Spring weather has arrived!!!

Spring weather has finally arrived and we are so enjoying it!!!  Yesterday, the kids came home from school and went straight outside!!!  Matthew pushed the trampoline over against Ashlyn's little playhouse and they were carefully climbing on the side of the roof and then jumping onto the trampoline.  I was gonna put a stop to the high jumps but then I didn't.  I was so glad to have them playing outside and I knew Matthew was being careful and helping Ashlyn!

And while they jumped, we had the sprinkler going in the garden.  I planted my greens and seeds the other day and it's important to keep them watered!

As they jumped, Austin was riding his "hunting jeep".  He loves this Christmas gift and rides all around the property.  This time without a jacket and in flip flops.  The kids kinda go nuts with their attire when the weather is warmer.  Ashlyn came flying in through the back door and said she's gonna put on shorts.  Matthew was bare feet.  I grabbed Austins shoes and demanded he keep them on while playing outside.  I know the weather seems warmer but the ground is still cool and I'm not interested in any more sickness this Spring!!!  When they all came back inside at dusk, I almost forgot to give Ashlyn her spelling word practice sheet and go over Bible Memory.  We still have a few more weeks of school left and we will be ready for summer vacation, but until then ... we press on!

I was working so hard here at home yesterday and just knew that by the end of the day, my muscles were gonna be sore!!!  :/  I started with taking the kids to school and then I needed to drop Hadassah off at the high school because she didn't have any other ride this morning.  Austin and I came home and I got a text from Lena asking for some children's meds.  Adrian wasn't feeling the best and I sure hope he's not getting what Austin had all last week!!!  I took some Motrin out and we brought Hunter along home with us.  Austin loves to play with Hunter and I figured it would be a great playmate while I clean the house.  Bethany couldn't come help me clean today, so I had it all to do by myself.  I got right to cleaning as the boys played. 

I was always glad that the one instrument Hadassah played was the piano and I pitied the moms of drummers.  Well, Austin is intrigued so much by drums and is always looking for Josh at church, since he's the drummer.  The other week, Josh gave Austin a set of drum sticks and this was SO cool to Austin!!!  Hunter and Austin really had it going for a little bit!

After giving the boys lunch and finishing up cleaning my floors, I headed outside.  I knew that Hadassah might not be able to find a ride home from school today and that means I need to pick up the kids at main campus.  I tucked my phone in my pocket and decided to get to some outside work until she calls me.  I started with the edging!  Austin was napping and I ended up doing all of it!!!  Oh boy, my muscles are going to be screaming at me tonight!!!  She did text and say she needs a ride, so I dropped my work and we went to pick up the children at school.  We stopped at Latte Love for some refreshing drinks and then came home to jump on the mower.  But it didn't start!!!  Hadassah was wanting to mow for me but now we need to wait till Mike comes home from work and get it started for us.  Meanwhile, I raked and pulled weeds in the flower beds.  I can't believe it but the outside work is being worked on and it won't be long before we will be ready for mulch and flowers!!!!  Mom Lapp said the other day that she might plant some petunias by the end of the week and honestly I said, "Oh wow!  I'm not near ready for that yet!!!"  But, here I am with the edging done and the weeds mostly pulled and after taking Hadassah to her volleyball practice, Mike had the mower started and ready to go.  Austin and I jumped on the mower and off we went!!!  The grass was clumpy and not real high just yet but it looks nice with fresh mower marks and it all even!!!  Now, the mowing season officially began.

I just felt all day long like I was going, going, going.  This warmer weather is exactly what we were waiting for and we are now taking advantage of it!!! 

And now today is going to be another warmer day!!!  In the 80's!!!  Our weather pattern has been unusual and even though I love 80 degree days, I hope we didn't skip out on the 70 degree days!!!  I'm sure they will come and more consistent as the days go past.  This is one thing that I don't like about Spring that the days are not consistent.  It's usually lots of rain showers and one day warm and the next day cold.  But it's so good for the garden seeds and plants!!!

