All in a Days Work

Saturday, April 3

6am - wake up (begrudgingly) and get ready for the Easter Bunny Run in Clemson.

7:30am - arrive and get our starting info for the race.

8:06am - The half marathon starts and Bobby & Dave are off!!

8:10am - The 5K starts and Tommy & I are "off"! I'm running along, talking to Tommy, and
the next thing I know ... he's gone! He had stopped running and started walking. I was left
talking to myself!

47 minutes later - I finish my first 5K! No pictures of me yet. Karen was waiting for me at
the finish line and she'll email me my picture soon so I can post it for you guys!

57 minutes later - Tommy straggles in. He finished his first 5K and I'm very proud of him!!

Finally the half marathoners begin to finish....

Bobby comes down the hill and thinks he's about to finish. Sorry bud, you still have to go up another hill and around!

Now you're almost at the finish. Coming down the hill and then...

he finishes!!! 2min & 20sec faster than his last 1/2 marathon!!!

Dave is not too far behind.

And he's done!

Tommy relaxes while we're waiting for the guys to finish.

2pm - I'm showered and fed. I take the kids to the Easter Egg Hunt at Oconee State Park.
And they loved it too. All of the plastic eggs were filled with little trinkets.

4pm - We're back at the State Park for Dave, Karen and Bobby's joint birthday party.

Dave & Karen looking @ the photo album of old pics we gave him for his b-day.

I'm sporting the awesome hat Dave & Karen bought me for my b-day. Hannah is enjoying the finger paints I bought for her.

Karen & Heidi

Dave & Bobby

Who's really cooking?

Hannah fed the geese. But this one was mean (and bigger) than the others. He would flap his wings and run them off - which scared Samuel. So my mom had to hold him the entire time they were by the lake.

Passover

For the past few years we've celebrated Passover with our dear friends The Steele's. It's so amazing to see what is celebrated & remembered during Passover while knowing that Jesus broke the bread - His body- and offered them the cup -His blood that was "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:17-35).

We use 'The Messianic Passover Haggadah' as our guide. It explains everything that is done during the Passover feast and provides scriptures and songs as well. We light the candles, wash our hands, drink the cups of wine, eat the bitter herbs, read the story of Passover, eat the meal, hid the Afikomen.... you get the idea. We do it all! And the kids really enjoy it too. Hannah was disappointed that she didn't find the Afikomen but she did get to open the door for Elijah.

The Seder Plate
Lindsay made cute little seder plates for the kids and we had the main plate as well.

1. Cup of Salt Water (represents the life of pain, suffering and tears that the Israelites led in Egypt)
2. Roasted Egg - replaces the lamb shankbone and is eaten during the sedar meal. (symbol of mourning of the destruction of the second Temple)
3. Bitter Herbs (to remember how bitter the life was for the Israelites in the land of Egypt)
4. Horseradish Root (causes you to shed tears of compassion for the sorrow that "our ancestors" -yes, they're even our ancestors - knew)
5. Chopped Nuts & Apples - you dip your matzah in the horseradish and then in the apple mixture. (To remind ourselves that even the most bitter of circumstances can be sweetened by the hope we have in God.)
6. Lamb Shankbone -Since the Temple in Jerusalem no longer stands, lamb is not eaten at Passover. (represents the lamb whose blood marked the houses of the children of Israel/their obedience to Gods command.)
7. Parsley - dip the parsley in the salt water and then you eat it. (Passover is a springtime holiday, when the earth is beautiful and green with life. The parsley represents life created and sustained by God.)

Hannah loved her mini-Sedar plate.

The kids table.

Samuel washes his hands.
Who may go up the mountain of God?
Who can stand in his holy place?
Those with clean hands and pure hearts...
Psalm 24: 3,4

Joshua barters with Isaiah for the Afikoman (the middle piece of matzah -out of the three pieces- that was broken, wrapped in a cloth and hidden from the kids. After the meal the kids searched for the hidden Afikomen).
This is my body, which is being given for you:
do this in memory of me."
Luke 22:19


Hannah opens the door to welcome Elijah the Prophet to our seder. Hannah had a wardrobe change halfway through because her "best friend" spilled his juice on her dress.

Gotta Love...

Little boys who love to eat spaghetti. It's a good thing since it's one of my favorite meals!

It reminds me of a certain someone else who used to love spaghetti.

Hannah July 2008
wow my photography skills have improved a bit since those days!

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake

While blog surfing one day I came across this blog and found the following recipe for Crock Pot Chocolate Cake. It is so rich and moist ... my mouth is watering just typing this recipe for you!



Ingredients:
*1 package chocolate cake mix
*1 (8 oz) container of sour cream
*1 cup chocolate morsels
*1 cup water
*4 eggs
*3/4 cup vegetable oil
*1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix

Directions:
1. spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.
2. mix all ingredients in a bowl by hand. pour into crock pot.
cover and cook: on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.
3. serve with ice cream, raspberries, cool-whip, strawberries or whatever your heart desires.

*just a side note: you can leave it for slightly longer than 8 hours but it will eventually start to
burn*

saturday morning

how cute are we?

Baby Paden...

Hannah...

(yes Paden is sucking on a pink pacifier)

Samuel...

Are you beginning to wonder if Samuel ever wears pants?

Happy Birthday

to the best uncle ever...

Uncle David!We hope you have a spectacular day. We're sad that we can't be there with you to celebrate but we're thinking of you today. We love you very much!

Bobby, Heather, Hannah, Samuel