Happy Easter

Have a happy Easter from Haven and her brown bunny friend :)

march's winter wonderland

While Haven & myself & Arlan are all ready to start perusing the garden center's to start our official kick-off of Spring, our great Lord had a bit different plan this weekend...dumping about 7 inches of snow on Bloomington/Normal and actually blessing our state capital with 17 inches, it is quite a winter wonderland around Central IL!  So while flowers & yard work will wait yet another weekend, we had to enjoy the snowy weather...and Copernicus, our snow friend, made a return :)

Friday's Funny~King of King!

if you can't get there

I don't often use my blog as a place to document thoughts...profound or not; however, as I was scrubbing my kitchen floor this morning, a conversation [shouting-type, due to distance] occurred with my daughter that brought me to remembrance of basic teachings from our Lord...
[*note...quite a bit of prayer & thoughts can get done while down on your knees...scrubbing a kitchen floor or not!]

Haven [down in the basement]: Mom, I need to get on top of my house to fix it.
[house = Little Tikes play house]
Me: Sweetie, you shouldn't be on top of your house.
Haven: Yes, Mom...I HAVE to get on top of it...it needs fixing!
Me: Why can't you just fix the side of the house?
Haven: Because...when men fix a house, they fix the top of it!
[side note: maybe it's the year our house was built, or maybe it's just a street discount-at which point, we need to get in on it-but EVERYONE on our block has been re-shingling their roofs lately...thus the 3 year old logic!]
Me: Well, dear...for one, you have your Rapunzel dress on & your socks will make it slippery...you'll probably break your neck.  [doesn't every good mother threaten "breaking your neck" at some point?]
Haven: No mom...I will be REAL careful!  I just...I just...I just can't get there!
Me: Well...smartie...if you can't GET there, do you think you need to BE there?
 
So often, we try either too hard to accomplish something God doesn't want for us or isn't ready to reveal to us...or we try and play God.
As my determined 3 year old tried to fix her roof...time and time again...she was learning that while she wanted something so bad-very bad, apparently-she also learned that she is also 3 and there are still some things her determined little mind can't quite wrap itself around...yet.

So did she or didn't she make it to the top of her play house to fix her roof?

Well, while I have no evidence...either by photograph or my own willingness to walk downstairs and anxiously check if she made it...I did witness her pulling her socks off-"for more careful"-and heard lots of grunting & sighing and then...a loud thud with an all too quick reply:

"I"m okay...I'm uh, not hurt"!

Oh Havers!

Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Friday's Funny~riding the "alligator"

One of Haven's favorite things these days...riding the "alligator"...interestingly, the "alligator" also doubles for the elevator as well :)

California trip ~ Feb. 2013

So this is a little late in coming but since I post most of our pictures on FB these days, the blog has been suffering...however, if I want this to be a dairy/document of our travels & trips, then I must push-on!
***side note: I can really only count a few friends & family members that haven't joined the 21st Century and joined FB still...Gus, Betsy, Aunt Lo, Nancy, etc...opps...sorry! :)

Here's a few to get you by... :)

checking schedules at O'Hare...we were constantly checking flight status as we had a bad snowstorm when we left & a bad snowstorm when we came back!

I love the above picture...except for the fact Haven looks like she is 3 going on 13!

 ready to S-W-I-M with the cousins!

 

Kole & Haven

 the cousins: CJ (in back, Kari's) & Kole & Kadyn (Kolette's)

Kadyn Charles-you are TOO cute!

 CJ was a great host!

Kole Henry

 the kiddos LOVED the sand...so much, in fact, when we headed back to Kari's house for dinner, I threw Haven in the tub & her clothes in the washing machine :)

 when you have boy cousins, weaponry is a common sight :)

 why not put together a book shelf while we wait for breakfast?...

...or clean a vacuum, for that matter? :)

It was great family time!

spent Saturday afternoon at the Orange Co. zoo

Kari and Haven

 the much anticipated arrival of Grandma Iowa...her flights were all pushed back 1 day so we were thankful she finally made it out!

 

 the Arizona contingency left on Sunday morning so unfortunately with Mom's later flights, the 3 sisters only got about 1/2 day together...trust me, there still wasn't a dull moment!

the whole gang before saying goodbye

Monday morning shopping with Grandma Iowa

our friends, Robin & Sue and kiddos came up to Anaheim to spend the afternoon with us...it was SO good seeing you all!

Haven and Natalie hit it off quite well

and then Tuesday was the much-anticipated day at Disneyland!

and the first people we saw was Bert & Mary...such a great start!

 waiting at Pixie Hollow for the fairies while enjoying a Pooh sucker

Haven and Rosella...

...and then Tink!

 the carousel was enjoyed a several times

Haven meeting Sleeping Beauty

and Jasmine

making friends while waiting for...deep breath...

RAPUNZEL!  

Haven's favorite and worth the wait...well, don't ask Arlan...he's very certain NO Disney character is worth waiting over an hour to meet :)

She LOVED it!

getting ready for the Pooh ride...again, doesn't she look so BIG in this picture?!?!

pointing out the Hefalumps to me :)

 Tarzan's tree house

resting our feet on the train

and Haven's favorite ride of the day, Dumbo!

 waiting for the parade to begin

so while I expected Haven to hit her afternoon whiny wall by about 4:00/5:00, this girl went strong!  

No whining...loved every minute of it...never complained while waiting in line (that can't be said for our ENTIRE party :)...but by the time the parade was over & we were headed home on the shuttle, this 3 year old was O-U-T!

  ...and...the next morning :)

 heading home!...

 ...and sleeping 2.5 hours of the 3.5 hour flight! :)