Easter Lunch {Part 2}

After church we had lunch at my in-laws.  We served chicken & dressing (one of my favorites from Backstreet Cafe), honey glazed ham, green beans, candied carrots, broccoli cheese casserole, watergate salad, deviled eggs, a relish tray, a green salad, & rolls.  We had quite the spread.  But to me it is not Easter lunch without ham, a relish tray, and "green stuff" aka watergate salad.

 

For dessert, we had a white cake I ordered from Sam's, a pineapple cake that AB's grandmother made, petit fours, bunny bark, & these amazing iced cookies my mom picked up from a bakery in Houston.  On a side note, the cakes from Sam's just can't be beat!  They are so good, always moist and so inexpensive.  We really don't have a local bakery around here that does cakes or not one that I have found yet, so Sam's is the next best thing.

 

My "carrots" I made, thanks to a Pinterest idea.

Brady napped while we ate

Brady with his Nanna & Dandy

Brady with his Mimi & Papa

Brady was so intrigured by one of those little wind up chicks.  He would watch with such intent as it hopped across the table.  Here he is sitting with his great grandmother, AB's grandmother enjoying the little chick.

So sweet!

Daddy rocking his baby boy

And talking...Brady has started babbling so much lately. 
By the way, I absolutely love this picture of them two!

Our first Easter together as a family of three.  

My cup runneth over...for great things He hath done!

Stay tuned for another Easter post...Brady's baptism then I think I'll be caught up on Easter.

Easter 2012 {Part 1}

My parents arrived Friday afternoon and the fun began.  Brady had lots of Mimi & Papa time which he loved!  My dad and AB worked on the pool while my mom and I sat outside and watched.  We then got ready for dinner...mexican food at their favorite place, Fermin's.  AB went over to see some friends that were in town and so it was just my parents, Brady & me.  Brady got plenty of attention from Mimi & Papa during dinner :)


Saturday we had lots of errands to run to get ready for Sunday.  My mom and I left Brady with the boys and we headed into town.  We went to Party City, Marshall's (where I found a fabulous Easter outfit), Hobby Lobby for pipe cleaners, & then finally Sam's to pick up the ham & cake for Easter lunch.


While we gone, my dad was determined to get the pool up & running.  We had several issues with one of the skimmers and we have never really been able to get the dolphin fountain to work.  Well, AB & my dad were able to get the skimmer working & the dolphin - yay!  Can't wait for it to warm up so I can take Brady for his first swim!
 
Saturday evening while mom and I prepared food for Sunday, AB grilled steaks.  We had steaks & baked potatoes...we were too tired to make salads, ha!  Late Saturday night, mom and I put Brady's Easter basket together.  His very 1st Easter basket.  Being a parent on holidays is one of my favorite things now that I'm a mom.

 Brady's Easter basket was filled with My Pal Scout puppy, "I Love You Because You're You" book, a RazBerry teether, another little teether, infant sunglasses which are hilarious on, a Bunnies by the Bay lovie, a ceramic lamb to go in his room since Easter is all about a lamb - not about a bunny, a new bib, & a sailboat onesie I made.

As a kid, AB and his sister would put their church shoes out by their bedroom do I think for a special Easter surprise, money in their shoe when they woke up.  So he wanted to continue the tradition on with B so we put his church shoes out by his Easter basket.  We will put the money in his piggy bank which will eventually go into a savings account.  It's a new tradition to me but I think it is so sweet of AB to carry it on to own son.  What a sweet daddy!

I got to bed about 1am and then woke up at 5am thinking of all the things that still needed to be done for Easter lunch.  But ended up making myself go back to sleep & then around 8:30 Sunday morning, we did the whole Easter basket thing with Brady.  Talk about one sweet boy...he is starting to really focus on things.  I love it!  Warning: overload of photos of Easter morning.

Told you...hilarious!

Blurry but it's our first Easter together as a family of 3.  Makes my heart smile.

After the basket, we all got ready for church.  Church was extra special not only because it was Easter but Brady would be baptized during the service & we would officially join the church.  I'll do a whole other post on that when I get a chance...for now I have a few errands to run.

Hope you all had a very happy, joyful Easter!  Christ has indeed risen & alive!

'Cause living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever

-Casting Crowns

What I'm Loving Wednesday

So here's what I'm loving this Wednesday...

My Moby Wrap!  It is a total life-saver when I am out & about with B.  At first I was totally scared of it due to the miles & miles of fabric, but now it turns out it is one of my favorite baby items!!  Brady loves it as well :) made our Sam's trip today a breeze!

I'm also loving these swimsuits from Target.

I'm loving Pioneer Women's restaurant style salsa.  I've been craving it so I'll be making another batch today.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Nancy on Pinterest

I'm loving my homemade croutons.

