Oops!

I made a mistake. I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted until just now. Sorry about that.

Easter this year was fantastic! I absolutely love Resurrection Day!!

We spent our whole weekend together. That just doesn't seem to happen much anymore, the older kids want to hang out with friends and go to the many youth activities the youth group has going on. It seems like very seldom do we get good family time! This weekend it happened though. Saturday we stayed home and I finally got my snowmen put away. I never have them out this late, I always put them up no later than the weekend after the first day of spring. But not this year! We got some deep cleaning done that was much needed, then spent the afternoon in O'Fallon.

A friend of Jeffery's goes to the Element church and invited us to their Easter egg hunt. They were expecting about 1,000 people, and had over 10,000 show up! It was a nut house, but we had a good time. We finished the clothes shopping for Easter, and then headed to Warrenton to FCFC for their Easter egg hunt. (A friend had invited Tori, so we all piled up and went.) It was kinda funny to me, the one in Warrenton had less people and more eggs! Sometimes I forget Tori is growing up. We were at FCFC, and I couldn't find her. I knew she had gone up to where her age group was supposed to be hunting eggs. I knew she went because I watched her. I looked for about fifteen minutes for her, getting more and more scared as time went on. Then I saw her!! And I realized she is looking more and more grown up every day. I wasn't expecting her to look like one of the big kids, yet she did! She was one of the tallest kids in the area she was standing in...

Sunday, Easter Day, was awesome! We got up early so we could go to breakfast at the church. After enjoying a wonderful breakfast, we headed to choir practice, then Sunday School. I love, love, love our Sunday School class. We had a great time of fellowship and learning in class, then headed to the auditorium. We had some friends who met us for the morning service, the Balints. Our church had three baptisms Sunday morning! What an amazing way to spend Easter Sunday. My husband enjoyed fried chicken for Easter dinner. We usually have ham, but I wasn't in the mood for it, so I asked if he wanted friend chicken. I don't think I have ever heard him say no!I got a new recipe for parmesan fried chicken, and it was soo good! I do believe we may have started a new tradition! I hope so! While I fried chicken, the kids opened their Easter baskets. This was the first time in several years we had individual baskets for the kids. The younger ones both got those made up baskets from the store and they were thrilled with it! The older three (did you see that Christopher, you are now one of the older ones!) got I-tunes cards in baskets Daddy and I made up for them. They had a good time! We included three foam swords in the mix, and the kids have had a blast playing sword fights with them. I'm waiting for something or someone to get hurt or broken, but thankfully none yet! After eating lunch, Jeff and I went and took naps!! I never get a nap on Sunday morning, so when we actually did get one, I was more than a little thrilled!

Sunday evening, we went back to church, and then spent a fun time at Jack in the Box with our new friends, the Watsons. This is beginning to be a regular Sunday night event! But I don't mind, I really enjoy getting to spend time with this family. They are so energetic, and on fire for God! And I don't think Amelia knows how to do much besides smile. (Love you, Amelia!)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! From family, to friends, to church, to just being able to live for Him! I am so grateful He doesn't give up on me! One of my favorite passages is Romans 8:34-39.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I love that God, who is so powerful, so mighty, so amazing, and so holy, would freely give His Son to die on that awful cross of Calvary to save me. Not just me, but He died for the whole world! He wants everyone to accept His gift of salvation. That He would take all the sin of the entire world upon Him, just to let lowly man into His Heaven awes me. I'm so thankful He doesn't pick and choose whom He would have to get saved. He allows anyone who will accept His gift of salvation into His Heaven. I cannot imagine how hopeless life would be without the hope of salvation, the promise of eternity with our Lord and Savior.

Then you add to it, that not only does He allow it, but once you have accepted his gift, there is nothing and no one that can take it away. You can't even give it back. Praise God that He is not an Indian-giver! Just imagine if we could give it back. We get frustrated, or discouraged, and decide to give it back. What a slap in the face that would be to Christ.

Thank You, Lord! For your sacrifice that allowed the offering of your amazing gift of salvation. For your love that never gives up on me, even though that is exactly what I deserve. For your blessings that you pour out so freely on me, even though I don't deserve it.

Ben's newest news.

Last week Ben finished his third grade math. He used the Abeka curriculum for the third grade, but for fourth grade we were going back to Saxon for him. After he did two lessons in the fourth grade book, I decided to actually do a placement test. He scored well enough to start fifth grade. All of his other work is still third grade, but he has been ahead in math since kindergarten because he finished his kindergarten math in one semester. Now he keeps asking if he can skip a grade in the rest of his subjects. I get a kick out of it!

We are down to our last quarter of school!! Yay!!!! We are now to the point we are slowly getting subjects done so we don't have as much work to do. The goal is to be done by May 14, but the reality is Morgan won't be done with geometry or government yet, and he will have one class left for biology. I think the rest of the kids will be completely done by then. (We're doing the happy dance now!!)

After talking to my friend Phebe, I am getting so excited about the Learning Center for next year! The kids are going to go all day on Tuesdays, and some of their work will be done through there instead of totally at home. I know we are interested in: chemistry, writing, and spanish for Morgan; biology, speech, and writing for Jeffery; art and speech for Christopher; art for Victoria and Ben. I am hoping we can have some other classes for the younger two. Now, of course, the Lord has to provide the funds! This past year at the Learning Center has been so good! The classes the kids are taking are really good, and they have enjoyed getting to hang out with friends off and on throughout the day.

The decision has been made for band. Morgan has decided to stop playing in band. He's really tired of the bass clarinet. There is a drama group at Grace on Mondays that he is hoping to be able to get into next fall. Kinda makes me sad that he won't be in band, but he really enjoys drama, so this will give him the chance to do that instead. Victoria will stay in band, she is really enjoying playing and learning from Mrs. Bowler. I'm hoping Christopher will take up the sax. I won't force him, but I think it would be really good.

The kids who are currently in choir are going to continue in choir for the fall, I'm hoping the other two will get into concert choir. But we shall see. We are so sad that Mrs. Horn is retiring! Excited for her to get to continue on with her plans, just sad that she won't be there next year. My kids have absolutely loved her this year, even the ones that aren't in her classes. Mrs. Horn is one of those people that even when she is reprimanding someone, she isn't hateful. That's a rare quality!