A few Bekah quotes from this fine Thursday

I was reading her the story in her rhyme Bible about the man who builds his house on the rock.  She pipes up, "And then the big bad wolf comes?".  Ha! 

Our washing machine is broken, so I was using our neighbors 2 doors down.  As we were walking over (Bekah pushing her play shopping cart full of "actual", or pretend, food) Bekah says, "This is a fun little Mommy Bekah date". 

We took Curtis lunch today.  He's had a busy, busy week with school and work. As we are pulling up to the school, Bekah says, "Here I come, Daddy!".  Then she starts whispering it, saying she was whispering it in his ear (he was not in the car with us).

Funny girl!  

and the winter goes on...

I'm wondering when we'll see the end of the snow here in Kansas City?  Maybe April will bring a little bit of warmth and sunshine...and perhaps storms and tornados?  I didn't realize how temperate the west coast is! 

Bekah has been fighting a cold...a lingering cough.  Nights have been rough, days have been rougher.  Can you believe that she hasn't learned yet to obey and be kind even when she feels cruddy?  :)  Just kidding.  We're working on it.  In the meantime I am practicing patience and giving lots of hugs and enjoying the extra long naptimes she's been having (2 1/2 hours today!).

Here she is watching Mickey Mouse on the couch.  Poor little precious.  No fever, just blah. 

 We're hosting Walrond Family and Friends dinner tonight.  We have dinner every Tuesday night with the other seminarians on our street.  I made this delicious chocolate chip cookie pie recipe (holy yum!) and homemade hot pockets.  Both are from my new favorite website, http://www.ourbestbites.com/. 

 As you can see, we had a BLAST in California.  We are so thankful we were able to go (thanks Mips and Mimi!!!).  Curtis did our dear friends, Taylor and Chelsea's, wedding.  It was beautiful and one of those that is just RIGHT.  We had a wonderful time with Curtis' family as well.  SO good to see them.  We enjoyed just being together.  And, as you can see, we also enjoyed seeing our dear friends again.

Beks with Bella and Brayden

Curtis, Chris, Rowan and Garrett, Bryan and Matt

Meagan, Candice, me and Theresa

It's cold back here in KC, but it feels good to be home.  We are excited about the friends we are making, the ministries we are becoming involved in, and all that Curtis is learning at NTS.

the season of Lent

Lent is slowly growing on me.  I am not real excited about making sacrifices...but I'm growing to believe that in the right context and with the right heart attitude, Lent is a GOOD thing for me, a gift from a GOOD God. 

Curtis recommended that we might follow the Christian calendar in some of our house decor.  Below are some pictures of how our house says "Lent".  I found pretty much all of these ideas from others.  Yay for the internet! 

The Lenten color is purple to reflect the royalty of Christ and his suffering. 

I like lambs instead of bunnies for Eastertime-Christ is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!  Each time we make a sacrifice for Jesus during Lent, one bean goes into the other jar.  Then on Easter, I'll replace them with jelly beans or M&Ms, to show that God takes our ordinary sacrifices and makes them beautiful. 

Our "Yes, Lord" plate took a tragic fall-but I suppose it being broken is rather symbolic of Lent, right? :) 

I loved this idea I read about-each day of Lent, Bekah gets to glue a cotton ball on our lamb.  By Easter, it is a (rather) full  fluffy lamb.  I was pretty proud of this drawing.  I'm NO artist. :) 



This is my favorite part of Lent.  We have an Easter Tree (idea from book "No Ordinary Home") and each day of Holy Week we'll add an ornament to represent that day.  Here are the ones I have done so far.  Hosanna and palm branches to represent Jesus entering Jerusalem, money and a whip for Jesus clearing the temple, the cross, the gardening one is for the resurrection when Mary thought Jesus was the gardener, and finally the wedding one for the wedding feast of the lamb.  Eventually, I'll do ALL of God's story from Genesis on (one for each week of Lent and then each day of Holy Week), but not this year. :)  I love this.   I so want to do the Easter season well.  To honor the Lord and to help Bekah understand.  Oh, that the eyes of her heart would be opened!!



Curtis' "I'm trying not to smile" face. 

eskimo kisses

butterfly kisses