No Pictures Today...

I am sharing with you today with no pictures. I'm sorry if this disappoints anyone, but I have something to say that doesn't have pictures to go with it...

Here's the thing, I didn't get to have a traditional Easter this year. Kind of disappointing to me, but it was a blessed day none the less. Here was my day:

It started with leaving my house at 6:25am to pick up a friend of mine from work and dropping him at the store so he wouldn't have to wait for the bus on such a cold windy morning. I then proceeded to Starbucks to get myself my favorite cup of coffee. The girl at the window of starbucks has gotten to know me because she is always there on the Sunday's when I have to be to church really early and I stop to get coffee. She asked me how many kids I had that day, and I told her none, one was at mom's house and one was at Karin's house because I had to be up and out so extremely early.

I left starbucks and headed to Church. The trip was a little saddening for me. Realizing that on such a special day as Easter, I didn't get to be with any of my family. I have always wanted to be on Praise Team for the Easter Sunday Services, but I didn't realize how the time away from my family would affect me.

I got to church and found out that I was 20 minutes early. So I sat and listened to the band warm up and practice before the rest of the singers got there to start practice. We practiced our two songs and then went and practiced the two songs with the choir. Our music that day was incredible. I would go over the choir songs at home with the CD that had been provided for us, and Jackson and I would dance and have Church right there in my living room. It is so amazing singing with these 60+ people. Such talent, it amazes me!

We went through our first service and everything went well. The music sounded great! Then came time for us to wait for the second service countdown so we could all be back up on stage. I was standing out in the foyer with some other friends, just talking, when my family from Utah came in the door and it was so great to see them again (you can read more about their visit on Karin's blog). We hugged and found an empty pew at the back of the church to save for mom and all of Karin's family. They sat down, and we spread coats and bibles across the rest of the pew. I ran up to the stage to get ready to sing again. As I sat beside my good friend Kris in the choir loft, I watched my mom walk in and sit down, and then Karin and Tim, Isaiah, Isaac, Esther-Faith and Aurora got there and joined them in the long pew. It is so nice to be able to go to the same church as your family and share such wonderful days with them.

We sang our songs to a packed house, it was kind of warm, but what can you expect. I went down and enjoyed sitting with everyone, we all fit in the pew, it was great! I even got to hold my baby girl during the service, which I haven't done since she was a very small baby! After the service was done, Karin decided that we needed more controlled chaotic pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits. (again, you can capture pictures of this on her blog). We took the pictures and made plans for her to take Aurora back home with her, and for mom to take Jackson back home with her. It was sad for me to see my kids go home with someone else on a day when I would have loved to be with them.

I went through the third service with the rest of the choir and music team. I got in the van when we were done, and headed home. I called a couple of friends, or texted them to say happy Easter. I got home, made something easy to eat before heading to work. Then came the fun part of my already kind of sad Easter Sunday (can you sense my sarcasm?). I got to work at 1:30, there was very little for me to do. Everyone was quiet and finishing their stuff so they could go home. But my day was just going to get better from there, however, I didn't know that at that point.

Just in time to take my first break, one of my best friends (Heather) and her daughter stopped by to get some shopping done for the week. I immediately took my break and we sat down and spent 15 minutes together. I then went back to work and she continued shopping. I had nothing but cleaning to do, and not much of that, so I just kept checking the floor or the freezer buffer to find things to decorate so I could keep myself busy. We had very few people shopping, which meant I had very little customer interaction. I knew that Karin and mom were doing the Easter Egg hunt with the five kids, and I really wanted to be there.

