My yard is green

Thank you Jay of Green Leaf Gardens. I didn't know it was coming, but we came home today with our yard a beautiful shade of green. We figured that this was his doing. There were a couple of other yards near our house that were also sprayed so we knew they had been out in the neighborhood.

What a nice guy. His birthday is Thursday so we really need to do something nice. He is also Matthew's youth minister at church. It has been great getting to know them. He reminds me in a strange way of my dad. Weird, I know. His dad really reminds me of my dad. Bobby Ray.

Matt is rockin' away on our keyboard. He put the headphones on so all I hear are the keys going up and down. He and I are both determined to get better at playing the piano. He is a little ahead of me, but I am so much better than I was. He got a new book of piano exercises to help us get stronger at playing. The boys are getting to play on the classroom keyboards at school. This is so great.

Tomorrow and Thursday I get to wear jeans to school. (It is not hard to make a teacher happy). This is great because I just got out our summer clothes and they are all over on one side of my room on my vanity because I haven't had time to put them away. I was trying to sort them and give some to the Salvation Army in Oxford, but I only got so far. There they still sit. Tomorrow. My point was that I would have had a tough time finding my other, more professional, clothes. Jeans are always great.

We had a little excitement yesterday. Sunday night when Matthew and I were coming home from SNAP (Sunday Night Activity and Prayer), we saw a little bunny rabbit run across our street. We both, at the same time, went "Awwwwwwwww!" Yesterday when I was driving into the driveway, the kids were frowning and said that there was a dead bunny down the street. I thought to myself, but didn't tell the kids, "I bet that was the bunny we saw. Hmmmm......" I had to make them stay away from it. Claire built a tomb for it and wanted to bury it right by our mailbox. She and her friend, Annie, gathered lots of rocks and glued them together. They even decorated it. She knew better than to have asked if we could get a shovel and bring it to our home to bury. My stomach couldn't have taken that. Maybe she is destined to be a Florence Nightingale. I thought it was very sweet. We did want to give the bunny dignity, though. At one point I heard talk of our little neighborhood tough guy running over it and other gross things. I wasn't sure what was worse; leaving it for our ruthless neighbor or bringing it home. Anyway, it is over now. One episode down, one million to go. :)

I have to cast E-i-E-i Oops! (the 2nd and 3rd grade musical) before we get out of school Thursday. That musical will be April 17th. It is not quite as tough as the other ones. If you ask me, it is a little cheesy, but, hey.....you have to have a spring musical. This one is about a farm where everything is great, but the cow on the farm won't moo. Anyway, the songs are cute and the kids like it. There you go.

We have been in our house one year now. Everyday I just thank God that we are able to live in it. He gives us so much more than we deserve.
I am getting big ideas (much to Matt's dismay). Jacob's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and I would love for us to build a fire pit in our backyard to have boys over to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over it.
At first I saw a pretty simple plan for a fire pit, but then I saw one that was
on DIY. It was built with stones and actual cement. Heavy duty. Oh yeah!

Easter is this weekend. So strange. I can't believe that it is so early this year. I thought it was pretty much right around Passover, but it is no where close this time. Passover begins April 20th. This kind of irks me, but I won't get on my soap box now. OK, well just a little bit. Jesus celebrated Passover. Christianity is about Him. I just feel like celebrating Passover more than Easter sometimes, because of what our society has seemed to make Easter. It is just another Sunday, because I live in His resurrection everyday. It is very moving to take time to remember, but it is just so confusing sometimes making sure He is given the praise and worship He totally deserves. I hate making Him share this remembrance with a bunny and candy. For years I have tried to find a way to make our candy celebration match up with new life in Christ. That eggs symbolize new life like the life we can have in Jesus. I think I will call Sunday Resurrection Day and totally separate Easter from it. I know we will call it Easter, but for me that part will just be fun for the kids and candy, etc. I don't want to cheapen it.
I have loved using Resurrection Eggs and watching the "Easter Carol" from the Veggie Tales. I love watching the "Miracle Maker". I think we owe it to our kids to not water down what He did for us. There is so much to "Easter" without bunnies. How cool is it that the God of the universe allowed His amazing Son suffer and die so we can have new life in Him. That something that happened so long ago would affect our lives today. That we can walk with Him and know His love, mercy and grace. Wow!
I guess I am not going to get warped out about Easter and totally boycott it. I just will keep it in perspective. Can't wait for Passover in April. OK, off of the soapbox.

These are pretty great, though.

I don't think Jesus has anything to be afraid of with a few chocolate eggs. Hey, He created milk and gave man the idea to make these eggs. They must be good.
Matthew personally likes robin eggs. Matt likes Reese's eggs. Claire, Benjamin and Jacob like anything they can get their hands on. SUGAR. SUGAR. SUGAR.
Matthew just said that he bets dentists love Easter. Hmmmm........
Maybe, .............or maybe not.
Sorry, I am ready for another holiday even though we are just getting from a week off. (Spring break) :/