He is not here

 print by Walter Rane

I serve in the Nursery.  I was so blessed today to be able to teach these precious 18month- 3year old children that Jesus Christ was Resurrected.

They were captivated by the details.

At the end of the lesson, we gave each child a picture of the tomb, the large stone that was rolled in front of the door, and a picture of the Resurrected Christ.

My heart about could not contain the sound of their little voices and chatter while they were coloring.

Many of them practicing these new words they had learned... tomb... resurrected.

I had one child holding up two little fingers to clarify to a classmate that there were 2 angels that came and rolled the stone away.  

The little boy next to me had colored all his pictures except the one of Jesus.  I asked him if he needed help coloring Jesus.  He looked at me so matter of fact and said, "NO!  I want him all white.  He needs to be all white cause he is alive again."

Obviously in this little 2year olds minds eye... the resurrected Jesus MUST be all white... I loved it!

So thankful for this day.

So thankful for my calling at church and the children I serve and adore.

So thankful for blessings I have pondered on in earnest today.

So thankful for my family which are my greatest joy.

So thankful for a wonderful dinner... even if I near burnt the yeast rolls.

So thankful for time spent as a family on our front porch this evening.

So thankful that I have not had to spend a day of my life on this earth without the knowledge of my Heavenly Father, my Heavenly Mother, and a dear brother that loves me enough to die for me.

So thankful, truly.

Yesterday...

Yesterday... I woke up at 5:45am, like a crazy woman, to go yard sale-ing.  Country folk start their sales e.a.r.l.y.  Normally I would ignore the temptation to go to sales this early but yard sales out in my neck of the woods are goooOOd pickins.  I have been collecting old bowls.  I found the largest one on the far right, yippee!

 and this cute fluted one too,

 but this was the 'find' that put me over the edge of giddy... yep, giddy overload.  Be still my heart, oh how I love an old baby washtub.

 Cotton approves of my purchase.

Yesterday... when I was done hitting 6 yard sales and it was still only 7:20am... I was on my way home and contemplating climbing back in bed.  I was on our curvy road and saw something in the road.  I could not tell what it was until I straddled it with my tires and saw that it was a turtle.  I just couldn't help myself.  I had to pull over... ps - there are very few places to pull over on our road, safely anyway.  But I went a tad off roading and parked.  Looking both ways like a good pedestrian on a crazy country road... I started jogging back to where I saw the turtle.  I glanced up and saw another gal jogging up our road coming toward me.  We both arrived at the turtle at the same time.  We laughed at ourselves and each other.  Two gals, risking life and limb... to be heros.  You'll be riveted to know that operation turtle rescue was a success.  And after all that excitement and heroism I was no longer tired and just got on with my day.

Yesterday... I mourned the loss of 3 gorgeous Maples that died on our property.  Seriously.  Trees are so hard to dig in... and 4 years later wouldn't you assume they would be well on their way?!  Sad.

To help lift my dead maple funk... I took a stroll at what is doing beautifully this Spring.  My window boxes are well on their way to over-abundance, just the way I like them. 

 Solomon's Seal, Ivy, and hostas are my main stays.  I will eventually add ferns and a few flowering annuals to complete the composition.   My formula for window boxes and large container gardening?  Spiller + Filler + Thriller.  Instant success!

I have 3 dogwood twigs trees at the entrance of our property.  They had full blooms for the first time this year.

 Do you remember this tree from last Spring?  It is called a Dappled Willow.  I found it at Lowe's and it is in my top 5 of ornamental trees.  The leaves are magnificent.  And while it had to grow out a very, VERY, bad haircut prune job from the grower... it now is coming out of its awkward stage.  Like forsythia and spirea... I am a firm believer that this tree is meant to be a tad 'wild' looking.  Love it!

The mottled and almost not there pink tinged leaves make me swoon.

Yesterday... this shot of color called me over for a closer look.

 Warning.... Warning...WARNING...

 Then next few photos are a very underhanded, non-subtle, devious attempt to fuel our neighbors into a terrible case of homesickness.  They are currently living in Germany.  We selfishly want them to come home... which is conveniently closer to us than Germany (its all about us afterall)... AND also has these gorgeous roses, cutey barn, and beautiful horse waiting for them.  I have no shame.

Yesterday... I verified that both our birdhouses that we bought while in Amish country last summer, are packed to full capacity. 

Yesterday... I started a new improved TO DO list for my sweetheart.  This list includes:  completing the tree fort with Ty,

 and building a ramp and stairs to the shed so we can actually start using if for the purpose we bought it for.  PS and by the way... that purpose was not to pile junk on the front porch so it could look like Sanford and Sons owns it, just sayin'.

Yesterday... I dreamed yet again of what I would love to be and be doing in a few short years, aka, an innkeeper of a b&b.  I sat on a newly cleared patch of grass (previously covered in vines, thorns, and overgrowth) and looked at this view...

Shawn cleared a huge cedar from this spot.  This will be the entrance to the back pasture and the Guest Cottage.  There will be a pond.  The front porch to the Cottage will actually be a dock.  Ohhh the dreams I have in my head.  I recently found a pic online that came close to the vision I have for the cottage.  Please forgive the photo of a photo... I wasn't near clever enough to actually save the originally site... that would have been too smart of me.

 Yesterday... I shopped, I rescued, I strolled, I dreamed.  Day well spent. 

our white weekend...

Introducing Ty's first VERY OWN pet.  His name is Cotton.

I happened upon a dive of a place, shed of sorts, back in the deep, deep, deepness of the countryhood.  I just saw a lot of rusty, old, junkiness spilling out of this shed and went to snoop.  Much to my delight, there was a darling gentleman there willing to get rid of some of this 'junk'.  Yippee.  I carefully maneuvered around inside this shed.  I felt like I was being followed.  I would turn around and see a little streak of white bolt under something.  Eventually, I realized that it was a kitten, but it was terrified of me... kinda... it would follow me, right on my heels, until I attempted to turn around... bolt! 

 Ty was with me.  I wasn't crazy about him coming into the shed so he hung out in the driveway.  Next thing I know,Ty is sitting in the gravel with a darling white kitten in his lap.  What?!  I guess Ty's size was far less intimidating and the kitten was hap, hap, happy with Ty.

 The kitten was fur and bones.  The gentlemen asked if we could take him and give him a home.  Ty pleaded... I caved.

 Ty adores him.  He adores Ty.  And to add to all things wonderful... the kitten is an amazing mouser, very important! 

 Sunday I glanced out the window to see this....

 I wouldn't call Shawn and I 'cat people'  normally.  They serve a good purpose for us, but otherwise they get loves from the kids only.  But seems Cotton is not a subtle fella, he has really made himself at home.

 My tulips came in really sparse this year.  Not a tulip 'wise' person... do they only come back for a few years usually? Did our extra cold winter kill the bulbs?  Never fear though... I got blooms a plenty all over the farm.  The show stopper for now is the Spirea.  Very dramatic!

And I'll sneak this in under the 'white' topic, snicker.  Shawn and I worked on this little harvest table this weekend too.  The top slats are pallet wood and I love it.  This photo doesn't show the finished product... we also made a huge crate on casters I will show you later when they are both done. 

Amazing weekend!  Which included Ty's first baseball game... his first double-play... and a win for his team that had him practically hoisted up on everyone's shoulders... thankfully his teammates thought better of that because I could see Ty being dropped on his noggin ;)  I will post baseball pics soon too!