I kept working, whatever I could do. A friend of mine then called to say hello. Since I had very little to do, we talked for a few minutes and then I got a customer. We hung up and I helped the nice man. It was a pleasant surprise that even on a day when I really didn't want to be there, and all the other departments were getting to leave early, but I still had to stay till 10, I got a visit from a good friend and then a call from another. Then it happened, Karin and Tim, and their three beautiful children walked up to my counter. I gotta tell you, my day was just getting better! I had just finished decorating the last cake that I was going to do before I started cleaning for the night. Talk about perfect timing! They made a trip all the way from home, just to see me. It's probably a 15 or 20 minute drive, and they came, just to see me on Easter. What an incredible surprise. They gave me picture of the girls from their "slumber party" the night before and a CD with pictures of the sleepover, the pictures at church and the Easter Egg Hunt. Wow, somewhere around 240 pictures were on the disc. What a gift to me.

By the time I headed home for the night, I realized that I although I hadn't done the colored eggs with the kids or with the silk ties like last year, and I hadn't gone to someones house for an Easter dinner like last year, and I hadn't taken pictures of the Easter egg hunt like last year, and I wasn't with my kids on Easter like last year, but when you look at all the people who graced me with their presence and their love, I had one of the busiest but best days EVER!! From our family from Utah (Aunt Lynette, Sarah, and Zach), my visits and phone calls from my good friends and family. How could I have asked for a better day? The only thing I would ask is that next year, if my day is equally as busy, that I would get to spend at least a little more time with my kids. The gift that God gave us of his Son on Christmas and then the gift that Christ gave us of His life on Good Friday and then the gift of His resurrection on Easter can be compared to nothing. We don't deserve the love that He gives us, and the grace and mercy that He gives us. Just like I didn't think I deserved that love that my friends and family gave me on this special day, I still got it.

Thank you everyone for making my Easter this year the most Memorable Easter in my last 30 years of life. You are gifts to me from God and I love you all!! Thank you!!

Have an Amazing Day!!!

-Kristen Elaine

New Baby!!

On March 6th at 3:29am we got a new neice. Cambria Marie, She weighed 7lbs 9ozs and was 18.5 inches long. She looks perfect. Her head is so round and pretty! Here are the four grandkids on that side of our family. Nana, I'm putting these up especially for you because you are so far away and won't get to see them nearly as often as would be nice. So here you go, this was the other night, on her fourth day after "Aunt Ashleigh Popped Her Out". (As Jackson would say).Big sister Kaelyn and new sister Cambria:
The girls!
Aurora, Kaelyn and Cambria. Now there is only one boy, too bad Jeremy isn't here for Jackson to play with. Of course, he and Kaelyn are amazing together, so I guess he is okay, but it still would have been nice to have Uncle Jeremy in all these pictures too!!!Uncle Aaron, being forced to hold baby Cambria. Good thing she was sleeping. Didn't I just get done saying she was sleeping? What is he doing? Now I know where Jackson gets his bratty side!!!Auri, taking a picture (not really) of me taking a picture of her. Can't get any better than an upside down and backwards camera, good thing it is a toy now.Auri found a make-up brush in Kaelyn's toybox. She loves to put makeup on, everytime I put it on, she wants some too. Well, she thinks she is doing it herself now.
And she is using the smallest mirror EVER.
I love all the kids in my life!!
Thanks for letting me share!!!

-Kristen

A Little Piece of Heaven

From my bedroom window..

This is what I found when I pulled back the OSU flag that hangs in my bedroom window. The snow is drifted over the ledge by a good 14 or more inches and there are icicles hanging from it, and up under it. Check out these pictures, it's incredible!!!

It's All About The Snow!

Well, they are saying it is the worst snow fall since the blizzard of 1978 down here in Columbus. It just so happens that I don't remember that blizzard because it was a few months before I was born. However, this is what we grew up with up in NorthEastern Ohio. However, I've been down here for so long, that I haven't seen this kind of snow in a long time. I am totally loving it!!! Of course, all my friends who are from down here, or further South in the US are not so much loving it. I tried to start cleaning out the cars this morning with a garden shovel because my snow shovel broke on the last snow we had which was followed by ice. Anyway, I ended up stopping at the door of the Escort and calling work to see if they really wanted me to come in. They said I was fine, so I just stayed in the house until it was time for the kids all of eight minute romp in the BEAUTIFUL snow!

