Night On the Town...

We were invited to go to an excellent Belgian restaurant by Dan and Joan Beasley, who are the "fine dining experts" in our Life Group....were we ever impressed! The restaurant is located "uptown" in an area where we had not yet visited, but we saw a lot of interesting places we weren't even aware of. I started my meal out with salmon for an appetizer and then had scallops and shrimp for dinner. Larry ordered pork and it came looking like an artist arranged the plate. We all shared our wonderful desserts, but my favorite was the Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries and cream...yum! What a fabulous evening we had sharing delicious food and great fellowship.

Easter Sunday!

Ever since Lydia left, Larry and I have been trying to get over what must have been the flu, because it hit us both really hard. I was so thankful when I woke up this morning that I felt a hundred percent better, because I had a busy day planned.

I was excited about teaching today because I love sharing the joy of Easter with children! I had time to do some special crafts and tell the story of the crucifiction, burial and resurrection before we headed upstairs for what the drama team had planned...it was awesome as usual and the kids loved it!

We had been invited over to Dan and Joan Beasley's house for Easter, and as usual, they did an outstanding job of entertaining! Dan prepared Honey Glazed Spiral Ham with Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Joan made her Baked Pineapple and her famous Easter Bunny Coconut Cake...it was all wonderful! As usual, I enjoyed seeing all her unique decorations that she displays so artistically.

After dinner, the guys all headed out to play with Dan's motorcycle and Larry even took it for a ride around the block...I can see where this is all heading!

Dan and Joan also had invited some good friends who had just come back from serving in Germany. I took this picture of their daughter taking a swim after dinner, because it's been a long time since we lived anyplace warm enough to swim on Easter, especially when it falls in March!

Traveling Day...

Stacey and Lydia were due to leave today at two o'clock, but after a morning which began with "Krispy Kreme" donuts (yum!) and a short trip to the mall, we arrived at the airport to find their flight delayed. We finally left them when they went through security at three o'clock, and then got a phone call from Stacey saying their plane had been delayed again! I think they finally took off about five, and we're praying Stacey didn't have too much trouble with Lydia after all the delays...traveling with young children is not easy!

Children's Museum

For the last day of their visit, I wanted to take Lydia someplace special so I chose the Children's Museum in New Braunsfels...it was even better than I expected! They had a nursery set up just like in a hospital, which is great because this summer Lydia's family will be welcoming a new baby brother into their home!



Another favorite exhibit was the grocery store, where kids get to shop for food and check out their purchases before they leave. I remember taking my girls to a similiar exhibit at the Denver Children's Museum when they were small and I was surprised at how well Lydia did considering her age.



I think the thing that was most surprising for me was the exhibit where kids got to paint a real car! Because of her age, I didn't let her do a lot of painting (it would have been too messy), but I did let her have a brush with some pink paint and she seemed to really like that! We have had so much fun this week and today was no exception!

"Horton" Experience...

We took Lydia to her first movie this evening..."Horton Hears A Who", and she loved it! I wasn't really sure what to expect because she usually doesn't sit still for long. I started reading the book to her earlier and also gave her the stuffed animal so she would be familiar with the story and characters. She sat perfectly still for about 45 minutes and then I took her to get popcorn which kept her busy for the rest of the movie. I don't know if she'll remember it or not, but it's a memory that Stacey and I'll treasure in the years to come!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We got up today and decided to go to a nearby mall where I was told they had an indoor play area called "Inflatable Wonderland". I wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be a huge playground perfect for younger children. At first, Lydia was overwhelmed and didn't know what to do, but she finally made friends with a little girl not too much older than her and together they climbed and bounced and slid their way through the morning. When she tired of that, we walked through the mall and went to lunch at Chick-Fillet. As we were exploring, we came across the Easter Bunny who started waving at her from a distance. She got really excited, even jumping up and down, but she didn't seem to want to go near him, so we went on our way. Later though, when we saw him again, she took off and ran into his arms and gave him an unexpected hug! I just happened to have my camera handy and got a cute picture. As we walked away, one of the guys at a nearby food kiosk said it was the cutest thing he had seen since working there!

We got home about 12:30 and Lydia went out to the backyard to play (she loves the freedom of being able to go out by herself) and I took this picture of her "dancing" with the new Big Bird toy she got at the mall. It was a fun morning.

Super Sunday!

