It's been pretty quiet around here....

Sorry I haven't been around much.  The arrival of Spring weather and miscellaneous activity has kept me busy (how's that for specific, lol).

What do you think of the new background?  I'm kinda digging the clean look, and sunflowers use to be my favorite flowers, so much so that they were my wedding flowers.  How about a few random tidbits from the past few days for today's post?  Here goes....

- Easter Service was wonderful.  Singing back up with the team was really fun actually, I was surrounded by gorgeous voices, but never felt any 'less than' as I use to in the past, they were all so welcoming, and fun.  Wish you could have heard the rendition of Shout Unto God we all did *sigh* it was gorgeous.  Here's how Hillsong did it live.
- Gave Miss Eden her first big girl bike on the weekend.  She did great, not one fall.  She and our little neigbour buddy rode around, and around the cul-de-sac.
- I went shopping for scrappy goodies on Monday.  Sharon at The Scrapbook Cottage is sincerely one of the sweetest people I've ever met.  I managed to hang out there with her for 2 hours browsing, shopping, and catching up with her.  A great way to spend a Monday afternoon.
- Purchased Miss Isabelle's grade dress for her upcoming Grade 6 Grad ceremony in June *gulp* I can hardly believe my baby will be going to Jr. High next year.  It's a sweet little thing that we found at Forever XXI.  We even found shoes to match at Payless.
- Had our first family bike ride tonight with the kiddos.
- I've just spent the past couple of hours on Shabby Blogs checking out how to make a prettier blog (for free).  I've discovered that I'm pretty much a computer illiterate,  So much to learn.
- I've been slacking on my quiet time, and bible reading.  Got get back in the groove.  (Perhaps if I spent less time trying to make my blog pretty I'd have more time for God)
- I planned on making wontons yesterday for wonton soup, but took the wrappers out of the fridge too early so they all melded together.  Meat is in the fridge.  I'll make a second attempt today.
- Made a Mother's Day card for my mother in law the other day. Love it.
- I've been playing Loser Like Me by the Glee kids over and over again, and loving it.  Do you think there's some hidden meaning?  On second thought, don't answer that :)  Check it out here.  Catchy right?
- Last night at Tap Class I was told how well I'm doing.  (I moved up from the Adult Beginner Class to the Advanced Class in Sept).  I wasn't sure I'd be able to catch up to their level before the recital, but I have.  I'm very proud of myself.  It's challenging, but oh so much fun.  I'll have to share pix of our recital costumes once we have them.

That's about it.  Really hoping to get more hours out of this day, dig into my new scrappy goodies, and get a layout done today.  I can't wait to break open my new Studio Calico grub.  Think: Clover & Bluegrass mists, wood veneer buttons, and butterflies, and Country side papers...

My Mind's Eye: Stella & Rose Collection.  Jenni Bowlin Butterfly, Imaginisce flower brad, assorted button, and ribbon

Have a good one friends,

♥ S. Pin It

The Greatest Man in History

Greatest man in history, 

named Jesus, 

had no servants, yet they called him Master. 

Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. 

Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. 

He had no army, yet kings feared Him. 

He won no military battles, yet he conquered the world. 

He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

photo: source: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://spryfieldarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/empty_tomb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://spryfieldarmy.com/%3Ftag%3Dempty-tomb&usg=__FOT7cU2v0yTObMHxHAP6PiNtBlw=&h=538&w=1001&sz=74&hl=EN&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=_2Q_HoCDw-KCGM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=197&ei=mdCxTfP8GeXm0QG8pNW2CQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dempty%2Btomb%26hl%3DEN%26biw%3D1584%26bih%3D682%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=951&vpy=154&dur=1771&hovh=164&hovw=306&tx=184&ty=101&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0

quote source: http://leadme2thecross.tumblr.com/post/3141980357/greatest-man-in-history-named-jesus-had-no-servants

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Thinking about Easter

 

