Embrace the Camera {Easter Sunday}

My favorite part about this picture ...  Look at how Cry Cry is holding my hand.

Just for that, I'll forgive him for what he did to me as an infant.

It occurs to me that one day when we line up according to height, I'll be at the end.

Link up here with Embrace the Camera if you like.

Happy Friday, everyone!

$2.11 for a Starbucks drink?

This is a tip for all you Starbucks lovers out there.  I'm only sharing this with you because I've converted so many of my friends.  Friends, you know who you are.  You can thank me for the fact that you can afford your children's college education later.

I'm not a coffee expert, but I have worked at a few coffee shops over the years.  Back in college, I worked at Gloria Jeans in Water Tower Place right on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.  These were the days that spending $1.82 for two items at Taco Bell (which came with a free pop thanks to my Moody discount card) was a splurge.  I wondered who in the world spent $4.00 on a beverage.  Now with inflation, it's close to $5.00.  Well, that's more than I want to spend.  But I love me some Starbucks ... that sweet pick-me-up in the middle of the day.  Since I don't leave the house all that much in the day, it's a treat to get a fun drink when I'm out.

So, instead of getting a iced latte/mocha or a frappuccino, try an iced coffee with milk.  They add the flavor for free.  I usually do 2 pumps of vanilla, but any flavor would be good.  Then I also add whip cream, which slowly melts down into the drink and makes it lovely and creamy.  It's good.  And so much cheaper than the espresso drinks.  The tall is $2.11, which is usually just the right size for me.  The grande is about 50 cents more.

Try it, and let me know what you think.

Hail

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalm 19:1

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8:3-4

The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;

the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

Psalm 89:11

I have cool friends {Dancing On My Ashes}

Holly Wall was one of my first friends at college.

Here we are in all of our 1995 glory.

Our fathers had a mutual friend and my dad told me to keep an eye out for this Holly girl.  She had just gotten word that there was room for her at Moody a few days before class started, but she was told she might have to sleep in the lounge for a week or so (as inevitably, some other poor freshman girl would get scared of the big city and go home).  We instantly connected.  This "Holly from the Lounge" became one of my dearest friends.  She also met Scott Nesbitt that year.  They quickly fell in love, dated the next couple years, and I stood in their wedding in the spring of 1996.  Holly is amazing in many ways.  Every time I watch American Idol, I say to Chris, "Holly is so much better than her."  Holly has an unforgettable voice.  She has the kind of voice that can sing any note effortlessly.  It simply comes out beautiful.  She was to sing at our wedding in 2000.  She was to come all the way from Vermont where she and Scott, along with their two-year old daughter, Emma, had just started a Christian adventure camp.  This was Scott's childhood dream, and I was so thrilled for them.

There are some moments in life you won't ever forget.  One night, a couple of months before my wedding,  Holly called me and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but Scott is dead.  He died in a canoeing accident."  I immediately escaped into Chris' closet and closed the door.  I sat and cried, listening to her grieve.  She explained that her sister's husband had died in the same accident, leaving them both widows in their early 20's.

Well, I'll leave you with that.  The before and after of that story is written in their book, Dancing On My Ashes.

 They tell their story, but mostly they tell of God's faithfulness and healing in their lives.  They continue to use their story to minister to others who have suffered deep loss.  When we met for coffee the other day, she told me that she and her sister, Heather, were about to go speak to military wives.  They also minister at various women's retreats.  You can also check them out on their facebook page here.

Thanks, Holly, for your friendship over ALL these years!  

Embrace the Camera {Jopie as photographer}

The kids have become interested in trying out my big camera.  Even Jopie.  Jopie is 4.  As a side note, the other day he said, "Mommy, will you please stop calling me Joseph?  That is not my real name!"

"What is your name?" I asked.

Looking at me like I was stupid, "Jopie!"

He took this one.  It's not the best picture of me, but I like it because it's how my kids see me a lot, bending down to see what they need.

Link up with Embrace the Camera here.

He is Risen!

He is risen indeed!

This was the first Easter my boys have ever had Easter baskets.  I know, isn't that awful?  I don't why I've never done it before.  It seemed overwhelming.  They all got a book from Half-Price Books and some random candy.  It was fun to pick out books that fit their personalities.

A handsome crew.

Love Cry Cry's face of JOY here.

He held on to his basket most of the day.

After church, we headed over to continue our celebration with friends.  This is a tradition.  Our first Easter together, Graham was 4 months old.  Daboo (Mrs. James) went to great lengths organizing the kiddos in an Easter play.  She's incredible.  She even made them costumes.  My kids were anticipating it all week.

These tomb guards look pretty fierce.

Aren't the costumes great?  They look like they could be Jesus' disciples.

We had to have more than 2 Mary's.  But aren't they precious?

This "Mary" decided to be shy.

The narrators.

Saved the best for last.  Gabriel.  Doesn't Asher look pretty in white fluffy feathers?

[I'm seeing this photo in his wedding video]

All the kids did such a nice job.

Take a bow.

All the kids.

The girls.

Thanks Cappy and Daboo for adopting all of us into your family every Easter!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

When Uncle Bryan came into town last weekend, the boys (one boy in particular) were so excited to launch the rockets they had built during Spring Break.

We found the perfect field.

It was the USA 502436's first voyage.

The 36 is tacked on at the end because of my age, but don't tell anyone.

Uncle Bryan's excited helper.

So proud to have it all set up.

It launched beautifully.  We found it every time.  The boys were amazed.

In the meantime, since we were in our church clothes and the sun was setting on such pretty green grass, I had to snap a few pictures.  Shocking.  I know.

Happy Wednesday!