He Is Risen!

We had a lovely, simple day celebrating our risen KING. We went to worship and then to a friend's for brunch. A beautiful day in every way.

Pretty girl all dressed up for Easter.

Digging into their surprise at the end of their scavenger hunt.

Good Friday

We were able to spend the whole day together as a family since Andy had the day off. It was wonderful. The weather was beautiful so were were able to hike a new trail on the Blue Ridge.

Excited for a new adventure.

Each year as the children get older we are able to dig deeper into Jesus' death and resurrection story. We are always amazed at what these children soak up as we watch their understanding deepen. We shared a feast together on Thursday night, and then on Friday, as we went through the day, Andy would share what would have been happening to Jesus at that time. For the first time with the kids, we limited our food intake to just the basics, no special treats or fun snacks for the day. We thought it might end up being a disaster, especially going on a long hike, but it shockingly seemed to have made an impact on the boys. It was a great experience to finally have as a family.

Hiking Dripping Rock

As these treasures grow and their love for the truth deepens, we are daily reminded that we cannot lead these children to the streams of living water, if we ourselves do not know the way. We cannot teach something to our children that we first do not know intimately ourselves.

My first encounter with a Columbine flower. Gorgeous!

Leading by example has never been so challenging. Whether we are trying to teach them to love deeply, to submit to authority, to think selflessly; whatever it is, we need to first have experienced some level of success in that area ourselves to bring wisdom to the situation and to gain their trust and respect.

It is such an honor to be a key factor is these children's futures.

Belle is becoming quite the hiker.

After our hike, we came home to prepare our resurrection garden.

Searching for those perfect sticks and stone.

Joseph was the name of the man in the Bible that buried Jesus.
He was a very bold man of faith. None of the 11 disciples were bold enough
to ask for his body. So, it was fitting that we had our Joseph bury him.

Sadness entered the room as the stone was rolled over the tomb.
Praise the LORD we know the end of the story!

Waiting patiently for Sunday to come.

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

A Day in the Life of Super Belle

Gearing up for the day!

Even superheros need to pause and eat.

Snuggling before bed and getting some tips from the pro.

Fast asleep. It's tough being a superhero!

Grandpa and Grandpa Bug*

My grandparents are so gracious. They know how difficult it is for us to head up to New York to visit all our family. So, when they head South for the winters and North for the summers, they most often reroute their trips to come see us for a visit. This was a particually special visit, because we got to spend more time that usual with them and the weather was gorgeous. So thankful for our times together!

Those are some pretty happy faces!

*When Joseph was little he used to call them "Grandpa and Grandpa Bug" because their last name is Bubb. They still say it as a joke and think it's hilarious. Poor grandma!

Backyard Reading Time

After I put Annabelle down for her nap, I read to the boys out of a chapter book before putting them down for their quiet times. Most years by this time the mosquitos are already in full force in our backyard, but not this year. The weather has been just perfect, so we've been out in the back as much as possible knowing our time is quickly coming to and end. Here the boys have set up our reading blankets and are off playing waiting for me to come down. I am trying to breathe deep and take all of this in. I'm going to blink and their childhood's will be gone. These are some of the moments I never want to forget.