Easter 2017

The girls were excited to get their baskets on Easter morning.  They each had a new shirt, chocolate frogs from Harry Potter, socks, sparklers, a movie and a book.

 Ready to head to church to celebrate our risen Savior!

 We headed over to Robert and Judy's in the early afternoon.  We enjoyed lunch and catching up with family that we haven't seen in awhile.  This is the traditional picture of the cousins in attendance.  We were missing a few, but this is most of them!

 Soon it was off to the races.  Mia ran hard!

 Lily did a good job searching high and low.

 Showing off their loot.  While some of these eggs have candy in them (which they thoroughly enjoy), most of the kids are a little older now, so the majority of the eggs have coins in them.  They love this!  Can you believe they both came away with over $15 in coins?!

 After the egg hunt, it was time for the kids egg toss challenge.  Ryan went out as Mia's partner this year.  They made it to the top 3, but then it cracked.  Congrats to Ben and Nicholas on their win!

 I'm always thankful for time with Meme.  She was feeling good today and looking pretty in her new outfit.  She always gets a boost by being around all the kids.

 When we left the Howell's, it was time to come home and paint eggs.

 Like little scientists!

 Some of the finished products!

Such a beautiful and wonderful day to celebrate!

Chicago Spring Break

The girls could not wait to head up to Chicago with Ryan for spring break this year!  They knew they would get to see Grandpops and Grandma Jan and have all sorts of adventures!

 They started off at The Shedd; they love this aquarium.

 Not surprising, they choose to spend their souvenir money here.

 Yummmm, everyone loves a Giordano deep dish!

 Stan's Donuts for breakfast is a great treat too.

 Probably the biggest treat was going to see Blue Man Group.  Adults and kids alike loved this show.

 The girls had fun on the new musical see saws outside Navy Pier.

 This was their first time to visit the Museum of Science and Industry; it was a hit.

 The Lego creations were pretty cool!

 Relaxing at home, reading next to Grandma Jan, and playing with Taz.  That's a great day in Lily's book.

 A couple of the spectacular views from their home.

 I'll admit that I'm jealous when they have so much fun without me, but at the same time, I'm so thankful they made these memories!

Springtime Fun

We always have such a blast with our friends, the Smiths, and we have absolutely loved getting to know their neighbors as well.  This is such a sweet family, and they are going to be missed as a job change is making them leave Atlanta.

 Eliza is such a sweetheart.

 Happy 1st birthday to our nephew Liam!  Ryan and the girls went over to celebrate this milestone.  Unfortunately, it was a Saturday near the end of March so I had to stay behind and work.

 Liz was excited to have all her grandkids around!

 This was a precious treat to find when I came home late one evening.  Sweet girl.

 We were so proud that Mia made it into the school-wide poetry bee, and Lily made her this encouraging sign on our whiteboard.  She recited "The Crocodile's Toothache" by Shel Silverstein.  Even though she didn't win, she did a great job and represented 2nd grade well!

 Lily loves having Decker around.

 Ryan was beyond excited to get tickets to the first regular season Braves game at the new SunTrust Park.  He and Brian got great tickets, went down early to explore the park and the Battery, and to take it all in.

 Lily and her friends, Elizabeth and Emory, participated in the school's Science Fair last week.  They showed different leaf skeletons, had kids color and trace the leaf skeletons, asked trivia questions, and handed out stickers.  They loved their matching shirts that Mrs. McKeeby made, and they had a lot of fun!

 Mia started playing Upward Softball this season, and she's loving it.  She's on the Lady Mets team.  In the last game, she was awarded the defensive team member star for outstanding work in the field.

 She's gotten a few hits too and some RBIs.  She's a natural little athlete, so it's fun to watch her play.

 After one game, it was a lovely evening, so the girls and Decker had fun playing in our yard sprinklers.  Fun times!

 On the first Sunday of Spring Break, I took the girls down to the Marriott Marquis for some girl time.  We had a blast!  We swam for a couple of hours, ordered room service, and watched a movie.  I may have them let them jump between the beds in order to perform an acrobat show, and then they runway walk down the hallway to get the energy out before bed.  I love spending time with these precious girls who are growing up way faster than I want them to!

This Spring has treated us well!

March Fun

March always feels like such a busy month, but I think that's mainly because of my work schedule.  Tax time is always hectic.  Here's a few things going on though.

We love the Move Conference that JFBC hosts each year.  It's such a great time as missionaries come from around the world to tell us about the work they see God doing.  We love seeing friends come home from the Middle East and East Asia, and it's fascinating to meet new people and learn about the countries and people they serve.  For the second year in a row, we've been so blessed to host a missionary.  We love doing this!  This year we hosted Jason, who is serving with his family in Germany.  He's originally from the US though, which makes language a lot easier.  We loved getting to hear stories of the people his family has met and ministered to, and hearing about raising children overseas.  On Saturday (while I was working) there was downtime until some evening events, so Ryan and the girls treated Jason to a day at the World of Coke and lunch at the Varsity; what a great Atlanta tradition!

 Mia was so excited to have a Flat Stanley project this month.  She enjoyed the book about him, and she couldn't wait to mail him off to Grandpops and Grandma Jan, so Stanley could get a tour of Chicago.  They sent back some wonderful pictures, and Mia had a great time making up stories about his adventures.

 This was my favorite that she wrote.

 My birthday was last week, and we had a nice quiet celebration that evening.  Saturday morning was my real birthday treat though, as I took time away from work to enjoy Beauty and the Beast with the family.  This has always been my favorite Disney movie, and the live action didn't disappoint!

 Ryan and I were just itching to try something new this weekend, so after church we headed down to Ponce City Market to check it out.  We had heard good things about Jai which is a Szchuan style restaurant.  It was amazing and actually authentic; the smells and the tastes were very much like what I am accustomed to in China.  They even had my most favorite food to get in China...dry fried green beans!  We all dug in to Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Ryan, Lily, and I really enjoyed the Pork Belly and Potatoes; it was a little too spicy for Mia.  We all four loved this experience, and now everyone wants to visit China with me.  I can't wait for that day!  For a few years though, we may have to settle for returning to this restaurant!

Best News to Share

The best news in our house these days is Mia's decision.  She recognizes that she is a sinner who cannot earn the favor of God.  She understands she needs a savior to take her place and the judgement she deserves before God.  She has decided to trust in Jesus to be her Savior.  We are so excited and thankful for this decision.  We pray that she remember every day her need for Jesus, and that she grows closer to him and more like him each day.  Amazing grace has been shared once again!