5 Question Friday

First of all - HE IS RISEN - HE IS RISEN INDEED!

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?
Grandma always made a bunny cake. My mom did it with Josh last year. I'm hoping to start some new traditions with Josh this year - resurrection cookies and resurrection eggs.

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?
Mostly showers- I have better things to get to, so I like to be done quickly....but if I have the chance to sit in a whirlpool bath and relax, then I'll take it.

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?
Haven't done it in so long I can't remember if I can or not.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?
The Cadbury caramel eggs.

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?
The real meaning of Easter is the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The easter bunny and eggs hunts are fun, but I want to make sure that our focus is on Christ's sacrifice and victory over death.

5 Question Friday

1.What is your favorite sign of spring?
When everything starts to turn green. The monotony of winter colors (gray, white, brown) gets old after a while, and when the grass starts to turn green - I know spring is really on its way.

2. What was your best birthday ever?
My 16th was pretty cool - my parents arranged for 2 gifts each hour at school (there were 8 class hours) for a total of 16. The final gift was a set of keys to the car.

3. What is your favorite dessert?
Chocolate french silk pie.

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?
My husband did it!! I got pulled over for not having my taillights on because Chris had turned them off. The car has daytime running lights that are always on, so to me, it looked like the lights were on. (It happened twice - and I got out of it both times by blaming Chris.)

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?
Snooze, snooze, snooze, and maybe one more snooze - depending on whether I have to get Josh up or not.

5 Question Friday

1. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would be less of a worrier. I tend to think things through to their worst case scenario...and then worry about it. Learning to give things to God is a big challenge for me.

2. Write about a time when you got lost.
I wasn't really lost - more like left behind...I was 16 in Tulsa, OK for a competition, and my entire group from my school left for the airport and left me at the restaurant where we ate breakfast. (I was in the restroom when they did the headcount). Long, long story...

3. Camping or 5 star hotel?
Considering my style of camping is an air conditioned camper, I would have to say the hotel.

4. Have you donated blood?
In college I did. I have since discovered I have a clotting disorder, and while that may not affect my ability to give, it affects my desire to.

5. Do you have a budget or do you 'fly by' most months?
Have a loose budget in my head, but stuff always happens.

Sticker Chart

Joshua has started his first sticker chart here at home. While many children begin their sticker charts with some chores, my son gets stickers for NOT BITING!!! He's been biting other kids at daycare, sometimes while pretending to be a puppy, and other times just because.

So - we started a sticker chart. And remind him about 28 times a day "NO BITING". We called a bunch of people and had him tell them the rule. He has 3 stickers so far. He's working for a trip to "Dawos". Any guesses what that is??

I'm told by his doctor that biting is quite normal - but it's not what I want to hear. It's tough with a playful puppy at home to differentiate.

In other news, he's doing really well - I can't even keep track of how many words he knows now. Tonight he asked to read his Bible. We pray every night - something like this (he repeats after me) Dear Jesus, help me sleep. Help me be good. I love my mama. I love my dada. I love you Jesus. Night night. Amen.

On our walk the other day, we were looking at the moon and the trees and talking about how God made them all and that God lives in heaven up where the moon is. He said he wants to go to heaven. Someday, buddy, someday!

2.5

Two and a half...halfway to 5. That's how old Joshua is. I can't believe it. Of all the amazing things that have happened in my life, he is the supreme top of them all. Today he was lining all his books up in a row and then running his train over them like they were tracks. AMAZING! He asked to watch a "moomie" (movie) about "kikis" (kitties) and doggies and choo-choos. AMAZING! (there is no such movie, by the way, we settled for a Thomas the Tank Engine movie). We went up to his room for his nap, and he raced me up the stairs trying to get away from the "butt-catchers". AMAZING! In his room, he went right to his bed and arranged his blankie and his baby just so and then laid down and said "nigh-night mama. Go way now." AMAZING!

Seriously - watching him grow up and interact with life - AMAZING!

Cousins

Welcome to Patrick Michael, Joshua's new (and first) cousin. Patrick was born to Aunt Kimberly and Uncle Michael on January 17. We got to go visit him the next day, and Joshua did a very good job holding the baby. Hopefully they will be great friends!

Happy New Year!

I'm not making resolutions...but I do have some thoughts for the new year.

I want to pray more...not just the rote, ritual prayers before meals, but genuinely spending time talking to my Father.

I want to be a better housekeeper. I'm checking out flylady.net to help me out with this...we'll see!!

I want to be a better mom. To do this, I have to be a better wife. This is hard for me. I like control.

I want to budget and prioritize our finances better.

I want to make the most of every day I have.