Here's a flashback of some of our week ...

Yes, that is snow falling while Matthew practises for his ballgame.  Matthew's first game was scheduled for Monday night.  Mike had meetings to attend, so I was the one to wrap up the children and take Matthew to his game.  He was excited but I was trying to come up with a good idea for the other kids.  Ashlyn's been begging to watch Dolphin Tales, so we borrowed the movie from my sister and popped a big bag of popcorn.  We grabbed some blankets and off to the ballpark we went.  Matthew jumped out and joined his team.  It was snowing and snowing and so cold outside.  Matthew was still lagging from not feeling well most of last week and I didn't like that he was getting wet and cold but he was so into his game.  Meanwhile, Ashlyn, Austin and I put the movie in the DVD player in the Yukon, wrapped ourselves in blankets and watched the movie in the ballpark parking lot.  Austin was still not 100% either from being sick last week (it was a long week of fevers, coughs and not feeling well.)  So, staying inside (or at least not out in the snow) was the best choice!!!  It was fun!  But soon Matthew came and hopped in the Yukon totally not impressed.  The game was canceled because not enough of the boys showed up.

 

 

 And since Austin was not feeling the greatest, he's been taking a lot of baths.  I added Epsom Salt and oils and let him soak!  He asked for his tractors and then Lego's.  This is one fun way to soak in the minerals and oils!!!

The weekend is upon us and I'm not complaining about that!!!  I'm so ready to go to some fun yard sales, go watch Hadassah play in her volleyball tournament, be outside and love on my family!!!  April is a busy month for us and the next upcoming weeks is filled to the brim with church events!  Mike is in charge of the building project at church and this is requiring lots of meetings, lots of work days in Honey Brook and lots of organizing breaks and foods for our working men!!!  Honey Brook Community Church has been working hard and praying for a new building for years and now that the church is finally getting built, we are all excited!!!  Mike is also on the school board and that to has been filling up his time with meetings.  Linville Hill Christian School is growing fast and there are some important decisions being made that will affect our school for years to come.  Mike loves both of these boards and they are tugging at him at all sides these days. 

We love Spring time and especially the warmer days!!!  I'm off to go finish the laundry and then work outside again!!!  I love sunny days!!!

Weekend memories.

We love weekends here at our house.  It's a time when we spend time together!  It's often when we watch a movie together.  It's when we read books on the couch or make extra treats in the kitchen.  Weekends always include church.  We gather and sing praises to Jesus and fellowship with other believers.  It's very refreshing!!!  Well, this weekend consisted some of these things.

 

On Friday, I finally got the seeds planted in the garden!!!  I was looking forward to going to the greenhouse and buying vegetable plants and getting them in the ground!  My raised beds are now almost full!  I need to wait just a bit longer to buy my tomato plants and more tender vegetables.  Frost will hopefully be over one of these weeks and then I will plant those other more tender plants!!!  Ashlyn is patiently waiting to plant her seeds too.  She requested getting some flowers for her little garden.

 

Austin is still not feeling the best.  He's been sick since Wednesday but Friday, I finally thought that he's getting well!!!  He still didn't look that great out of his eyes but he was up and playing and seemed to be on the mends.  Mike and I got to take John and Suz down to Ruth's Chris Steak House that night.  John searched and found Mike a nice truck months ago and even though we paid for the truck, Mike wanted to thank John with treating them to a night out!  Mike really likes his truck and the night out was fun!!!

 

Saturday, was a lazy day for us.  I loved it that way!!!  We were still lazy and relaxed after we woke up.  The children slept in and after breakfast, we got to some chores but even then the day was just low key.  Mike was out of the house early because they had customer appreciation day at the shop and I considered taking the kids over there to get a free soft pretzel but sometimes that is distraction for Mike.  The little man always begs for a tow motor ride, which he did get on Friday when we stopped in after buying our garden seeds, so I decided to just stay home on Saturday.  The kids rode their toys outside and Matthew got out the bag of softballs and started his routine of swinging bats.  Baseball season is starting up and he's excited! 

