Easter

We had a nice Easter. Finally, it was a Sunday where we were all healthy, so we began the morning with 7:30 mass. The kids were well-behaved (at least as good as it gets for them). I was especially proud of Alex since he was really excited to find his basket. The Easter Bunny left him a treasure hunt, and the first clue was under Mom's pillow for him to get only after church.

Best memory of each kid:

Julia - Looked so grown up in her Easter dress and headband (she slept most of the day, and we were grateful that she was just resting rather than having the sleepiness be the lead-in to some kind of bug)

Erica - OOOooooh - what she said about every item in her basket.

Luke - Kept telling us the "Easter Beagle" had been here. Also told us over and over that Jesus died on the cross to take away our bad choices.

Alex - Thought Mom was the Easter Bunny until he discovered that was impossible - the Easter Bunny came back while we were in church and hid Alex's basket in his bed. He's at that age where the Easter Bunny and Santa just don't make sense to his logical brain, but he still wants to believe.

All four - they all got "Crocs" in their baskets. It will make me happy all summer to see those cute shoes on their feet.

As always, Easter brings special memories of the days that Alex and Julia were born. It's still amazing to think that we've been given two of our very own Easter miracles.

Thank you, Jesus!

MER

More Hints

One of my favorite activities in high school was being a part of the yearbook staff. You would think that it would have dawned on me that I would like scrapbooking many years before I figured it out - after all, what is the yearbook besides a collective scrapbook?

And, the yearbook was also my first taste of what I would do in the career I chose - marketing. Putting together the yearbook is very similar to creating a promotional brochure or press release...strong copy, good pictures, a story to share.

Now, crazy as it sounds, I never realized back in high school that I should look for a career and a hobby that would build off what I enjoyed doing. Lucky for me, I eventually stumbled on marketing, and then years later, scrapbooking.

Lesson learned - do what you love. Work can be fun. It's possible to make a career out of doing something you really enjoy.

Winter Camp

Last weekend (Leap Day Weekend), Alex and I went to Camp Rokolio in Kiel for Winter Camp. We 'power hiked' through knee high snow, we went sledding, we slept in really uncomfortable bunks (Mom shared a room with three other ladies, one of whom was a very loud snorer), we played games, we shot mini marshmallows with a shooter made from PVC piping...we had a blast! Alex is now claiming it was just 'okay', but it was really a lot of fun. I really enjoyed spending time with Alex, and it was also rewarding to spend time with other adults (we played games after the kids went to bed).

Sign me up for Winter Camp 2009!

MER

Ji-Normus

What's that, you ask? Why, it means that something is really big in Luke-speak. When gigantic or enormous just doesn't quite do it, you say "ji-normus".

And, speaking of Luke, here's an update on the potty front. Grandma E bought him a Thomas calendar, and he gets a page to put on the top of his bunk bed every time he uses the potty chair. Four pictures since yesterday (and at least that many diaper changes, so we've got a less than 50% success rate so far.) But, it's progress.