You know when you realize you are having a perfect day, time seems to stand still for the briefest moment, and you try to etch the image into your mind, so you won't forget it? Last Saturday, was that kind of day. I wanted to take the kids to the snow at least once this year to see it and touch it. Dan took it one step further and enrolled them in private lessons at the Burton sponsored, children's snowboard park at Bear Mountain. He was so excited; I couldn't help but worry for him. Chances that this would go well were slim. They would probably cry, whine, and complain the entire time, but I was hopeful...
Well, the day exceeded my wildest dreams. The girls were amazing! They had a blast, never complained, and were kind to each other the entire time. Their teacher was a doll. I about died when he said, "Let's strap in, and practice our 180s." They got braver and braver as the day went on. They told him they wanted to go up on the chairlift. I couldn't believe it. They had to go one at a time, so while one girl rode up with Adam, the other got to have a snowball fight with Daddy. Perfect!
Baby Hendricks was not too fond of the snow, however. It was too cold to the touch, and too bright to look at. His eyes were closed in every picture because the glare was just too much for him. After awhile, he fell asleep in the Ergo carrier and all was well. I was so in love with my little family. I always am, but it can be easy to forget amid the laundry, fighting, dishes, spilled paint, baths, screaming, and every day tediousness. Days like Saturday, recharge the soul, and I am so grateful for them.
With Easter two weeks away, I wanted to remind the girls what Easter is all about. Easter celebrates the miracle of Jesus coming back to life after being crucified on the cross. It is not a celebration of springtime, and although the Easter bunny does leave our children Easter baskets, I want them to know the Easter bunny is just a fun addition to this most sacred time. Can you even imagine allowing your child to die for the sake of someone else? I thank God every day that he was able to do something for me that I could never do for myself. What love, what grace!
So tomorrow we will open our first Resurrection egg, and continue, one day at a time until Easter. Each day holds a small symbol in its egg (bread, thorns, nails, a sponge), and a corresponding Bible verse in the pocket on the bottom of the egg carton. The final egg will be empty because Jesus wasn't there in the tomb! The miracle above all miracles. We will slow down and remember what Jesus has done for us.
(You can find all the instructions for the Resurrection eggs on my holiday board on Pinterest.)
Dan has this tradition of taking the girls to Build-A-Bear on their birthdays. He started with Lilly when she turned one, and has done it for each of their birthdays ever since. He decided he didn't want to do this with his son, so he took Hendricks to the mall to buy his first baseball hat. It's a fitted Dodger hat, complete with his initials. I wouldn't expect anything less!
As promised, here are some photos of the birthday boy, his friends, and family. It was such a wonderful day: perfect weather, lots of laughter, and fun was had by all. Happy birthday, sweet boy. We love you loads and loads!
He did it! My sweet, baby boy turned one. Saturday, we had a globe trotting, travel themed birthday party for the little guy. It was so much fun to plan for. The invitations were paper airplanes sent out in vintage air mail envelopes, and much of the decor was made out of old maps. You can find some of the printables I used on my Pinterest boards. My mom made the beautiful cake, and my mother-in-law picked up some globes at the Goodwill. Today, I want to share what the party looked like and Wednesday, I will post pics with people in them, I promise.
