Passover Seder

Thanks to the Hansons, we were able celebrate the start of Passover with a "kiddo-friendly" Passover Seder. Tim & Jennifer did a terrific job explaining the meaning and rituals of Passover while also keeping the kids engaged and entertained. We are hoping to make this an annual tradition and are excited to share with our children that Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the ultimate and final sacrifice. Speaking of lamb, I was sure thankful that they didn't actually have a lamb to slaughter. The stuffed animal and red paint served well for "pretends".

Precious Moments

My heart melted the other day. It was during the Little Miss' gymnastics class where I, along with the other parents, sat banned to the viewing area. The kiddos were on the other side of a glass wall, enjoying their gym activities. About half way through the class the Little Miss came through the door, headed straight towards me and planted a big smooch on my cheek as she gave me a hug. She said "I love you!" and then bolted back through the door for her class. Oh, my heart sang!

A few minutes later I heard an older lady talking to the owner of the gym. She said that she'd seen "that little girl go out of the class just to kiss and hug her mommy" and it almost brought her to tears. She recalled the days when her own children thought so highly of her and wishes she could bring back those innocent years.

It was such a reminder for me to enjoy this time in our girl's young life, when she thinks that her mommy and daddy walk on water and can do no wrong. Childhood innocence is fleeting and the day will soon come where we will disappoint her (Regardless of how hard we try, we're only human!). When that day comes, my prayer is that our Little Miss will understand that Jesus alone can walk on water and He truly is able meet all of her needs. In the meantime, I'm sure enjoying these very precious moments!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Most years this day goes by and Yours Truly barely pays it attention (more often than not, I even forget to wear green). This year has been different. I love getting to celebrate holidays with our Little Miss, establishing our own family traditions and experiencing them through the eyes of a child.

Since I couldn't convince the Little Miss to try green eggs and ham, we started off our morning with green tinted yogurt (never mind the fact that it was actually "Greek" yogurt and in no way Irish). We ate green broccoli and cheese quesadillas for lunch (I know, only my daughter would eat that!). For dinner we're going to try Joani's Apple & Brown Sugar Corned Beef and this Irish Soda Bread, ending the evening with green frosted peppermint brownie bites. Since we're not beer drinkers and don't tend to celebrate the way the Irish do on this day, maybe we'll be adventurous and try tinting our milk green. Opa! (Oh wait, that's also Greek).

Friends are Forever

Tell you what, I simply adore these girls. Of course I'm biased about our own Little Miss but her sweet friend "Brookie" is also a doll. I would happily turn our guestroom into another girl's bedroom if only we could keep her!

As two of the girliest girls I know, the Little Miss and Brooke hit it right off. Both love their baby dolls and dress up clothes. They make each other giggle constantly. We can only hope and pray they stay good friends forever. We are blessed to have Brooke's mom (who is just as sweet and kind as her daughter!) watch the Little Miss one day a week while Yours Truly is at work. As you can see, these two sure enjoy their weekly playdate!

To top it off, they both have terrific taste in schools....Go Beavs! (Thanks to Mrs. Erin for taking the pics!)

P.S. Happy Birthday Mel! I can't remember the exact date but think it's today? I know it's this week for sure though so you can't hide! We love you dear friend!

Dear Mr. Wagner

To my dearest Mr. Wagner,

This message is just a (subtle) reminder that today is officially the start of my BIRTHDAY MONTH. We have 31 glorious days to celebrate together. I'm sure looking forward to:

• A plethora of breakfasts in bed
• Nightly back and foot massages
• All the household chores to be done without my hands-a-lifting
• An abundance of cash for lattes on the go, eating out and shopping at my every whim
• A personal chef and trainer
• A new wardrobe

Ahhhh...the list could go on and on but for now, I'll let it be and will continue to think creatively!

Love,

Your Loving, Kind, Sweet, Generous (and Humble) Wife

P.S. Yes, I'm delirious...but NO, it cannot be attributed to my advancing age!

Choo-Choo...A Day At The Zoo!

The Little Miss and I headed north to the city for an overnight girl's outing with our dear friends Amy and Abby. We took advantage of the sunshine and enjoyed a trip to the zoo. Our girls would agree that their favorite highlight of the day was not in the form of an animal but was rather, quite mechanical...the train of course! Thanks for another fabulous girl's outing, Amy and Abby! We're already looking forward to our next adventure...

Happy Valentine's Day!

...from our family to you and yours!