Falling Follow Up

So it hasn't been the type of Easter weekend we expected... frankly in the history of our family, they never are. However, today things are getting more clear and after several meetings and talking with each other, there are some plans being made, and long term ideas coming to light. Not much else I can say at this point, but the continued prayers and love from everyone towards my family is very much appreciated! Thank you.

This morning Ariel and I thought we go by the house to see how things were. We ended up running into Uncle Bill and Aunt Penny and joined them for coffee. After getting the few things I needed for tomorrow at the store, Ariel and I drove over to the house.

Ariel was eager to try out the new toys... one being the wheelchair. Not such a hit with Papa, but a big success with princess. Go figure!


Then the walker... Ariel also agreed that it was a fun toy.


Until it falls over, oops.


Fran was over to change the dressing on Papa's hand this morning. Good to have a friend that use to be a home care nurse! Ariel wanted to be a nurse too. She took off while we were all in the bedroom and came back with the tin of cookies. I guess thats her idea of medicine. Awe.


We had a family meeting at Dad and Rita's over lunch. Ariel spent most of the time playing with Uncle Mike's shoes or trying to get up the stairs to Grandpa's computer. Following the meeting, I stopped at the store for some Easter napkins to dress up the table. We had to move dinner to Nana's place so that we could all be together and so Papa wouldn't be alone.


I got home and by then Ken was back from work, so I got Ariel into bed and then took a walk on my own to get a breather. I had gotten a very last minute email regarding a special occasion tomorrow afternoon (can't say more than that at the moment since she may see it on here) that I needed a present for, so it was perfect timing to get out alone. I stopped again by Nana's to drop off the table cloth and napkins for tomorrow, and had a little visit.

During this time Papa decided he wanted to get out of bed, and thank heavens Fran was there to help since Bill and Penny were catching up on some sleep (they had a rough night with Papa and were very over tired). So he seemed happy to be sitting in his chair, and got to try out the walker. I told him this was a floor model and not a roof one. He seemed to agree, haha.

I left again to walk home and made some yummy burgers for dinner. Ken and Ariel had some easter cookies for dessert, I only got an ear. Hee.


I got Ariel's Easter stocking all ready for a visit from the bunny tonight. Can't wait to see what little treats he brings her.


Looking forward to church tomorrow morning. Bill is going to stay with Papa so Nana came come and enjoy herself. Ariel is excited to wear her pretty dress and see blog baby friend Taeya! Hope we can get a picture, whee! I am looking forward to the blooming cross, yay!

Ok, last Easter egg moment.


Jesus' tomb was empty because He rose from the dead! (Read Matthew 28:5-8 for more of the story)

Have a great Easter and be sure to stop by to see our pictures of the big day!

Good Friday and Good Grief!

I am sitting here and trying to figure out how to start this, with the good or the not so good. I'll start with the beginning of the day and go from there.

So this morning was Good Friday service at church. I was excited this morning because I weighed in, and I have now lost 35lb in total. Woot, thats 5lb more lost, than my original goal of 30lb down for Easter. Feels good. With Ken home today, we got to celebrate with a wonderful breakfast of Hot Cross buns.


Ariel LOVED them!


Especially the chocolate ones. Hehe.


We got all dressed for church and decided to take advantage of the sunny morning and walk there. It was pretty nice out, a bit cool with a breeze, but nothing like the rain that was dumping the night before.


The service was really nice and meaningful like it always is. I really liked how they touched on the global and local issues and we prayed for them as well. The cross marked the feeling of the day. We also wrote down things that we wanted to give up and back to God on pieces of paper and burried them in the little garden boxes up at the front. Following that we took communion.


The lent candles were all out now.


Ariel did pretty well but Ken had to take her to play in the back when she started to get antsy. When things wrapped up we got ready to head home. However, I wanted to take some pictures first with my girl.


She was kinda tired, oh well.


I love the blossoms in the trees, so beautiful. Apparently, it was the first day of spring yesterday, not sure how I missed that, but oh well... happy spring!


Walking through the quiet town... only a few places open today. Mostly the sushi places, lol. Hmm sushi... yes we had some for lunch, yum.


The planters had been filled with new pansies this week, they were really cute and pretty. I love pansies.


The afternoon was a bit off, as Ariel didn't want to nap today... *cough* Daddy was home *cough* Oh well, she was holding it together so we went with it. Ken did some work and I stitched while Ariel went between both of us.

Shortly after 4pm we headed over to Nana's for dinner. Uncle Bill and Aunt Penny were coming into town for a brief visit... mostly to talk to Papa about stuff that has been going on. Well, things got interesting from that point.

