Weekend Highlights.

Here we are....another Monday morning. Oh, oops, it is already afternoon. Is anybody else a little frightened with how quickly these early spring days are flying by? It seems as if March just started and here we are at April 16........whew. We had a fairly relaxing weekends, with some of the highlights being:

Matt and Kennedy had the school Daddy-Daughter Dance on Friday. So sweet. The theme was a western barn-dance, so Kennedy was so excited to get dolled up in her pink horsie shirt, pink skirt, and pink cowboy boots. And Daddy came completely prepared (OK, with a little of Mommy's help) with his little girl's very first corsage. It's only right that a little girl's first corsage should be from her Daddy, isn't it? My heart was warm as I watched my love and my little girl interact in such a precious way. I feel very strongly that a Daddy should "date" his little girl to show her how Godly men should treat girls, and to show her that her Daddy not only loves her but also CHERISHES her and in interested in helping her maintain her integrity and purity. And I see this as a first in a long line of dates that they will have before that day when Kennedy has a date with a --GULP -- boy. Remind me to add "Kennedy's first date" to my prayer list....her future husband has already been on my prayer list since the day she was born.

On Saturday, I did some long-awaited scrapping....I didn't get many pages finished, but totally enjoyed and got lost in the process--what many in my field would call "creative flow." I am totally loving the new products that are starting to show up on the store shelves after CHA, especially the Heidi Swapp acrylic paints........they allow you to use so much more texture and sheen than the Making Memories scrapbook paint.....as Heidi Swapp might say, "very yummy" indeed.

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.........and these awesome new ledger-type stamps from Autumn leaves...... I have really been into the office-look lately and got some new office-type stamps from Stampin- Up last week too. I also love the new Phoebe papers from Basic Grey. Personally, I was a bit disappointed with the new KI acrylic stamps; they were a bit too small for my tastes. I am afraid they might get lost on a scrapbook page. However, I am eager to see what the new "love*elsie" line will be like. It is always fun to try to stay on the edge of what the embellishment producers are going to launch next.

Sunday brought church and an awesome kids' lesson about the significance of the tomb and the cross. We designed the activities so that the kids actually got to sit inside a "tomb" and learn about things like how Jesus' followers cared for his body after He died, and how carefully the Pharisees sealed and guarded the tomb. Each child took home a strip of cloth to remind then that while Jesus was in the tomb for a short time, He left the cloth behind and rose to life. When talking about the cross, each child finger-painted their name in red, to signify that Jesus didn't just die for "the world"generally--He died for each of them--and us--personally and individually, and He knows our name. So powerful, and these kids really seemed to "get it" through these experiences. Designing activities that really bring the Bible and Jesus' love alive to kids through direct experiences, now that is a rewarding way to spend time! After church, we enjoyed an omelette brunch before a rest. Then, we took a walk and spent some time on the playground in the early evening.....lots of fresh air made for a good night's sleep.

For all you parents out there, have you ever had those stretches of time when one (or all!) of your children just seems to be going through "one of those phases" that just seems to test you to no end. Well, my son seems to be going through one of those phases. Defiance, yes. Testing limits, yes. Whining and rebelling and crying.....yes, yes, yes. Moments of frustration and near-tears for us, YES. So, today, I am trying to take a moment and gain perspective. He is three and one-half. He is learning about what it means to become increasingly independent. He desperately wants to be able to do things on his own, desperately wants to shine his own little spirit to the world. And sometimes, it seems that in his little eyes, we cramp his style, thwart his best-laid plans, and rain on his little parade. We are trying to weather this phase with patience, consistency, and insistence that he obey and respect and listen, while also giving him room to exert himself and grow his independence and express his spirit. A difficult balance to strike in parenting sometimes. This is where prayer really comes in. I shot this photo of him just a few minutes ago......we had quite a busy and trying morning, and after lunch and some more time riding his bike outside, he came in and fell asleep on the floor. This photo reminds me that in the midst of these trials, he is a precious, precious child. A child of God. A child who I adore and love and cherish. A child whose smile and personality could warm the coldest heart. A child who has more determination than all the rest of us combined. A child whose energy, love for people and enthusiasm for life inspire me daily. A child who is a true miracle, whether he is going through a trying "three-and-a-half" stage or not. I love you with all of me, my Sweet Boy. We'll get through this together.