Easter Week

During Easter week, Maisie & Duke made their Resurrection Garden. I've wanted to make this with the kids in the past, but I always forgot until it was too late. BUT this year I finally REMEMBERED. And I suspect we will be making one every year. It was a tangible way for the littles to interact with Easter...and a beautiful way!

We filled our bowl half way with sand, and then the other half with dirt. Then we went on a moss hunt and dug up patches of moss. We also dug up some wildflowers and planted them in our garden with the moss. We watered our garden well to keep it moist.

We found two sticks that we used to make a cross. We made a tomb with a cup on its side, and we found a big rock to put in front of the tomb.

On Easter Morning, they both checked the garden...and the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty except for some strips of linen! He is Risen indeed!!!

the duke sleeps

We keep finding the Duke sleeping in funny positions. One afternoon the older 3 kids and I got home from CC, and Daddy told us to peek at Duke. He was having his rest time in the playroom but fell asleep. 

He slept like this for a good 45 minutes.

And here's another day...

food food and more food!

In March I picked the first harvest from my garden! Collards. I have now dug and filled 5 garden beds. I plan to double this by next spring. It's been 2 years since I've had a garden due to our move, so I am enjoying having a garden once again. 

For St. Patrick's Day I made the kids green smoothies for lunch!

We had a little St. Patty's Day feast at our house that night. I corned a roast, and we had potatoes, carrots, collards and soda bread. 

Later on I made these pancakes, which we were a hit due to their vibrant color! Beet pancakes...but don't knock 'em till you try 'em. The beets make them sweeter, kind of like applesauce, but unlike applesauce, they make them fuchsia. A fun change for the kids! 

just because...

These days don't last.

good food!

Boy, we happened to have some good meals in February!

Remembering Nana on the day she passed away, we had sausage & peppers for dinner. 

I made some bulgogi—yum!

These potatoes were a gorgeous color!

Simple and delish.

And someone clearly enjoyed eating some of that good food!!!

The girls

The girls dressed up for "Mis-Match Day" at CC. They had fun picking out the worst possible combinations!

I have to say, in the photo it doesn't look so terrible, but in person Maddie's orange skirt with her striped top just seriously hurt my eyes every time I looked at her. 

He was fighting the bad guys!

the duke

The Duke spent most of the winter in shorts and tee shirts...unless he was wearing all brown to be a monkey. Like his older brother at this age, he didn't like to make the change from shorts to pants with the weather. 

This day he took the initiative to dress himself completely on his own. You would never know—except for the onesie hanging out...and the backwards tee shirt...and the mis-matched, uh, everything. Other than that, who would have guessed?! ;)

fun with food

Braden and I had a few too many bread, cheese and wine nights. But then again, you can't ever have too many of those!

FaFa shot two geese. He gave the kids a foot to observe for science. 

He also shared a goose with us. I'd never cooked goose (or duck for that matter), so I was excited to give it a try. I brined it for 48 hours and then slow cooked it into a ragu.

I made a huge bowl of fresh pasta...

...and served the ragu over the pasta. It was delicious!

friendship

Over the past few months, Maddie & Caleb have significantly deepened their friendship with each other. They've really been enjoying doing things together—playing, biking, exploring the woods. It is sweet to see, and I love watching them when they're having a really great time together. 

I glanced out the slider and snapped this pic just to remind me. They had taken their legos outside and were happily playing together for a long time. 

I pray their friendship grows deeper each year and that they are always good friends well into their old age.

a treat

FaFa brought ice cream by the house one day! 

the littles chillaxing in January

The Duke dressed himself all brown to be a monkey.

This kid knows how it's done. 

His back "was sore" so he needed a warm rice sack. 

This is also the kid who "needs" back scratches and back massages when he gets tucked into bed.