 

Ashlyn wanted to make Popsicles.  I'm not sure why because the weather is still chilly and cold outside but we looked up a recipe on Pinterest and mixed, poured the juice in the molds and froze it.  Here's the turn out.  We put watermelon chunks, frozen strawberries, lime juice and some lime zest in the blender and started it up.  It whipped together all the fruits and then we poured it into a Popsicle mold.  Then in the freezer it went for four hours.  The kids were happy with the finished treats!!!

 

I was happy to offer these to Austin because ever since he was sick, he is still not eating much.  And now he started with a cough.  He sounds terrible.  He doesn't have fever anymore but is now finishing off this sickness with a nasty cough.  :(

 Matthew doing what he loves best!!!  Baseball!!!

 

Saturday night, Hadassah went to Jess's house to hangout and sleep overnight.  These two girls do most things together and they just absolutely love to be together.  Becoming such good friends reminds me of my teenage years.  Every chance I could be with Rosa was a plus!!!  We had so much fun and I love seeing Hadassah share the same memories!!! 

Matt and Lena came over and we played numerous games of Rummy O.  This game we play often with them.  It's fun but only four people can play so that's why its a fun game to play with another couple.  The little kids played with toys and had fun too!!!  Thanks for coming over guys!!!

Sunday morning, I woke up Ashlyn and plans were for only her and I to go to church.  Austin was still coughing a lot and Mike decided to stay home with him.  Matthew decided to stay home too until we were up eating breakfast, Matthew decided to go with us after all.  He loves his church buddies and enjoys seeing them at church!!!  I was asked to teach Ashlyn's Sunday school class and she was again thrilled that I would be her teacher.  Before, the three of us headed out the door, Mike made a comment that if Austin perks up, they might come after Sunday School.  And that's what happened!  I was happy to see them walk in and join us for the sermon!!!

When we came home, we grabbed some lunch and then Mike took Matthew to a birthday party.  I relaxed on the couch and took a nap.  Our small group was having a "Passover Meal" and I was asked to bring potatoes.  I mixed up a big pan of red potatoes, topped them with Ranch dressing, cheese and bacon bites and stuck them in the oven.  The relaxing afternoon was great!!!  Mike went out for a run and I know that one of these days, I will make myself get on my running shoes too!  Getting more exercise is a spring time must!!!

We enjoyed the Passover Meal with our small group.  Austin was still coughing and not feeling the greatest but it was interesting to eat some Jewish foods, including lamb!  We talked about some foods they would have eaten back in Jesus' day.  Foods like dipping lettuce into salt water to remind them of the tears that were shed while in bondage in Egypt.  And eating horseradish and remembering the bitterness of sin.  I really enjoyed the meal and it was neat to share this with the children and explain some of the things Jesus would have done as a child!

Then on the way home, we made another stop.  Mom Lapp had a birthday last week and her siblings all gathered at her house as a birthday party for her!  We stopped in to say hello and join the party!!!  What a fun group of Aunts and Uncles!!!  They make life so much fun!!!

We tucked the little ones into bed and they were all ready to lay their heads on their pillows and get the blankets tucked in around them.  We prayed over the children and asked God to touch Austin and heal his cough!!!  Then Mike was off to pick up Hadassah.  :)))  I just know that one day we will look back and say "those were the good old day's!!!"  The days when we would run all over the county taking our kids here and there.  From birthday parties to picking them up at youth group late at night!!!  Some days I wonder how we get it all accomplished but most days we love every minute of it!  Mike has become the one that usually goes to pick up Hadassah late nights.  One reason is because he is the one that enjoys later nights.  I'm usually ready for bed way before he is.  Another reason is because he sees it as a time of chit chat for him and her.  Hadassah and Mike have shared a lot of good time already by just these rides back home!!!  The other week, they did something that they used to do when she was a little girl.  Way back, Mike would sometimes wake up Hadassah at night (like at 11:00 PM) and say, "Let's go to Sheetz and eat cheese fries!!!"  When Hadassah was only five years old, this was big stuff!!!  She loved it every time they went out!!!  It's something so small and fun but it will be a forever childhood memory for Hadassah.  Well, they did this the other week after he picked her up late.  They laughed together and ate fries.  I've learned a lot from Mike when he does some tasks like this.  He makes the best out of these 11 PM pick ups and it is such a blessing to see them have fun together!

