Easter

Easter is a highlight of the year!  It is a time when as Christians we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  Our weekend was filled with Easter activities, but I don't have many pictures to show for it.
Friday night our church had a Good Friday service.  "Good Friday" seems like such an oxymoron...  Our service was a little different this year, and it really had an impact on me.  We did stations that focused on Christ, the cross, and the Lord's Supper.  It was all self-guided, and as we finished, we headed back to our seat as the praise team sang.  We then sang "Jesus Paid it All", and I lost it.  I was totally broken as I thought about the sacrifice Christ made for us and the grace and love He showed.  Conner was concerned and asked if I was OK.  Caitlyn moved to sit by me, put her arm around me, and rubbed my shoulder.  She was so sweet.  I was just so overwhelmed by Jesus!

Saturday we headed to the church earlier to prepare for our egg hunt and festivities.  We had a great time of fun and a wonderful crowd.

Saturday evening, Caitlyn and I went egging.  We just love surprising friends!

Sunday morning we celebrated our RISEN SAVIOR!  It was a glorious morning!

After church, we had family over for a delicious lunch.  While we loved our time together, it was tough being that it was our first Easter without Glenda.  She loved Easter.  She would prepare all the eggs for the kids to find including a special egg for each child with a generous amount of money inside.  She also would make "eggs with yellow stuff" for me.  Chad's sister, Shannon, was sweet enough to make the deviled eggs AND take care of the eggs for the kids' hunt.  I am so thankful for her!

By Sunday night, we were worn out but oh SO THANKFUL!  It was a wonderful, beautiful weekend that we will always remember!

Stormy Surprise

Last Wednesday night, we had a huge storm blow through.  We knew that it was supposed to rain, but we had no idea that it was going to hail like never before.  We were in bed, and it was about 11 o'clock.  Out of nowhere, it started hailing extremely hard, and we thought the roof was going to cave in!  Once it subsided, we went to check the damage.
This is the hail that built up outside our front door.

Unfortunately, we had one window break all the way through.  That was not fun to clean-up, but we were so grateful that it wasn't worse!

We have a friend two streets over that had 7 broken windows!  We also had another window that had one pane break but not the second, and we have significant damage to the roof.

Unbelievably, Caitlyn did not wake up at all!  I don't know how she slept through it.  Conner was at a friend's house a few towns over, and it did not hit with the same intensity there.

These Days

We had a very busy weekend that has just carried over into our week.  I am looking forward to some time off on Friday to relax and truly focus on the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us.

Saturday morning we headed to the church for a work day.  Chad did work outside such as trimming trees while the kids and I helped inside with painting.  We also planted some pretty spring flowers to brighten up the place. 

Saturday night, we enjoyed Conner's one-act play.  They performed Alice in Wonderland.  Conner had a few different parts, but our favorite one was the rabbit.  He was so funny!

Caitlyn had artwork in the district's art show as well.  She is so creative!

Sunday morning we went to church and then the kids competed in the next round of Bible drill.

Caitlyn and Katie both made it to the state competition, and Caitlyn earned a perfect score!

Conner and Abigail made it to regionals, and we are so proud of their hard work!  It really is amazing what all they memorize and learn.

Sunday evening, Caitlyn wanted to make cupcakes.  She has been watching Cupcake Wars lately and was inspired.  She used a boxed cake mix and icing for her first attempt, and I thought she did a great job!

Monday night, Caitlyn had her first softball games of the season-a double header!  It was SO cold!   Her team moved up to the next age group which means that it is all kid pitch.  We weren't sure what to expect, but they did great and won both games!  Caitlyn decided to share her cupcakes with her team.  Her coach put in a special request for next time, and she is excited about the challenge!

That's what we're doing these days!  We are very excited about celebrating Easter over the next few days.

Friday Favorites

It's FRIDAY!  Woo hoo!  We have had a fun, busy week, and we are looking forward to the weekend!

I'm linking up with  Erika for Friday Favorites!

 

ONE

Seeing the kids compete and excel in Bible Drill was definitely a favorite this week!  We are so proud! 

TWO

These cuties are a favorite!  Every time I see sweet Lucy, she gives me my baby fix.  I am so thankful that they live close.

