buy whatever I think looks cute, not have to worry if it comes in my size, or if it should! Anyone else on this endeavor?

God is SO good

We hope that Santa was good to your family---we were SPOILED. I truly felt so gluttonous when we got home that Bryan and I packed up a 30 gal trash bag full of toys to take to Goodwill, and I am STILL overwhelmed. Do not get me wrong, we are truly grateful of all of the things that people did for our boys and us. We are SO blessed. Thank you PA family for the wonderful celebration of Christmas.

Today we met with a builder to get a price estimate on a house we are wanting to build. Here are our upcoming challenges: finishing touches on our house, sell our house, find somewhere to live while our house is being built, build a house. All of that will require much prayer and patience. If you know someone wanting to buy a house . . . send them our way! We are truly busting at the seams of this living space with two boys.

Hope you enjoyed the pics from Christmas! More to come from our Christmas here . . .

I'm a WEIRDO

Unfortunately I will be unable to follow all of the rules because I do not know 7 people with blogs, but I will do all of the people that I know and here are my oddities:

1. I have a fear of popping balloons.

2. It really annoys me when my eyebrows, or other peoples' are brushed the wrong way. Although, that also goes for my arm hairs as well. This is probably the weirdest. Like, I can't watch someone brush their eyebrows the wrong way without "fixing" my own eyebrows, even if they are okay.

3. I do not care for nuts in most desserts, like brownies or fudge. But, chocolate/peanut butter in combination is okay.

4. I am INCREDIBLY ticklish.

5. My hands are super squishy, like bendable almost.

6. I can't touch frosted glass, the thought of it makes my skin crawl.

7. I can't watch the movie, The Other Sister, without sobbing. Not tearing up, not tears running down my face, SOBBING to the point that the dollar theater security guard came and asked if Jennifer and I were okay, except that happens EVERY TIME!