Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Wordless Wednesday -- Lego's go Lent


Mario's creation....






Max's creation....
 




Tuesday, February 26, 2013

2 snow falls in one week



Kids are surely happy around our area.  Two measurable snowfalls in one week!!  Today was the biggest of all - probably at least five inches so far and it's still coming.  And, the best part about it is that the temps are in the 30's and it makes for great outdoor playtime.  The kids were out on Friday and over the weekend for a couple hours at a time, and the same today.  I practically have to drag them in!  Makes for great sleepers at night, that's for sure.  Here are some pictures of scooping snow, rosey red cheeks, snow angel making, sledding, and more....

SNOW FALL #1...

Pookey scooping and scooping and scooping....
....and scooping and scooping and scooping!


Mario scooping

Happy Max

sweet Melody

our spunky Ariel


Max making snow-belly angels

Pookey

Max making snow angels

Mario making snow angels

Fone covered in snow

Mario covered in snow

WIPEOUT - Melody

Fone after sledding down
Fone ready to work his way back up the HILL
Pookey and Melody

Ariel and Max

Mario

Fone


SNOW FALL #2...
Daddy ready to launch Ariel

Wheeeeee!!

Up again up again

one of our sweet neighbor boys

another sweet neighbor boy

Ariel CRASHING!!

Melody and Mario

a nicely snow-blowed driveway


burying Daddy

burying Daddy




Thank you,God, for all the SNOW fun the last few days!!! 

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Rose and Papa

This video is SO precious!  The kids and I were out visiting my parents a few weeks ago on the night of Superbowl, while all the guys were watching the game at my sister's house.  Our sweet little Rose was just starting to coo and my dad really had her going this night.  This is definitely one of those precious memories that I (and she!) will treasure forever.  Love you, Rose!  Love you, Dad!!! 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

A practical Valentine's Day

A simple, practical, yet meaningful Valentine's Day this year.....


His gift to her....


Her gift to him...  
(well, not really for him, but for 50 other men....  since he had to serve at a food shelter in the evening and it was his turn to bring treats)


And, a visit to share our love with someone special who loves us so much and needs love in return....



Lenten Crown of Thorns devotional

We have made a crown of thorns as a Lenten devotional for several years now.  My sister-in-law was the first to share this lovely idea with us, and it was a such a meaningful one that it stuck!  We LOVE our crown of thorns.  It sits as a centerpiece on our dining room table, and throughout our day, we pull out thorns as we make sacrifices and perform acts of kindness.  This serves as that visual reminder that our small acts of love take away some of the pain Jesus felt on the cross and can bring Him JOY. 

This devotional means so much to us, that we branched out and shared with it with many others this year...  My sister and her 3 boys came over on Ash Wednesday and we made one for each of our families.  We had so much fun together!!  Then yesterday, the first Saturday of Lent, I was able to share this devotion with my parish family at a Lenten workshop. 

Here's how to make the crown of thorns and some fun, detailed pictures to go along with it....

First step:  
Mix the dough with a wooden spoon and knead it (aka - play with it!!!) 
The recipe we use is:  4 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, 1-1/2 cups of warm water







Second step:  
Divide the dough into three balls, and again, knead/play with it. 


Third step
Roll out into 3 ropes, braid them, and bring together the 2 ends to form the crown.  Then transfer to a cookie sheet.  You can actually place the 3 ropes on the cookie sheet before you braid them to make for a smoother transition.  (NOTE:  This is the hardest part, so be patient with yourself.  I am terrible at putting the 2 ends together and it always looks kinda messy.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  Remember what our Melody said...)



Fourth step:  
Break toothpicks in half, dip broken end of toothpick into oil (this makes it easier to pull out of the crown later on), and place into the crown.  As we do this step, we always talk about the ways we hurt Jesus, because the thorns actually represent our sins. 



 







Like I said, I always have a hard time putting together the 2 ends....  I had a jumbled mess this year, and actually tore out some of the dough and ended up with an extra ball.  As you can see, our sweet Melody did not let it go to waste!



Fifth step: 
Bake at 350 degrees for a little over an hour and a half.  You want it nice and firm.  Once cooled, display as a centerpiece on your table, and include a bowl for the toothpicks to be placed in. 



++  May God bless you during this Lenten season and help you unite your acts of sacrifice to His suffering on the cross!  ++

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