Bought more french bread today so I could make some since I don't think I can ever go back to store bought ones & I accidentally ate a whole thing of them straight out of the Rubbermaid...I mean on my salads of course!

I am also loving half lemonade, half sweet tea!  I've been mixing/making my own at home but my absolute favorite is from Chick-fil-A.  Thankfully, the closet Chick-fil-A is 25 minutes away or I'd be there.everyday.getting.my.fix.

I'm also loving this little man!  I could just eat him up!

I'm also loving this time before Easter where I can focus on the Cross and what it truly means.  Sweet Redemption.

And here's what I'm loving via Pinterest...

Source: retrorenovation.com via Nancy on Pinterest

Source: ring-wraps.com via Nancy on Pinterest

Source: mypassionfordecor.blogspot.com via Nancy on Pinterest

Source: budgetgourmetmom.com via Nancy on Pinterest

What you LOVING this Wednesday?  Linking up with This Kind of Love.

Every kingdom has a King!

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever

According to dictonary.com thine means - 3. that which belongs to thee: Thine is the power and the glory.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem riding a donkey (Matthew 21:1-10).  Matthew 21:8 says Jesus came to Jerusalem as a King and his glory was recognized on earth that day.  People called out to him, "Blessed is he who comes in God's name!"  "Hosanna in the highest!"  Even thought there were others who still annoyed with this Jesus claiming to be sent by God, at this moment many of the people gave him a royal welcome.  Cloaks & other garments thrown down for him, branches swayed, people in awe of this man who would soon die for them.

Source: en.wikipedia.org via Lois on Pinterest

Seems like a entry fit for a King, except that he was riding on a donkey.  But this has nothing to do with a donkey.  It does have everything to do with what this processional is leading up to and that is Easter.

When the Lamb was slain.
When all of creation stood still.
When He paid the ultimate price for our sins.
When He conquered death with this life of love.

Last Sunday, the sermon was titled "For Thine Is" in a sermon series about The Lord's Prayer.  As I listened to Pastor Stan preach about how this is not my kingdom but thine kingdom something resonated in me.

I have been going about this staying at home thing all wrong.  I thought this was about me.  But clearly I was am wrong.  One would think that staying home would be easy.  That it would be a walk in the park.  Or so that is what I imagined it to be.  Some days I would think if I went back to work, things would be easier.  I would at least get "a break" from being thrown up on, that I would get to wear cute outfits, and that I would be financially contributing to my family.  We would have "extra money" for "extra things."

I knew when I quit my job to stay home that I would never be able to get this time back with Brady, and that I could always make more money, at that moment it was what we felt was the best choice for our family.  And it is.

But there are days where I feel so inadequate.  As a wife, as a mom, as a 29 year old girl.  So then I start to think about how if we had more money, if we had this, or if we had that.  Clearly looking to things of this world that do nothing for me but make me feel even more inadequate.  I often have have to tell myself "my riches are not here but in Heaven" or "it's what's in my heart that counts, not my bank account!"

But it is NOT about me.  It wasn't about Jesus riding in on a donkey either.  It is about a King.

Our whole life is about this King.  King of all kings.

The Lord's Prayer says "for thine is the kingdom..." meaning God's kingdom.

Pastor Stan asked us, "What kingdom do you call home...ours or God's?  Who sits on the throne of our heart?"

Wow.  I think as a believer, I just always thought or assumed that Jesus does sit on the throne of my heart.  But how easy it is to let ourselves become the one who sits there.  For it is in our flesh, to think of ourselves first rather than the one who ultimately gave us this life in the first place.

It is impossible to live in God's kingdom and our kingdom for I have been trying to do both.  I can not be in the "king" of my kingdom if I call myself a believer.  Meaning I can't do it all, I can't control every facet of my life, I can't control how my day goes...but what I can do is remind myself that I do serve a King who can do it all.

For He already has...

I sat teary-eyed in the pew, all by myself (AB took B. out due to his loud babbling) feeling convicted and thinking to myself what an amazing, sovereign Lord we serve.  After all, this life isn't about me or about my kingdom or about a job or about the pity party I have been throwing myself.  It is about my King's kingdom and which my life belongs to Him.

Pastor Stan made this point during the sermon and I love it - Jesus' glorification didn't come at his triumphal entry but at the cross.

He also said that we can never experience the true meaning of Easter until we move from the "mine" to "thine" mentality.

I think this is so true.  This will be my first Easter as a mom but more importantly this will be my first Easter where Jesus will truly be sitting on the throne of my heart for there is no greater than joy than knowing King Jesus!

In what kingdom do you reside?  Who sits on the throne of your heart?