It's the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  It's not enough that Christ came, in the form of mortal man, and lived, and worked, and taught, and suffered, and died for each one of us.  You, and me.  It's all about the fact that on the third day, He rose from the dead, proclaiming through that miraculous event that He was indeed who He claimed to be.  He was, and is the Son of God.  He made a way for you and me to live with God, our Heavenly Father forever in eternity.  Amen!  The honor, the privilege we have.  The great debt we could never repay.  All because we are loved beyond anything else in all of creation.  Scripture says that God knit me together in my mother's womb.  He knows when I sit and when I rise.  His Word reveals that he keeps account of my tears, knowing full well when I am full of joy and contentment, and when my soul feels crushed and empty.  There are no words to to describe how very thankful I am.  In prepping for worship practice tonight the words of one of the tunes we're doing struck a deep chord in me.  I can barely sing it through without feeling overcome with emotion, at the depth of truth, the amazing and unbelievable sacrifice, the great promise, and the hope and celebration the words proclaim.  Here are the lyrics (courtesy of lyricsmode.com).

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

And, here is a video someone has put together, as it is recorded by the Newsboys.  It's 4 minutes long, so grab a cup of coffee and settle in :)

If I don't get back here before Sunday, I want to wish each of you a safe, wonderful, and celebratory Easter.  He is risen.  He is risen indeed.

♥S. 

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Weekend Virtual Crop

Hope the weekend went well for all of you.  The incredible amount of snow we woke up to on Saturday was a little startling (I meant to take a pic, but didn't get around to it before it melted), but thankfully it was all gone by supper.  Aside from all the running around ....

- Dh handled getting the girls to and from dance for 4.5 hours on Saturday morn/aft
- me, helping our neighbours pack up their over filled home to prep it for selling this coming weekend
- Small Group (20 people for supper) on Saturday night
- church (amazing baptism service) on Sunday morning
- another 2.5 hours of dance on Sunday afternoon
- supper and prepping for the week in the evening for me and 2 of the girls
- Uncle Peter's viewing ceremony for for DH and the oldest girl
I did manage to sit down and join in on the Spring Fever online crop at My Scrapbook Nook.  Here's what I created.

I really love this one.  It's based off a sketch by the sweet Jessy of The Nook DT.

This was for a card sketch challenge by the sweet, sweet Danni.

I liked the first one so much I had to make a second one :)

Katrina launched the first challenge, it was to use green, pink, purple, and blue - all Spring colours.  I made this one for our friends who moved in two doors down from us.

Carol issued a fun challenge (to use a sun on your page).  This picture is actually out of the Roseau River camp brochure.  It was taken on day 2 of Théa's mini over night camp there last year.   I just had to scrap it.

Heading into this week, I'm super excited that it's a short one.  No school on Friday, no Youth Group on Friday night, and all the extra dance lessons that usually take place on Sundays are off until next weekend.   I'm really looking forward to Wednesday night's band practice.  They've got 5 of us singing back up (hoping for old school choir sound) for some really great tunes, chosen especially for the Easter service.  I'm always super nervous, and get very self-conscience about about how not amazing my voice is when compared to others on the team, but when all is said and done I'm always proud of myself for having put it all out there.  I welcome the opportunity to be challenged and hopefully grow.  Here's hoping I don't let my self-doubt, and nerves get the best of me.

Happy Monday all, hope the week unfolds just as it should for each of you.

♥S. Pin It

Sharing a little scrappiness

Sadly my husband's uncle passed away this past week.  He'd only been sick for a couple of months, but got increasingly sicker, quickly.  On Tuesday night, he went home to be with Jesus.  I know somewhat of how his children are feeling.  I've been there myself, and although my mother left this world 10 years ago, there is still a dull ache for "all that could have been" had she still been around.  My heart goes out to the family.  I spent a couple of hours yesterday making sympathy cards.  It brought me joy to be able to create something for each of Uncle Peter's children, a little bit of my love and care for them put together with paper and glue.  Here are a few...

I also had some time to finally crack open my lovely April Kit from My Scrapbook Nook, featuring Echo Park.  The picture in the layout is of poor quality, but I guess that's how it goes when you're trying to squish 5 people into one shot, in a gondola traveling high above the mountain tops of Colorado.  The journaling reads: After 35 years of being afraid to try downhill skiing, I took the plunge, and now the whole family enjoys the sport!

