Easter 2011

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

"How Deep the Father's Love for Us" - Phillips, Craig and Dean

Kite Flying...

Saturday was breezy here in GA, to say the very least! We had a busy morning, packed with a birthday party, shoe shopping, and errand running! Lily and Bear were troopers, and their treat for being such good helpers was new kites to enjoy out side in the wind! We spent over a hour trying to get our kites to fly, with some success, and is was such a joy to watch their excitement over these Dollar Store prizes!

Easter Eggs

Last night after dinner, we decided to dye our Easter eggs for this year! Lily is getting so independent with a lot of the projects and crafts we try. After having me help her with the first one, she wanted to do the rest of hers without my helping hands!

She was also really worried that Bear was going to "mess them up" - as if you could really mess up home-dyed eggs!

Pink, of course, was Lily's color of choice!

Towards the end of the dozen, Lily decided it was much easier to just get her hands dirty and not worry with the wire holder.

Concentrating hard on his masterpiece!

Finished project

After finishing our eggs, we took a few minutes to talk about the Easter story - and while we have fun with traditions like egg hunts and the Easter Bunny, there is a much more important reason that we celebrate. I love seeing the two of them grasp and understand more and more of God's love for us and the gift of salvation we have through Jesus!

Spring Break

Our Spring Break has been a whirlwind of fun. On Friday afternoon after school and work, we packed up the car and drove to South Carolina to visit with Mimi and Granddaddy! We were greeted with dinner and lot of fun surprises for Lily and Bear.

Saturday morning, while Mimi and I went on a birthday shopping trip for my upcoming 30th birthday, Granddaddy stuck around the house to play with Lily and Bear. During the few hours we were gone, they visited 3 different parks, had lunch at "Old McDonald's" and got in lots of practice with their new t-ball set!

Saturday evening, we stopped by to visit Papa and Nana and then had a yummy birthday dinner at Carabbas.

Funny story while we were at dinner - Bear ordered chocolate milk, while the rest of us were having tea. I guess the milk is stored at the bar and the waiter brought our teas first. Bear looked at him with the most serious, stern look and said "What about my chocolate milk?" He caught our poor waiter completely off guard and each time he visited our table for the rest of the meal, he made sure to ask Bear directly if he needed anything. I guess he doesn't get a lot of outspoken 3 year old customers.

Sunday, we had lunch with Grandma and Granddaddy Goings and then I headed home and left Lily and Bear to spend a few more days with Mimi and Granddaddy. The rest of their visit was packed with fun - a cousin sleepover with Kelsi, a marathon visit to the Children's Musuem and more park visits and picnics. I was so glad to get them back on Wednesday night, but know that they enjoyed a few days of grandparent spoiling!

To wrap up our Spring Break week, I took Thursday and Friday off from work. On Thursday, we took a trip down to Zoo Atlanta with friends. It was a beautiful day to be outside, and I think the rest of Atlanta had the same idea! Despite the crowds, we had a great time checking out all of the animal exhibits and enjoying a picnic lunch on the front lawn of the zoo. Our favorites of the day were the petting zoo, kangaroos, and giraffes.

Bear in the petting zoo - last year, he was terrified to even be in the petting area. this year, he walked right up to several goats and sheep and even tried to kiss a goat! We've come a long way in a year's time!

Lily and her petting zoo friend

3 monkies

After our day at the zoo, we took the afternoon to rest for a few hours. Since Daddy had late meetings, we took advantage of the great weather and no bedtimes to have another picnic, this time at Dellinger Park.

After eating her dinner, Lily made sure that her baby, Lucy, was fed too.

After finishing their dinner, Lily and Bear had so

me fun sliding and playing chase!

Today was a little more low-key - While Daddy was a the Master's, we ran errands, had an afternoon playdate with Katie Anne, and took dinner to a family from our Sunday School class who just welcomed their first son. We've loved every minute of our Spring Break week - it will certainly be tough to get back onto a normal school and work routine next week!

It's no Augusta National...

but it was still great fun!

In honor of Josh's first trip to watch the Master's today, I thought I'd post pictures from a recent trip to the driving range at the CCC. We spent a Sunday afternoon attempting to teach the kids the basics of swinging a golf club!

Lily has a great beginner's stance!

Lily was much more interested in learning than Bear. I see a lot of father-daughter golf outings in our future!