We arrived to hear 'ok, we are going to the hospital now.' Turning the corner we saw Papa with a huge bump on his hand with blood. Apparently, it was a blood vessel that burst or something. At this point the details about what happened were sketchy. So we took Ariel in the house. Nana was a bit upset and shaky, I don't blame her at all, I was a little uneasy myself at this point too.

Turns out that Papa snuck out at some point while they were visiting and went up on the tool shed roof in his rubber boots. He was trying to nail a board down to keep the raccoons out of a crawl space. Guess it just kinda popped into his head that it needed to be done and he went to do it. Since he wasn't in his good shoes, he slipped out of the boots and fell off the roof. He hit his knee and banged his hand, and frankly he is lucky to be alive.

I am very thankful my Uncle and Aunt were here, I really don't know how this would have been dealt with otherwise. They took him to the hospital, and Fran came to switch with them so they could come have dinner and go back. By the time they did, he was already in a cast for his leg and ready to come home. He didn't break anything, but they are trying to protect it from further damage I guess.

My Dad and Uncle Bill had to pretty much carry Papa into the house from the car. I had to take a moment to pull it together myself, its not something I expected today, and I know its going to be a bit rough for the next little bit too. Its hard seeing Papa like this, but part of me was like, at least we don't have to worry about him trying to drive.

Ariel was very concerned about her Papa, and made sure to come give him kisses to make him all better. I think Papa liked that too.


I don't want to leave this evenings events on a low note, so I will tell you about the funny moment that happened during all the excitement. Ariel was playing 'ring around the rosie' and Nana made a comment about that Ken sang the song weird. I said, oh, because he says 'ashes' instead of 'husha' like we use to sing? Well, turns out Nana thought Ken wasn't saying 'ashes' but 'asses'. LOL! Yes, I guess that would sound really weird for a kids song. Of course now I only hear that now, so Ken needs to start singing it the other way now to avoid this whole mess. Hahaha. It was the joke of the evening.

Ok, here is today's Easter moment.


The huge stone that had covered the tomb was found rolled away. (Read Matthew 28:1-3 for more of the story)

Well, I am ready for bed. Its been a full day and I am sure things will be a bit crazy tomorrow with the continuing saga. Please pray for healing for Papa and strength for everyone during this time. Not a lot of fun for an Easter weekend.

Tis Thursday... but in a way, its Friday...

Short weeks always mess me up. Hehe. Oh well, I am looking forward to having Ken off for a few days. He does have to teach a class still on Saturday, but other than that, he is off tomorrow and Monday. Sweet!

This morning it was a girls day in Richmond. Nana, Ariel and I went to the mall and then a quick run through Costco. I was very successful in my search today for shoes. I got a really cute pair of dressy ones that I love. Plus they were on sale, score! They show off my cute toes, hee.


Also picked up a little sweater for Ariel to wear with her Easter dress since I hear its suppose to rain now. Ugh. So not impressed, and its frustrating. Part of me is waiting to see it before I believe it. They have been wrong before... if there is rain, I guess the egg hunt will be indoors.

I also picked up a really cute white dress at Old Navy. I was thinking of taking off the plain white sash and making a new one from some sort of aqua fabric to make it pop. I like that it matches a dress that I got Ariel back when we went to the outlet stores during New Years. Maybe some cute beach pictures together this summer.

We also stopped by Cobs bakery. Oh my goodness, that place is amazing! I highly suggest not going if you are trying to cut carbs! Since its Easter weekend, there will be some cheat meals going on, since I have been so good lately. Tomorrow for Good Friday, I bought some hot cross buns for breakfast. Some are the traditional fruit ones, the others are chocolate chip! Oh my, hee hee. Yummy.

At Costco I found 2 tank tops in olive green and chocolate brown. Very pretty. I also got some smoked salmon and another little something from the Easter bunny for both Ariel and Ken. One thing I wasn't planning on getting was the delicious chocolate mousse cake they were serving as a special this week. The lady gave Ariel a HUGE piece and she polished it right down. I was to make a dessert for Easter dinner/ Dad's birthday, but this was too light and creamy to pass up. I will still pick up some strawberries to go with it, perhaps dip them in chocolate too!

We got home and Ariel went straight to bed she was so tired. I spent the afternoon relaxing and stitching, here as promised is my work on this piece thus far.


Also finished up the egg craft. A little gift for everyone on Sunday.


Ariel got up and was messing up the living room. Looks like a tornado came through.