THREE

SHAMROCKING friends and family was a favorite this week!  SO-MUCH-FUN!

FOUR

Enjoying a book on the back porch in the sunshine is a favorite.  I just couldn't resist!

     

You've Been SHAMROCKED!

It's St. Patrick's Day!  We really enjoy celebrating holidays, and we love blessing others even more.  I came across this great idea on Dating Divas.  Unfortunately, Conner had a track meet and didn't get to join us.  Caitlyn and I went as soon as she got out of school, and we had so much fun! 
First stop, the Evans' house.

The whole time we were hanging the signs and setting out the shamrock path, Caitlyn was paranoid that they were going to pull up and see us.  It was so funny!
Next stop, my brother's house.

Last stop, our friends the Havers.  Caitlyn just knew they were going to be outside, but fortunately, they were not.  But, as I pulled a little past their house, I noticed that the blinds were pulled up in one of the front windows.  The next thing we know, one of the kids opened the front door.  BUSTED!  They had seen us pull up.  We told her to go back inside why we set everything up.

Even though we got caught, we still had a blast SHAMROCKING friends and family.  We will definitely do it again next year, and hopefully Conner will be able to join us.
Next up, Easter!  We are looking forward to doing some EGGING!

Bible Drill

Sunday afternoon after church, the kids competed in our church's Bible Drill.  It is an amazing competition.  Caitlyn had to memorize 25 verses and the location of 10 key passages.  She also had to know the books of the Bible in order.  For each part of the drill, she had 10 seconds to either find the book/passage or to recite the given verse.  She worked very hard over the weekend, and she finished with a perfect score.  We are so proud of her!  She was so excited that her best friend joined her this year.

For Conner's drill, he also had to memorize verses and locate books of the Bible along with memorizing doctrinal verses and Bible answer verses.  His is even more challenging in that he only has 8 seconds to respond.  He also spent a lot of time over the weekend preparing, and he only missed 1.  We are very proud of his efforts!

Both kids along with some others from church will be competing in the associational drill this weekend.  We can't wait to see how they do, and regardless, we are so excited about all of the scripture they have learned and hidden in the hearts!

Spring Break Day Five

Day five didn't want to be left out, so it was filled with rain like the rest of the week.  My siblings and their families all met up for breakfast at my mom's favorite downtown diner.

 

This week was the 3 year anniversary of my mom's passing.  It is so hard to believe it's already been 3 years.  Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could pick-up the phone and call her.  I miss her dearly.  As we were finishing up our breakfast, my brother noticed the name our waitress had written on the back of the check-JACKIE.  We were stunned that it was my mom's name.
After breakfast, we walked to the park where their is a tree dedicated to her.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture.  We didn't get to enjoy the park because of the rain.  Once everyone left, our family hit up Shoemaker and Hardt for some treats-another favorite place of my mom's.  Since it was chilly and yucky outside, I enjoyed the best hot chocolate.  The cookie is for Conner.

 We all took it easy around the house the rest of the day.  At one point, the house was really quiet which is unusual when Caitlyn is home.  I walked into our room, and she had fallen asleep on our bed.  I can't remember the last time she took a nap! 
Our Spring Break didn't go as planned between all of the rain and Conner getting sick, but we were all grateful for some down time.

Spring Break Days Three and Four

Day Three

Day three was filled with more rain.  We had a lazy morning at home.  Conner woke up feeling better, so he made plans to help our youth pastor at the church.  We went by and picked up a friend, and then we met Chad for lunch.  We tried out a Mexican food restaurant that my assistant principal had told me about.  When we walked in, I was greeted to, "Mrs. Womack?"  One of my former students from when I taught at a private school was the hostess.  It was good to see her!
After lunch, Conner and his friend headed to church with Chad, and Caitlyn and I went to search for an Easter dress.  Before my mom passed, she would shop for and buy Caitlyn's dress with us.  This week it has been three years since we lost her, and it isn't any easier.  Caitlyn found six different dresses to try on, but she settled on this cute denim dress.

 

After lunch and shopping, we headed home, and Caitlyn had a friend over to play for the afternoon.  I spent some time reading my Kingsbury book, and then we went to church.

