The outdoors are coming alive and I'm loving it!!!! The grass is so green and literally growing at a rapid speed. The edging is almost complete (there's a flower bed out back that is going to get redone when the landscapers arrive … hopefully this week!!!), I've got some flowers planted, some garden seeds in the ground and the lawn mowed twice and weed-ed once. It's the very beginning of the outside work. There are still weeds to pull out before the mulch arrives this week!!!
Tulips are a favorite spring flower and I bought a few bunches from Produce Junction on Friday! I love, love this place but don't get shop there nearly as much as I like because it's kinda a hike to get there! I wish we had a Produce Junction in Lancaster!!!!
Saturday was a busy day here at our house! I got to go to a yard sale early that morning and I'm ready to find some treasures! Then my two nephews came over the day while John and Mim went to a wedding. At 10:30, Lena texts and said to join them at the local park for a quick egg hunt. Oh, I knew the boys would all love this and so we very quickly grabbed our baskets and off to the races we went! We got there just in time for the kids to hop out of the Yukon and go hunting for eggs. Ashlyn was a little late because her age group was done further and didn't get to collect any eggs but Adrian was so nice to share from his abundant finds!!! Thanks dude!
All the things that we do with these boys is fun!!! Thanks for inviting us guys!
Colson and Warren joined us of course and they had fun! Austin was thrilled to do this hunt!
Can't you just tell by his cheesy smile!!! :))) Love these kids!
From the egg hunt we went straight over to Lapp's Structure where Mike was having an open house for the business. Today they had free face painting, soft pretzels, ice cream and other treats for all their customers (and for family and employees)!!! The kids loved this too!!! It was a gorgeous, warmer day and perfect to do events like these!!!!
Everyone wanted the tiger face except for Colson. He decided to watch.
The kids grabbed some pretzels for their lunch and we headed back home to let them play outside and enjoy the warm weather on the swing set and riding the jeep! I mowed the lawn while Matthew went to mow the car wash lawn for the first time this season! Austin and Colson have a blast together! They played and played and played but the last hour they were here I was reciting this quote through my head, "Today's Goal: keep the kids alive!" Ashlyn strung up some ropes over the swing set and called it her zip line and obstacle course. She loves things like this and Colson climbed up the later and was eager to try it. I just got to the door to warn him not to fall when he gave a leap and fell on his foot. He cried and I knew this could be bad. He did stand up and walk inside but he was crying. The boys took baths and while I was washing their dirty little arms and legs I heard Warren start crying. He fell down the basement steps! Oh dear me!!! I asked Mike to help finish up the boys while I held Warren close. He didn't cry long and seemed fine but when John and Mim showed up, I told them my quote! :)
The boys were only going to stay for a few hours while John's were at the wedding but meanwhile a terrible sudden death happened to one of their friends friends. John and Mim are friends with a family that had to suddenly say goodbye to a husband, father and friend.
Life is full of tradigies and losses and hurts and pains. I hate this about life and I'm the type of person that always would choose love, joy and peace if it were an option. I know these are gifts from the Spirit but the Bible says that we did to pick up our cross and follow Him! Life is a hard journey and some days are harder than others. I have a widow friend that was diagnosed with Leukemia last summer. She's been through a lot already with losing her husband 15 years ago to a sudden work related accident. She is raising her three daughters to honor God! Marians been such a testimony of God's love and peace! And she needs our prayers right now too! She had a stem cell transplant the beginning of the year after some strong doses of chemo. Her body is so low with barely an immune system to fight off the germs this world has. She made it through the treatments and transplant but lost all her hair and is has nausea and all the ailments that goes along with fighting that dreadful cancer sickness. Her girls and family have been a rock for her but Marian still gives praise to her Maker!!! I try to send her some quotes now and then to maybe give her a smile or something else to ponder on! Please join me in praying for Marian as she fights and waits for her new cells to graft and for God to heal her body!!!!!
Maybe you are going through something hard and tough right now! Here are some quotes to lighten your journey!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Yesterday was Palm Sunday and this means that years and years ago, Jesus rode through Jerusalem on a small donkey with people waving palm branches and singing the Hosanna song!!! It must have been so grand!!!
Here's are some thoughts I was thinking.
Palm Sunday: If I were there ...
As I was working at my house and was busy preparing for the festival, I noticed a great crowd coming down the road. Who were these people and what was this parade all about? I stepped outside to get a better look and as I watched I couldn’t help but run out to the crowd and ask, “what’s going on? Why are all these people shouting and singing?” I was told that this was Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. He was on his way to Jerusalem. They also told me of how Jesus had raised up Lazarus from the grave after he was already dead for four days! Really? And this same man is now coming to our town!?! Wow! Could it really be true I thought to myself? I grabbed my cloak from the door post and ran out to see for myself. As I got closer, I saw this man, the one people are calling a prophet, riding on a young donkey. The crowd was singing and waving palm branches! I stood and listened. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel!” A king? I quickly took my cloak off of my shoulders and laid it on the dirty road in front of me as I watched Jesus ride right past me. The whole city of Jerusalem was being stirred up. Many people, because they heard that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, went out to meet him. I was trying to fathom this miracle story and found myself also grabbing some palm branches and shouting to the world, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the king of Israel!”
Yesterday was Palm Sunday!!!! This means that hundreds of years ago when our Lord was still living on this earth, He rode on a small donkeys back through Jerusalem. The crowds cheered and sang, "Hosanna to the Son of David, Hosanna, Hosanna!!!" It must have been such a triumphant moment for Jesus and his followers!!!!
……………….
I love Christian holidays and Palm Sunday is a day that I always want to honor and worship Jesus! We enjoyed a church service with songs about Jesus' death and crucifixion. I got to teach the younger children while the adults had feet washing. We came home from church and then watched some YouTube videos with Ashlyn and Austin to give them a visual of how it may have been when Jesus rode through Jerusalem. They were amazed!
With having such a celebration on that day, there were others that were plotting to kill Jesus! They hated how the "whole world" was following Him and being influenced by His teachings and His miracles. They felt like they were losing control of the people and they hated Jesus for this!
This week was a hard road for Jesus long ago. He spent time with His disciples, enjoyed the Last Supper with them and then went through so many trials and finally was crucified on the cross. When the leaders of that day thought that they were finally rid of this Jesus, He AROSE FROM THE DEAD!!!! This is called Easter!!!!
Have a happy week!