What a wonderful day it has been...we started out early this morning because I had to teach Sunday School and Larry was involved with the parking ministry. Stacey decided to get up and go with us, so I got to share Lydia with my kindergarteners! I was really surprised because she followed directions and quietly listened to the Bible story. Then we all went out for our worship time and she really liked seeing the puppets...she even waved a palm leaf while we sang!

After our Bible Time, we went to the library and then went for a ride in the cart Larry drives for the HOST ministry. It was unusually cool and windy this morning so it was a short ride!




We went out for brunch at the Magnolia House, where they have literally "The Best" pancakes in the world, then returned home where Lydia took a four hour nap. when she woke up, we got out the playdough and a modeling kit and everyone got involved...even Larry!

Saturday Afternoon...

Wow...it's been a full day of "Adventures In Toddlerland"! Everyday, I let her discover a few more toys...it's fun to pull out new things and watch her explore them. She loves the playhouse, especially if I role play with her.

After her nap, I decided to do an Easter Egg Hunt, not knowing if she would even understand what it was. I only hid a few eggs filled with fruit snacks as well as some "Playdough Bunny Eggs", but she definately loved every minute of it!

Larry barbequed again tonight, since Stacey has missed that living on her own. After dinner, Stacey and I took her to my school to play on the playground. We have a fabulous preschool area that's even covered for protection from the sun and she had a ball!

Saturday Morning...

It was such a beautiful day today that we decided to take Lydia to the San Antonio Zoo. We hadn't had a chance to visit ourselves so we were anxious to find out how it compared to other zoos we have visited. Although it isn't as large as the zoo in Chicago, it was a great zoo...beautifully kept with lots of attractions. We all enjoyed watching Lydia, especially in the petting zoo, where they had brushes as well as food to let the children care for the animals. She seemed to really have a good time.

Day Two...

It was really hard for me to go to school today and know that Stacey and Lydia were at home with Larry today, but because it was "Fun Friday", once I got there, I didn't have much time to think about it! Now I've got the next five days to play with my girls...

We started out the weekend by going to "Incredible Pizza" and having a great dinner...LOTS of choices! Lydia enjoyed the fruit more than anything, but what was really fun was exploring all the games and rides. She rode the merry-go-round, and a few others but what was funny was how much she likes to watch people...I mean she doesn't miss a thing!

After we got home, it was still really warm so we went to the park again and then home for bath, story and bedtime. I can't wait for tomorrow when we get to take her to the zoo!

















Larry and Stacey hung a gate at the top of our stairs, so hopefully we can have a safe and fun week!

Day One...Arrival!

The day we've been waiting for is finally here...Stacey and Lydia arrived this evening and we are SO happy to have them both here! Their flight was right on time and Stacey said Lydia did great on the plane, which is answered prayer. She did seem a little confused when she got to our house, but as soon as I showed her the toy box, she seemed right at home. In fact, she was a bit overwhelmed by all we had here for her, but that's OK because she's got a week to explore! She loved the freedom of being able to go outside whenever she felt like it, and she loved looking at the flowers (just like her Mommy!). After a wonderful dinner of barbequed flank steak, Stacey and I went for a walk down to the park where we let her play for a while. We stopped and showed her the pool, and she started taking her clothes off to go swimming. She was a little bit frusterated when we told her no, so we went home and let her take a bath in Grandma's big bathtub...she loved that! She was so exhausted after her big day, that I put her right to bed and read her a story. She was asleep before I even finished!

Anticipation...

Wow...this has been a busy week! We spent all weekend getting ready for Lydia. Shannon and Josh are going away for a few days so Stacey will have Lydia while they're gone and it just happens to be while I'm on Spring Break, so they're going to spend the week enjoying the good weather in San Antonio. They don't arrive for another week, but Larry and I spent last weekend getting ready! We pulled out old toys and even hit a few yard sales...you can tell we're a LITTLE excited!

On Monday, we got some good news from Shannon and Josh...they're expecting a baby BOY! After three daughters AND a grandaughter, we're all very excited! I've already hit a couple of sales and bought some outfits in baby blue...and I'm sure I'll be doing lots more shopping before July.

I spent today at the Bexar (pronounced "Bear") County Courthouse because I was called for Jury Duty...I think it's the 15th time for me! Every time we move, I get my letter in the first year. I did get put on a rape case, but was finally dismissed late in the day. (I think it's because I said I didn't drink alcohol and have been a member of "Mothers Against Drunk Driving", and this case involved alcohol.) I was glad to leave because it was such a depressing case. It made me thankful for the life God has blessed me with!