Day Four

We had big plans of taking the train to Fort Worth and spending the day their with our friends the Evans.  Unfortunately, we had another day full of rain, so we had to find something to do inside.  We decided on Medieval Times.

 

However, Conner woke up feeling bad again, so a trip to the doctor was on the agenda first.  Thankfully, he did not have the flu or even strep.  It was a sinus infection, so we got him some meds, and he spent the day resting.  I feel so bad for him because he has not gotten to do anything fun.  Since we had already purchased tickets, Caitlyn asked a friend to join us in Conner's place.  

It was such a fun time, and the food was good as well.  The fact that we had to eat everything with our hands was different, but we did it!  We cheered for the green knight.

It was a great time with best friends!  Caitlyn ended up spending the night with her friend.  Chad, Conner, and I enjoyed a quiet night at home, and I finished my book!

I can't believe we only have one more day of Spring Break!

Spring Break Days One and Two

It's Spring Break!  Woo hoo!  Unfortunately, rain is forecasted all week long and has forced us to change some plans.  That's OK though because we are grateful for the break!

Day One

Chad took Monday off to spend with us.  Conner had an orthodontist appointment, so we decided to make the best of it.  Chad and the kids graciously let me indulge in my favorite lunch at Cafe Max!  It was delicious.  
While Conner was at his appointment, Chad, Caitlyn, and I hit up Half-Price Books.  I was looking for a few books to read over break.  I ended up with a Karen Kingsbury book.  I am also trying out a different author, Rachel Hauck.  Chad found a book by Eric Metaxas that looks interesting, and Caitlyn found a coloring book to enjoy.  
Once home, the kids asked if some friends could come over.  They had fun playing Scene-It, making music videos, and spending time at the park once it stopped raining.  I am so grateful for sweet friends for the kids to spend time with.
 Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the day.

Day Two

 The kids and I had high hopes of heading to the Austin area to watch my niece play softball Tuesday night and spending the night.  Unfortunately, we were in the middle of a rain storm, and although it was supposed to slow down for the afternoon, more was promised that evening.  Between having to drive in rain and the risk of the game being cancelled, we decided it would be best to postpone our trip.  Conner had woken up feeling miserable, so it was probably for the best anyway.  He spent most of the day in bed.  Caitlyn had a friend over, and they enjoyed some DIY projects and time at the park.  Since our plans were spoiled, we decided a fun evening out was in order.  We took Caitlyn and her friend to Magic Time Machine!
We sat at the Easter table.

The ceiling

Mario was our waiter.

The girls had fun tracking down autographs from the different characters-Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Luigi, Belle.  They also enjoyed some magic tricks and balloon animals.  It was a nice evening out!

Brave

I never have been a very brave person or a risk taker.  I approach challenges with caution, wanting to be confidant before tackling them head on, afraid of failure and the feelings it brings.  Last summer, we went to a swimming hole in Wimberly, Texas.  There is a rock there that people jump off into the cool water.  I decided that I could do it, no problem.  It wasn't until I was at the top and looking down that I started having doubts.  What in the world was I doing?  What if I slipped on the rock and fell (which was very likely considering how clumsy I am)?  What if I didn't jump out far enough and hit a portion of the rock?  As these thoughts consumed me and I told Chad I didn't know if I could do it, two college age girls started cheering me on, speaking words of encouragement.  It was at this moment that I had to decide that I wasn't going to let fear rob me of the fun I could have, and I did it!

Conner and Caitlyn don't seem to have this problem.  Not only did they make the jump with ease, but they did it multiple times!

Conner and Caitlyn at Jacob's Well

 I am constantly amazed by their bravery in tasks.  Most recently, Conner has taken on pole vault in track.  He didn't make it past the first round in his first track meet, but the fact that he is willing to try something so challenging is awesome!
Caitlyn decided to try out for junior high cheerleader.  She went in knowing that all but a couple of girls participated in competitive cheer or cheer classes while she wasn't even sure what a herkie was.  During the week of tryouts, she worked hard, had fun, and had the best attitude.  She ended up not making it, but I was so proud of her for trying.
I am so thankful that they both are willing to try new things and not let the fear of failure hold them back.  I have spent much of my life allowing fear to control me, and there are many times I have to claim 2 Timothy 1:7.

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."