This is a picture of the kids toy thing out in front of the house (Jackson calls it his 'clubhouse'). I also took a picture of his pool, but since it is upside down, it just looks like a big white pile of snow. So I didn't post that picture. The view from my front door to the street. It is truly a winter wonderland!! I think drifted snow is so beautiful, dangerous, but beautiful! Here are the cars after I shoveled half way up the escort. Needless to say, I am glad that church is cancelled tomorrow because now I don't really have to shovel the cars unless we really have to go somewhere. Of course, Aaron is supposed to have training in Detroit this week and is supposed to leave tomorrow. We'll see if they make him go, he will have to drive if he does.
Here you go, our first three minutes of our eight minute time outside. We had as much fun as two kids who hate being cold can have. Auri's fingers were so red and swollen when we came in that I may reconsider taking her out next time. It was cool to see how far the full 14 inches plus drifting stacked up on her little body. She was about four to six inches above the ground just standing on the bottom layers of snow too.

You can't see it, but she also has pink pants under her black ones, a grey sweatshirt, and purple shoes. She was kind of like Joseph and his technicolored coat. Although quite adorable!

Jackson felt the need to bring out a little nurf football and continued to throw it at me. He actually has gotten better at his aiming. He used to be pretty off when it came to hitting his target, but he got me in the head once, in the toosh once, and on the back another time and I finally told him that I'd had enough getting pelted with a football. He seemed to be having a good time though!!

Oops!

It's a good thing that not a lot of people had their dogs out in our yard today. Both of the kids went face first at least once. I thought about throwing them straight down in the snow, but Jackson just weighs too much for me to pick him up high, and Auri would have been very upset had I done it to her. It was a cool thought though. At least in my head it was cool!!!

Snuggle and warm up time with Daddy. She was very cold. But she warmed up fast, look at that face. She can melt your heart and will always have you wrapped around her tiny little pretty fingers. My Sweetheart!!!

I hope the rest of you enjoyed the snow (whether looking at it or playing in it) as much as I did. I love winter and I love snow. I am glad that I didn't have to drive in it, but it really is one of the most beautiful things God could have ever given to us. Enjoy the weather and have a cup of coffee or Constant Comment tea, with an egészségedre! (Cheers) from me to you!!

-Kristen

Working Kids...

Aparently they think they are at some sort of construction site. They told me they were going to work. I didn't go to work today because I couldn't get out (due to the snow), so they think they have to go for me. How cute are they?Blowing me kisses!
Dancing Feet...
Ready for a movie!

My Kids For My Parents...

This is actually a painting that I gave my parents for Christmas, but I just took a picture of it the other day. It is hanging on their wall so it looks crooked. It was a picture that I took of Jackson and Aurora walking down a path out at my Grandparents house in New York. It is a path my mother walked as a child, so I thought it was kind of cool that she have the painting of it. Anyway, here you go...

Leap Day Wedding Cake...

Well, my friend was asked to do a wedding cake for another friend of ours and he asked me to help him. Her wedding was on Leap Day in the evening (which was Friday). Well, it just so happened that he had outpatient surgery on Thursday, so that made it interesting to try to do a four tear wedding cake with Fondont icing on it. Here is a picture of Auri taking her nap while we were working on it (Jackson didn't nap, he said he wasn't good at naps). And then after that are pictures of the cake. I actually took all these photos with my new phone and thought I'd try to download them on the computer, they turned out pretty good.

As you can see, there are only three tears. Well, there were four, but the second one from the top kind of collapsed while we were trying to deliver it, so we put it in the refrigerater for the bride and groom to take home with them. Anyway, this was my first experience with fondont and it was awesome. It just solidifies the thoughts in my head that I would really like to do wedding cakes all the time. I love doing fancy stuff, so I'm gonna look into cake shops in Columbus to see if any of them are hiring and if so, if they want a part time decorator.

Have a fabulous day!!

-Kristen