One Year

 Last Friday marked the one year anniversary of John breaking his ankle.  What a year it was!  Not only did we have to deal with the onset of Covid/Cancel Culture and all of the changes/challenges that came with it, but we also had to deal with a problematic puppy on top of John's broken ankle and the regular life details.  

Today, John is not 100% "normal"--he has a new swagger and an infection at the wound site that doesn't seem to respond to anything, so we're not done yet--but he's vertical!  We are super thankful that John is able to walk and trot (he hasn't tried a full-fledged run yet) and basically do much of what he desires despite the severe break.  God is so good and we certainly saw Him show up all along the way, in so many ways, and it's amazing how much He's in the details.  <3  

To celebrate this major milestone, John and I returned to the garden we enjoy so much but haven't been able to visit due to a lack of mobility.  The day was beautiful and we took our time to explore and enjoy the splendor we were soaked in.  The walk was wonderful!  

Thank God for healing <3  We look forward to more walks in the wonders of creation.  :-) 

A Piece of Americana

We had the surprise opportunity to get up close and personal with an iconic piece of Americana.  The Weinermobile came to our area! 

I gave the kids a quick run down of Weinermobile history and then we took the tour.  It was really neat not just to see the vehicle but to talk to the Hotdoggers driving it and then to sit inside.  

To top it off, we got stickers and weiner whistles!  The only thing we didn't get was an audible--they weren't playing the song, but I looked it up and played it for the kids.  :-)  Such a fun time! 

Adulting

 Easter was a dual celebration for us as it was Nikolas' 18th birthday!  We essentially spent the first half of the day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the second half of the day celebrating the birth of Nikolas.  :-)  

Nikolas enjoyed driving us home from church (he's set to get his license soon--his appointment was later than he desired due to a backlog in appointments), 

relaxation, good food of his choice, confetti cannons on his birthday cake (they turned out to be a bit of a flash in the pan, but they were fun),

and by the time we opened gifts, it had been such a long day that it was pretty much time to call it a night. :-)  

Since our birthdays are so close together, Nikolas and I have created a tradition of designating a day for the two of us to get out and mark our milestones together--a kind of dual celebration that varies from year to year but almost always includes a lunch.  This year, we visited a military surplus store, had a great sushi lunch together, grabbed a cup of tea, and did a bit of window shopping while we walked the downtown main street.  It was a great day for the both of us.  :-)  I'm so happy getting older hasn't meant he's out grown spending time with me, just because.  <3  

Happy Birthday Nikolas!  Welcome to 18 and the first level of adulthood!  

Resurrection Sunday

 

He is risen!

 He is Risen indeed!

The boys are beginning to stand over John!

What a great reason to celebrate!  And what a beautiful day it was.  The day began with a church service where we were delighted by a song of praise sung by the children of the church.  

The children were excited to sing at Easter, especially since the Christmas Eve service (and their performance) was cancelled.  This is Sonja's last performance in the child choir as she'll age out at the end of this school year.

The afternoon held relaxation and good food as well as the traditional egg hunt and resurrection story.

 We also added in the joy of confetti eggs to play with--which we missed last year due to weather. 

 Usually we would add in an Easter movie, but instead, we had a birthday celebration to add to the excitement of the day.  That milestone will be covered in it's own post.  :-)  

Thank you Jesus for loving us so much as to make the ultimate sacrifice for us rather than be separated from us!