Sweet Shot... (recovering from wisdom teeth extraction edition)

This picture actually is from Tuesday. Just in time for Sweet Shots.

However, due to the lounging around I've been doing just past getting my wisdom teeth out, I hadn't had a chance to link up yet. oye

Our Other Family

I'd been begging this beautiful family to let me take their pictures for a long time. Judging by the fact that I drug them out into the cold for outdoor shots and they had to be very patient with a lighting issue I was having... it will probably take a lot of begging before they'll let me do pictures again. Ha. Thankfully, they are some of our bestest friends and we love these guys. So I'm hoping they'll forgive me soon. :) Thanks for yet another fun time, P family!

Mom

I mentioned to my mom the week before her birthday that I wanted to take some pictures of her on the 'big' day. To my surprise, she actually agreed! AND I even got her to smile for a few of them! :) Although as we were going through them, she still liked the non-smiling one. I'll take it!

We got these right before heading out for what she thought was dinner with some of her kids. This, of course, was right before her big surprise party. :)

Happy Birthday!

Saturday, we had a surprise party for my mom (am I allowed to tell she turned 60?)! She claims she had no idea, but we are all pretty sure she knew.

April 3rd is also my grandma's (39th) birthday so it was a double celebration.

There was lots of cake.

And lots of help opening presents.

(I like this picture because I was blessed to get this amazing cookbook as a gift not too long ago- when I got it back from my mom it had drool on it. When she opened it her friend said, "Is that the cookbook you've been talking about?!?" I'm pretty sure she liked this gift.)

Happy Birthday, Mom and Grandma!

M&M All Dressed Up for Easter

Remember these two?

They are two of the sweetest, most polite, loveyest (oh shush, red squiggly), silliest little girls I know. And look at what great little models they are. Can you believe they are two?

Friday

I posted this last year after Good Friday. This year, I go into the day thanking Him for bearing my cross. Isn't He wonderful? Praying that you all have a blessed Easter weekend! -H

Original Post:

Good Friday, actually.
This is going to sound really odd.... mostly because I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember and I was baptized when I was 12. And of course have always celebrated Easter.

But this is the first year I really get it.
I mean really. truly. GET it.

I always "understood" Good Friday (but never really got what was so good about it).
The church we've been attending (yes, we are still looking for a home but like this one in the meantime....) celebrated Good Friday with a passover. (I was skeptical about it as well... but I looked to my Bible (and google) and am okay with it..http://www.gotquestions.org/Christians-celebrate-Passover.html).

And after the passover, he talked about the cross. Really talked about the cross. I, as usual, was carefully listening for any discrepancies between his version and the Bible's version.... the only one I feel is worth pointing out for anyone that was there... is that Jesus KNEW Peter would deny him (of course He knew) and told him he would do so three times before the rooster crows. So this was not a shock to Jesus. But I think his point was that it still stings. And that, I'm sure, is true.

I digress.

Anyway, he really talked about the cross. And I finally GOT it. The pain, the hurt, the sting, the beautiful, the wonderful, the saving cross.

Work has hurt really bad lately. It hurts to walk in the door. It stings to look at certain people in the building. It pains me to look at children and know I am powerless in keeping them safe.

But Jesus understands (of course He does).

He knows the pain. The hurt. The sting.

And that is beautiful. Wonderful.

That is the saving cross.

And my cross is easier to bear.

Because of Him.

I pray that you will have a beautiful, wonderful, blessed Easter with your family this weekend. I plan to have one with mine. Thanks to Him.

Before/After

Poor Maysen skinned up her face at daycare. The worst of it had healed, but with a little clone stamp, she's all better! ;) I faded out the colors before going to BW. I use CS3.