Easter!

I trust everyone one had a wonderful Easter as we did. It was a quiet one, but a blessed one. I was for one not ready for another holiday. But I am glad to say we don't have to be all in the commercialized hoop-la of the holiday to remember what was done for us those years ago and still applies to us today. He was, He IS, and He will be forevermore! I did manage to snag a few pictures fo the boys. Aunt Becky was able to take some coloring the eggs and baskets, which are on facebook.

Life has been good but very busy...... This is another time of year that seems to be crazy, the end of the school year. It is winding down, and I am glad another school year is coming to an end. There is a lot of decisions to be made by schools end and I am seeking what the He has planned for us in the future. Whatever it is I know that it will be what is best for us.

We had a nice spring break full of advententure. Now that we can look back on it..... Our second night in the tent and we were hit with a storm that had 40 mh winds. It scared the boys, we were right on the water and they were afraid we were going to be swept away to sea. One thought that we were in a tornado when I quickly woke them and told them to get into the van. They told us while they were in the van and we were quickly trying to gather everything that they were praying for mommy and daddy to be safe. So to the tent was never put back up but with mommy to the rescue I was able to to rearrange the van each night to make comfy beds to sleep on (thankful for stow away back seats) then each morning put everything back for our driving trips. Alot more work than I had intended but it worked out ok. Just wished we would have had a little bit more cooler breezes at night. We made it though. It is something to look back on and have great memories. We would like to go back again, only next time with a camper or hotel.

"Guess What..." Family Night


I was anxiously awaiting to tell the boys in the morning what the theme would be for this family night by saying, "Family night is....guess what" and they would answer, "what" and then would start the "who's on First" dialog. But I was sorely disappointed when I failed to hear my alarm and Evan hearing his (what are the odds). I awoke with a panic rush to get the boys and their lunches, backpacks and instruments off to school.

I was excited more to do this family night more than others for some reason. I had fun doing it. I used the boxes seen in the picture for all three parts of my family night.
1. Home from school snack. And a good way to introduce our fun night ahead.
Here are the clues for the boxes and see if you can figure them out. By the way. I was not feeling the creative juices for my clues. and I may not remember the clues to exact wording that I had on them at the time.

a. tallest box: I am sometimes straight and sometimes twisted. Sometimes salted, sometimes, not.

b. green box : I melt in your mouth

c. the "woody" tin: Charlie Brown may not think me to be a snack but a title.

d. the little purple box: You may hang me on your Christmas tree but am enjoyed all year round.

e. smaller red box: when not a snack people use me to pull things but as a snack I am black and also come in red.

I wrapped some of the boxes pushing the flaps in so the bottom is open and it is easy and fun to lift up the box to reveal the surprise. I just used left over Christmas wrapping paper. The boys didn't mind. Well I don't think they did. They didn't say a word about it.

So did you figure them out. Easy ah?

a. stick pretzels

b. m&m 's

c. Peanuts

d. A bag of microwave popcorn

e. Black licorice

They could read as many clues as they wanted but when they selected one and revealed their surprise they had to stick with it. I will later revise this to when you find your surprise you can keep it our give it up for good and select a another surprise. It may or may not be better than what you started with.

I went to the store and purchased a differnent meal (I took grandpa with me so that 6 choices). I tried to think of different things and easy to make. I was going to make one a breakfast meal and forgot. Here is what I came up with and a clue

Mac and cheese with applesauce and drink ........ "I'm the cheesest"

BBQ nugget lunchable with pudding, and drink ....... I said something about cowboy and sauce

Sweet and sour chicken and rice in a stream tray.....In chapel they were told about sweet and sour frog. so I put something about, "Frog anyone? That I am not but I am sweet and ?"

Kids Cuzine......I am every kids favorite cusine

MC Pot pie and glass of milk.......by my name you would think that I was made in a pot and sweet. to both I am not.

and last

A flatbread of chicken and peppers and drink........I am as flat as a skunk in the middle of the road(remember I have boys and boys like that kind of gross stuff) but I smell and taste better with peppers inside.

Last of all the third part was the games. I did the same for the different games I selected. We played Apples to apples......you are the apple of my eye
39 Clues game.......do you have a clue what this game may be
skip-bo.......you dont want to skip this game

The boys really enjoyed the night. It was alot of fun. They enjoyed it so much they wanted me to do the same thing with their chores the next morning. I did, but a little differently I took some old blank cards that I had and numbered them 1-4 and put a different chore on each one. After the secound or third round. I slipped in a fun thing to do like. Read a book until the others are done with their chore. and this where we revised the game to, you may trade but you have to keep it. so the chore may be better or worse than the one you already picked but you dont know!

Now what in the world do I do next week?

Family Night

Friday night is our family night. The boys look forward to it every week. I try and come up with different ideas for such an occasion. Some times things fall into place and other nights I just want to sit down with the boys and have popcorn and watch a movie. Most of the time I have a starting idea waiting to be embelished on, when the day arrvies, but usually does not break free, until that very day. I confess not all my ideas bloom into a wonderful family night and I am just stuck wondering what I can do.

Now during the Holiday rush we do many "holidayish" things so we tend to stay from the friday night, but now that school is back in swing, so is our family night. Not to be confused with Tuesday night game night which is a whole other topic.

To my friends who have asked me for ideas and for myself seeking creativiy from my friends. I post this so we can share, and all happy families be. (oh well besides the loads of laundry wishing to smells clean, dirty dishes itching to be scrubbed, and the dog.....you get the picture.) My house is not always in order(hardly at all, at the same time). But my boys will not be boys forever and the time will be here before I know it. They will be men with a life of memories and a heart full of love. A love for God and family!

So hopefully we can share ideas, thoughts and stories!