Now, we are the start of a new week.  The kids are back in school.  Mike's in the office and reviewing new orders they received over the weekend.  The laundry is getting done.  The forecast is saying some snow flurries tonight yet but by Friday it is to in the upper 70's!!!  If this really does happen, it will be working outside for us and starting those Spring projects!!! 


Have a great week and enjoy the beginning of warmer weather!!!

Waiting for Spring.

So far our Spring weather has felt more like winter weather!!!  It's been cold, snowy, rainy and not that enticing to start any work outside.  Except that last Thursday, I was going as fast as I could all day long.  I began with the normal and cleaned the house.  Bethany still comes every Thursday and this has been SUCH a blessing!!!  We clean the house together and even though I get distracted now and then by Austin, she can keep cleaning!!!  It's so awesome to have her help me and have the house cleaned by noon!!!  The sun came out in the afternoon and the kids only had a half day of school because of teachers in service.  I got them to help me with some outside clean up.  Matthew washed off the Yukon.  The garages and driveway got blown out real good.  There were so many little pebbles and winter dirt in the garage.  It happens when the vehicles are snow covered and then pulled inside, all the dirt and grim melts to the floor.  The porches got cleaned off.  When Ashlyn and I planted some pansies the other week, we had some dirt fall from the pots but we were out of mixed gas that the blower wouldn't start.  So, the porches needed a good blowing off too!!!  Hadassah and Matthew raked out the flower beds.  Things were looking spruced up and better!!!  But, since last Thursday, we had more snow and more winter tempts.  Matthew's first baseball practice had to be canceled because of rain showers but he is hoping to be in his ball suit and new spikes here soon!!!

I begged Mike to get on the tractor last night and dump some more top soil on the raised beds out back because one of these days, yes, one of these days, Spring will warm up and the garden seeds will get planted!!!  I wanted the gardens to get topped with more dirt because they have settled over the past two years.  Mike was not thrilled about the idea and he's so much like his dad when it comes to gardening!  :)))  He wants to wait to work outside until it's warm and "balmy".  I reminded him that when it's warm and nice outside, that's when we should be cutting lettuce to eat, not just getting it planted!  :)  He grinned and off he went to do the chore.

Austin and Matthew were both sick and on the couches all day on Wednesday.  Matthew did go to school yesterday and is feeling better but Austin is still trying to get well!!!  It's been two rough days around here with Austin not well.  So much Motrin, water bottles refilled, feet being treated, Epsom salt baths with oils and most of all he just wanted me to sit right beside him the whole time.  So, when Mike said that he would use the tractor to get me some dirt for the gardens, Austin was all in!!!  This perked him up right on the spot!!!  He enjoyed the rides and has been feeling much better ever since!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!

Pit stop!  :)))  Ashlyn was out riding around too!!!

 

The weather forecast for today is saying sunshine this afternoon.  I am really wanting to go buy my garden seeds and maybe get them planted later today.?.

And with this being now April, here come the rain showers.

 These little riding toys have been so entertaining!!!  Austin loves his hunting jeep and uses it every single day!!!  This day, him and Ashlyn were cruising around the house with umbrellas and rain boots!