I haven't decided what is more embarrassing, posting pics so everyone can see just a portion of my messy living room... or the fact Natalie came by to drop off some papers tonight and saw it in person... plus a half naked kid running around. (We were preparing for bath time when she came by).

Ken was out at another Bible study group tonight doing his little follow up animation talk. This is the second one he has done, and still has one to go with our group. He had a great time, which was awesome. The not so fun part came when he had to leave a crying, heartbroken little girl. She loves her Daddy.

She bounced back pretty quick once she had a snack. Her gum is really swollen today, so I am hoping we may get an Easter tooth... but we have been waiting 3 months now for these dang eye teeth, so I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen.


Well, better get to the Easter moment for today, as I want to go to bed soon.


Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen cloth after He died on the cross. (Read Matthew 27:57-61 for more of the story)

Well, I will be checking in most of the weekend, so stop by for some fun Easter pictures. I am off to bed, sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I get a hot cross bun in the morning. Whee!

Watching Paint Dry

Well, more so nail polish... thats kinda like paint right? Hehe. Today was a lazy day for us girls at home. I was having Nav over this morning so I could get a pedicure in time for Easter weekend, yay.

I told Ariel someone was coming over, so she kept checking outside to see who it could be.


Eventually I had to give her and the puppies a snack since waiting is hard work for a little girl.


Nav arrived around 11ish and we talked about losing weight. She was really excited to see me and that felt awesome to show my results. I even find it crazy how short of a time it has been. Sounds like she will be going out to get the same cookbook I have. Yummy stuff. We had a great chat and I got some super cute toes. Hee. Ariel wanted to inspect them afterwards.


We had some lunch and Ariel went down for a nap while I got some stitching done. Been working on a new Easter thing like I made Ariel last year. No, this one isn't for a non existent future baby, but a family one that we can use on our door. The pattern appeared in my new magazine, and it was too cute with the bunnies and duckies. Hee. No way it will be finished by Sunday, but I thought it be fun to see how far I could get. Will post some progress pics tomorrow.

When Ariel got up we colored the eggs that I blew the yoke out of yesterday. A few drawings in white crayon, add some dye and whee! During this time Ariel said a new little phrase, 'I help'. It was very cute, and its those times you just stop and hug them for being so sweet. Besides, it so much nicer to hear 'I help' versus 'I stink'. Yes, the later is one you don't want to hear, haha.


Pretty eggs. These still require another step until they are finished, so stay tuned.


While making dinner, Ken called and when I got off the phone, this is what I saw in my dinning area...


um, yeah. She liked the eggs so much at craft time, she went looking for more. Lovely. Gotta love that climbing gene. Ugh.

I forgot to post a pic of the dinner from last night, so here it is again in its full glory. Yummy! See the post from yesterday for the recipe.


After dinner Ariel showed us her new game of 'Ring Around the Rosie'. I guess her and Daddy have been playing this recently. She sure loves it, even if she hasn't mastered part of the concept.



While Ken and I chatted about an article, regarding faith and film, that we received this morning from friends via email, Ariel was busy playing dress up. We had to stop and laugh at this look, our little babushka.


Here is tonights Easter moment.


Roman soldiers used a spear to pierce Jesus' side when He was on the cross. (Read John 19:31-37 for more of the story)

Well, time to go back to the family, as Ken has some work to do tonight on the computer, so I am back on mommy duty. They are watching Fraggle Rock together at the moment. Two peas in a pod. Hee.

Why did the duck cross the road?

Apparently, to get to the other side! This was what Ariel and I saw on our walk this morning on the way to the grocery store. Haha. Its not uncommon to see the ducks make dash across the road in this particular area, but it was the first time I had my camera with me. Yay. Ariel kept pointing at the ducks and there was a line up of cars waiting for the little guys to cross.


It was a gorgeous day, and I have hope that it truly is Spring now! Watch it rain now that I said that, hehe. Ariel and I had to pick up a few things for our new dinner recipe we tried today. First off let me say, dang, it was the best one yet! It was a Southwestern Chicken Pileup, and Ken couldn't stop saying how it tasted like something straight from a resturant. Yummy, and we are so having more tomorrow night. Totally try it, sooooooooooo awesome! Here is the recipe since I know it would be asked for eventually anyways, haha. Enjoy!

Southwestern Chicken Pileup from the Biggest Loser Cookbook

Only 356 calories, 6 grams of fat.

