Easter 2014

 

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Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the sights and sounds of Spring! Easter has always been filled with fun family gatherings and sweet treats. However, before any baskets are opened or eggs are gathered, we've always reflected on the Heart of Easter...the death and resurrection of my Jesus.

 

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While I celebrate my salvation all throughout the year as I live to serve my Savior, I do enjoy the festivities of the holiday. This year was G's first Easter. You can catch a glimpse of her first egg hunt here.

 

My family came in on Thursday but had to leave really early on Easter morning. My husband also had to go into work. I was blessed to have my best friend come in for G's birthday. She made plans to stay through Monday, which worked out really well. She celebrated G's first Easter with us and her extended stay allowed for some much needed catch up time. We typically go to the "Sonrise" service but with everything we had going on that morning, we opted to go to the main church service instead.

 

G with Aunt LaLa

We went to church and then enjoyed a nice lunch out afterwards. We came home and relaxed for the remainder of the day. It's nice to have someone you can sit in a room with and be okay with the silence. Love her!!!

 

Here are a few pictures from G's first Easter. While I know I'm biased, I must say she is one beautiful little girl. I am forever in awe of how lovely she is and just how much of a blessing she continues to be in our lives.

 



Five on Friday

It's hard to believe that earlier in the week we were celebrating a day of Spring like weather, only to have a down pour of ice and then snow the following day. I've given up on the weather. I just wake up each morning and say, "surprise me!" One thing that is consistent is the weekly Five on Friday. I enjoy linking up with Darci and others to share five of whatever my heart fancies.

[one]

I love to cook and bake and I do both on a regular basis. I make a menu every month and cook dinner almost every night. I currently have to watch my sodium intake and I am constantly looking for ways to make our meals healthier. A while back I began substituting apple sauce for oil in many of my recipes (primarily baking) and honestly, you can't tell the difference! Another item that I've recently fallen for is yogurt. Sure, I've eaten yogurt all of my life, but I've never really cooked with it. I've substituted it for both milk and sour cream in various recipes. I've begun keeping both vanilla and plain on hand. This is one recipe we really enjoyed...Greek Marinated Chicken.

[two]

This past week I finally registered for the HoosHeal 5k. I'm a bit anxious. I haven't done a 5k since well before I became pregnant in 2012. However, I am really encouraged to have a goal in front of me. To make things even better, a dear friend has graciously decided to do the race with me. Come April we'll be hitting the pavement to help fund research for various childhood cancers.

[three]

I have been a member of SparkPeople for a few years now. I love the support and encouragement that I find there. I completed my February Fitness Minutes challenge and have since signed up for the Blooming Beauties Challenge. We weigh in several times between March 1st and Labor Day. We are also provided with multiple mini-challenges that are not directly weight loss related.

[four]

15lbs down! I've officially made it! With each mini weight loss goal I've designated a "reward". I ordered my reward this week and I cannot wait for it to arrive. It looks like this, with the exception that the jewel bead is crystal and the initial is "G".

[five]

Here is a little sneak peek of G's Easter dress. I picked it up while I was out this weekend. I can't wait to celebrate her first Easter! We have so many traditions we want to share with her!