 I am noticing the tree buds!  The knock out roses need trimmed back because they have new life starting to bud.  The grass is getting clumpy and I'm so out there mowing when the weather clears up and gets warmer!!!  I know, I'm starting to sound like a recording about the weather.  But, I'm not complaining.  I still have some spring cleaning going on and my scrap booking is being worked on!!!  These chilly days are keeping me inside but at least I'm slowly working on some indoor projects!!!

And speaking of indoor projects, Mike is still working in the basement.  When we remodeled our home two years ago, we added some new basement!  He is working on getting it finishing it off and then we can enjoy a nicer basement and hopefully some better organized rooms!  It does need some new furniture and fixings but that will come in time.  For now, it's still nailing boards on the ceiling, sanding down boards for some walls, then adding some tin on the bottom half and then dry walling the other walls.  It still looks like a total mess down there but Mike's been faithful at working on it every night we are at home!!!  Thanks Babe!!!  It's gonna look so nice after you have it all finished and completed!!!

This is Friday and that means another weekend in front of us!!!  I'm excited to have some quality time with Mike and the kids!!!  Have a great weekend!!!

Easter with the Lapps!!!

We finished off our Easter Weekend with the Lapp Family! 

 

Monday morning, we woke up to snow on the ground!!!  About 4 inches of it.  We were still at the cabin but after breakfast we packed up and headed home because we had one more Easter gathering we were looking forward to!!!

 

 

It's another "first holiday" without Dad Lapp being with us in person but he sure was in our minds, hearts, thoughts and conversations!!!  Mom still took the courage to invite the whole family over for a dinner and Easter Basket hunt.  Even though this was a hard day for mom without dad being with her and helping her prepare for the family to come over, she didn't give in or give up!  She had our cooked food hot and ready to eat when we arrived at 5!  She decorated the table in greens and yellows and had a Easter bag/basket filled with goodies for the kiddoes!!! 

 

When we sat down at the dinner table, Mom took time to thank and say a few words to us children before praying for the meal.  She also showed us a newspaper clipping that was found of Dad Lapp playing a guitar that he made in school.  Dad was only 13 years old and the picture was so interesting to look at and compare with who looks like who!!!  She also had a few other pictures.  Memories of Dad are still fresh, sometimes raw, but always good to reflect about!!!  We could have all sat there pinching ourselves and reminding ourselves that Dad really isn't here on earth anymore.  It's just still hard at times to let that sink in even after it being months now since he was buried.  Some days it just seems like he should show up and we would have everything complete again.  We try to stay positive and I always remind myself of my blessings and to love those that are still with us even more!!!

 

After dinner, the Easter baskets were hid outside and the children went running to find their very own gift!!!  Austin found his my the sand box.  Ashlyn found hers by Mom's garden.  Matthew and Hadassah have officially graduated from the egg hunts.  :)))

 

They couldn't wait to look in their bags and see what was inside!!! 

 

Mom put a flashlight in each basket!  And stickers, a Beiler's Easter donut, candy, stickers, etc..  The kids LOVED it all!!!

Ashlyn went running to find her bag and was thrilled to also look inside and see what was for her!

Cousins make this gathering so much fun!!!  They gathered up on the driveway and dumped out their goodies and smiled and squealed as they looked at their peeps and jelly beans and stickers and flashlights.  :)

The boys were so impressed with their lights!!!

 

We grabbed all the cousins that were around and took a few quick photo's.  Keep these children in your care Jesus!!!  May they never depart from You and thank you for these blessings!!!

When it got dark, we all went back inside and the men played a game of Acquire.  Mike was in his glory showing the guys how to play this game.  Ervin ended up winning but they really had a great time together!!!  The ladies sat together and chatted. 

Easter is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!!!  I never, ever want to go through these spiritual holidays without putting the most enfaces on the true meaning of all the gatherings and special gifts.

Thank you Jesus for rising out of that grave so that one day we can reunite with Dad in heaven!!!  You died so that we can live forever!!!  Thank you!!!