1 t. salt free Mexican or Southwest seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 small (1/4 pound) skinless chicken breast, trimmed of visible fat
1 whole wheat pita (6 1/2″ diameter)
2 T hummus (preferably red pepper variety)
2 T no salt added black beans, drained
Several red onion strips
Several red bell pepper strips
2 T chopped tomato
2 T fresh cilantro leaves
2 T finely shredded reduced fat cheese
4 t. guacamole of fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 450. Sprinkle the seasoning and garlic powder over the chicken. Place the chicken on the grill rack. Reduce heat to medium. Grill 3-5 minutes each side, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Meanwhile, place the pita on the grill rack. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, or until lightly toasted. Place the pita on a nonstick baking sheet. Spread evenly with the hummus. Top evenly in layers with the beans, chicken, onion, red pepper, tomato, cilantro, and cheese.

Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. Slice into 4 wedges. Top each wedge with a teaspoon of sour cream or guacamole, if desired.

Speaking of food, here is a shot of Ariel chowing down on her morning quiche this morning during our coffee break with Nana and Papa at the cafe. Its so funny to walk in and everyone knows Ariel! Its like she is Norm from 'Cheers' or something. Thats mommy's little social butterfly.


Not much else happened today besides our walk. I picked up a few treats on sale for Easter Sunday's egg hunt, that I am planning to have before dinner at Dad and Rita's house. Since I heard Katie (Rita's granddaughter) would be there, I figured we should have something more exciting than just the plastic eggs I had. I am sure Ariel will be pleased too, so stay tuned for the fun goodies. Hee.

We came home for lunch and naps. I got some cross stitch done this afternoon and cleaned up a bit before hurricane Ariel got up again. She of course was full of beans after a good sleep and dinner. When Daddy got home she was a giggly little turkey running around. Even though its pretty crazy behavior, her smile during these times are amazing. Excuse the dinner on her face, it was hard to catch her to hose her down.


She kept saying horse WHILE the ball was in her teeth. Not sure how she comes up with this stuff.


Easter moment time! Whee! Number 8 of 12, we are getting closer.


The Roman soldiers used dice to gamble for Jesus' robe. (Read John 19:23-25 for more of the story)

Tomorrow Nav is coming over and I am getting a pedicure! Yay, so excited to have pretty toes for Easter. Also hope to color some eggs with the princess for a fun craft. I prepared the shells today by blowing the yoke out of them. That can totally make you lightheaded. Ugh. We also got an email that Grammy has send some art supplies in the mail for Ariel, so those should arrive in a week or so. How exciting! Our little budding artist is emerging... sniff.

Go Green!

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone! Gosh, all these days are sneaking up on me! I didn't really get to do anything creative except get a quick picture of Ariel in some green with our little shamrock decoration. Thats my little Irish princess!


Today was a rainy day. I was up early trying to decide what we should do today, since we couldn't go walking. Of course its spring break for all the kids so I needed to take that into account. I really want to take Ariel to the Gymnastics drop in some time, but it started later in the morning. I also thought about some mall walking, but that would require more driving than I felt like doing today. So in the end, we went to the local pool.

Ariel was all geared up with her suit on under her sweats...


... and sporting her favorite knapsack from Grammy. Awe! Love the elephant!


We arrived at 930am and had a great time. For the most part, we had the whole pool to ourselves since we were early enough. Ariel got to practice some of her front and back floats. She is also the master of the kiddy slide. Hee. She also was into the water basketball game. By quarter to 11am, we were ready to go and thats when the crowds were arriving. Woot. Ariel had a cookie while we got dry and dressed.


We stopped briefly at Nana and Papa's for a quick visit. Ariel within that time managed to read the alphabet book HERSELF and eat a whole apple (cut up). We came home for a quick lunch and then it was a much needed nap for both of us. Swimming is hard work.

After Ariel's nap, Nana stopped by on her way home from a doctor's appointment. She wanted to bring over the super cute sandals she had gotten Ariel. Very cute, and tonight were carried around by the shoe loving girl... so you know they are good. Hee.


Tonight was the opening show for Dancing with the Stars, one of Ariel's favs! She loves to dance along with the music and claps with the audience. She was holding her breath waiting for the all important scores. Lol.


Then came bath and nightgown time. She briefly escaped Daddy and hid in the laundry basket. She always likes laundry night for that very reason. Once she was in bed, Ken and I watched a great episode of Corner Gas.


Ok, on to our Easter moment of the day.


Three large nails were driven into Jesus' hands and feet to nail Him to the cross. (Read John 19:16-22 for more of the story)

I am really hoping for no rain tomorrow, since I have to go to the store for some grocery stuff, and I prefer walking. I guess we shall wait and see.