Happy Easter

We enjoyed a beautiful Easter Sunday!  Resurrection morning services are always a little extra special with the joyful music and kids in their Easter best.  After church we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a lot of laughs and a LOT of great food! 

Raccoon Grove Hike

Lilacs

This week I noticed that the lilac bushes were almost ready to bloom with their heavenly-fragranced purple flowers that grace my home with their delicious smell for a few weeks of the year.  The kids and I happened to be near the house I grew up in yesterday and it reminded me of the park I used to ride my bike to and pick lilacs to bring home to my mom.  I thought we could spare a few minutes to stop by and see if the lilac bushes still grew there. 

We drove past the house I lived in when I was EM's age and not much has changed.  The crab apple trees were in bloom in the front yard and so was the apple tree in the back.  The shutters were still green, I remember the day my dad painted them.  I could see the lilac bushes he planted in the back yard because they have grown so big.  We walked toward the park and saw the lilac bushes in bloom, so the kids and I picked as many as we could reach! 

Owl Moon

Owl Moon isn't in the manual we own, but it is a Five in a Row book I wanted to read with the kids.  EM"s favorite animal is an owl, she often creates owl art and convinces her brothers to pretend they're owls with her.  We read the book together this week and did a cute little art project by turning pinecones into owls.  EM spent a few hours on hers and I was quite impressed with her imagination, as usual! JR finished quickly so he could get to non-craft related activites, but his turned out pretty cute too. 

Life Skills 101

Vaccuming, with four of us home all day, a Mom needs a little help! 

Gardening

Can you believe those popcorn seeds turned into this?!  We are now growing corn...in our kitchen.

Laundry

Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

Job Training?

Grocery Shopping

Sewing

Ironing!  Yikes! 

EM's Snuggle Blanket

This blanket has been my longest ongoing knitting project.  It took about a year and a half to finish, but most of that time it spent hibernating between other projects.  It's a chunky cable knit in berry colors for my sweet daughter.  I'm a lot sentimental in this way, but I love the idea of her wrapped in the warmth of her mommy's love.  She adores the things I make for her, so maybe she's a little sentimental in that way too.   

Fruit of the Spirit Devotional

The kids and I did a great study on the fruits of the Spirit this week.  It was perfect for little ones and introducing them to the fruits, some of which are familiar such as kindness and some of which were new words to them (but so applicable!) such as self-control.  I loved watching EM recognize points during her day when she could put them into practice.  

Our memory verse was Galatians 5:22-23 (NIrV)

Each day as we talked about the new fruit of the Spirit EM and JR colored and cut out a picture to add to their fruit basket.  Sometimes it's easier for kids to listen when their hands are busy!

Can you guess whose is whose?  :)  

It was also a fun reason to sing the Fruit Song!

This great kid's devotional with printables can be found here.