Spring Fever, an online crop is happening this weekend over at My Scrapbook Nook.  Challenges, online chatting, and some great prizes are all waiting for you to jump in and join.  I'll be around for tonight, but the rest of the weekend is jam packed for me.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great weekend!

♥S. Pin It

Waiting for change

Living in Manitoba, Canada is always a test of patience and endurance when it comes to ushering out winter and welcoming in Spring.  Winter is a terribly long 6 months at a minimum here.  It's a long, sunless, frigidly cold stretch.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with that depth of cold we endure here, let me enlighten you.  It gets to temperatures as low as -42 degrees celcius.   The wind is so strong that it's actually measured by something called windchill, which maks it feel colder outside than it really is.  It's cold enough that many of us must not only plug our vehicles in, keeping the battery warm, but must also let our vehicle run for several minutes before driving it, to avoid having it stall out moments after leaving the house.  By April there is much conversation about how much longer it will be before the snow melts and the sun is finally here to stay.  By now, everyone in the city is ready for, the change of season.  There are many who are like a friend of mine.  At the first hint of Spring, they begin wearing capris , and flip flops.   I think it's more out of a sense of aggressively willing Spring to come, than actually being too hot for boots and long pants.

On the way home from dropping the girls off at school yesterday morning, I saw these little guys.  I just had to pull over and take a picture. 

I know exactly what they're thinking.  "Hey, I thought Spring was on it's way."

The weather keeps teasing us, Spring is here one day and gone the next.  We hit 18 degrees on Monday.  Now, here we are, two days later sitting at zero, with snow, once again, falling to the ground. These poor geese got the message that Spring was on it's way to Manitoba, only to be slapped in the face with the icy cold reality that Spring is taking it's sweet time in coming.  On the upside, the fact that the warmer weather is only arriving incrementally means there's a lesser chance of major flooding.  There are many, many families in low lying areas of the city near water, and outside the city near the Floodway who are currently working furiously to prepare for a possible flood.  Just a short drive from our home one can see hundreds of sandbags piled high surrounding home after home.   The sight is a sobering reminder that although I want and need more sunshine in my day, and warmer temps to fill the air.  Others want and need mother nature to be kind, slow and steady in bringing on change.  It makes me think of the new Heaven and new Earth that scripture speaks of in Revelation 21:1-8.  That will happen in a blink of an eye, and as much as I long to meet Jesus, and to see the beauty of Heaven, I don't feel quite ready.  I don't want to be like these geese, thinking that I'm prepared, just sitting around waiting for Jesus' return, not using my skills, and resources to make a difference in the world around me.  I want to be more like those living near the water, preparing their home, and their families for the possibility of change.  I want to be reminded that there's still work to do, that God has a plan for me, and wants to affect change in the world around me, through me.  I want to be at work, not idle.  I want to be living out the reality Romans 12.  Spring will come when it's time, and I will continue to follow the call of Jesus on my life, regardless of the windchill factor, the snow currently falling outside, and regardless of the fact that my summer wardrobe is still waiting to be unpacked for another season. 

May you be warmed by the love of Christ wherever you are today, being warmed by the kisses of the sun, or preparing to battle the rising water.

♥S. Pin It

These Two

Growing up, I always wanted an older sister, for as long as I can remember I longed for one.  Sometimes, it was because I wanted someone else on my side (my brother and I use to fight something terrible, I have a scar above my left eye from him hitting me with a meter stick), sometimes it was to have someone stick up to my dad for me and my brother.  Mostly, though, it was just because I wanted a best "friend".  Someone I could share clothes with, talk to about music & boys, and the like.  I love that my girls all have each other.  Théa and Eden are only 15 months apart.  They can be so close at times, like just the other night when they were circling the island in the kitchen chasing each other.  The game they were playing was to see who could get the other one's butt first.  No, I'm not kidding.  Then there are times like a while back when Eden got so upset with Théa, (simply because she was hovering over her while she practiced piano), that she hauled off and slapped her on the back so hard it left a bright red mark for several minutes.  From what I'm told this is pretty normal for girls so close in age.  I'm also told that they will, more than likely outgrow it, and become genuine friends who stick up for each other when outside friends try to come between them, and choose to share clothing, and music, and talk to each other about all things girly.  I can't wait for those days.



Happy Monday all,

♥S.

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