Seriously SPIRIT SPHERES?

If you haven't heard...there is a group of CRAZY people.. people who believe it is important to be politically correct...who are now calling Easter Eggs, spirit spheres.  SERIOUSLY?  If you haven't heard about it... go ahead check it out..here.

Talk about crazy...

um.

If you don't believe in Jesus Christ...why the heck would you celebrating his resurrection?  If you are so against the word EASTER...then please...don't celebrate it.  I am not Jewish.  I would never tell Jewish person to not call a menorah a menorah.  No really, go ahead, tell a Jewish person to call a menorah a candle holder. 

Regardless of what people think.  Easter is not about a human sized bunny that hops around and leaves plastic eggs and baskets fill with jelly beans and marshmallow peeps.  It's about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It's about Jesus dying on the cross and coming back to life.  It's about Jesus, dying so that we can be forgiven.

It gets my goat.  If you have a problem with the word EASTER, then don't celebrate it.  We will not be offended if you opt out.  Hey I have an idea... um...celebrate your Holidays...and if you don't believe in God or Jesus...I won't like you any less...to each his own. This totally applies to Christmas too...if you don't believe in Jesus...what the heck are you doing celebrating Christmas?  Christmas is about the birth of Christ.  Get it. CHRISTmas.  Listen...we are all about Santa here...we Love us some Saint Nick...we love us some presents and Christmas Trees...but we don't forget why we get to do all those fun things...we do them because we are CHRISTIANS and we believe in CHRIST...and we want to celebrate his birth.

Here's the thing... personally I don't even care if you are celebrating these Christian holiday's and you don't believe.  Go ahead and do the Santa thing.... or the Easter Egg hunt... jump right on the band wagon...this however does NOT entitle you to complain about the reason for the holiday. You do NOT get to tell me that my CHRIST doesn't belong in MY holiday.  If it bothers you that much...just don't celebrate it at all. Let it be.  Leave it for me.  Because in this house...we celebrate CHRISTmas...and Easter...and Easter eggs. 

**stepping off my soap box now**

HAPPY EASTER :)

To my children...

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.



Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if it comes buy.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies and I won't stand over you and try to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have BOTH toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you the story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late, so we can sit on the porch and count the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours and miss my favorite TV shows so you can tell me stories.

Just for this evening, When I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever.

I will think about the Mothers and Fathers, who are searching for their missing children, the Mothers and Fathers, who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms.  I will think about the Mothers and Fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly. 

and when I kiss you goodnight, I will hold you a little tighter, and little longer, it is then that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing except one more day.  Sometimes Mothers and Fathers get so involved in daily routines that we tend to forget what great gifts our children really are.  We never know if God is going to give us one more day...



Black and White Wednesday....swimming lessons...

Come on over to Black and White Wednesday..

It's super fun...

with LOADS of super fun photography...

Click  here.

It's That easy!

So Loved.

So this amazing friend of mine...

is bring home NOT one...but TWO beautiful children...from China...

Can you help?

Donate?
Spread the word?
Just Post...and watch what happens?

Because God is GOOD...ALL THE TIME!

The cost ...

A friend of mine sent this to me years ago.  I ran across it and thought I would share it.

(I did change the figure after googling what it would cost today...so yes, according to google..this is updated information)

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 and came up with $249,376 for a middle income family.  Talk about sticker shock.  That doesn't even college tuition!

For those with kids that figure leads to wild fantasies about all the things we would've bought, all the places we would've traveled, all the money we would've banked if not for our bundles of joy.  For others that number might confirm the decision to remain childless.

But for $249,376 isn't so bad if you break it down it translates to $13,854.22 a year, $1,154.51 a month, $288.63 a week or a mere $41.23 a day, right around $1.70 a hour...

Still you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be rich.

It's just the opposite 

There is no way to put a price tag on feeling a new life move for the first time and seeing the bump of a knee ripple across your skin.  Having someone cry "it's a boy!' or "it's a girl!" then hearing the baby wail and knowing that all that matters is that it's healthy.  Counting all ten fingers and toes for the first time.  Feeling the warmth of a fat cheek against your breast.  Cupping an entire head n the palm of your hand. Or making out Mama or Dada from cooing and gurgling.

What do you get for your $249,376?

Naming rights, first middle and last.

Glimpses of God every day.

Giggles under the covers every night.

More love than your heart can hold.

Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds and warm cookies.

Hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day and cards with backwards letters for Father's Day.

For $249,376 there's no greater band for your buck.  You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee of the garage roof, taking training wheels of the bike, removing a sliver, filling a wading pool,coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs and coaching a baseball team that never wins, but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get front row seats to witness history.  The first step, the first word, the first bra, the first date, the first time behind the wheel. 

You get to be immoral.

You get to add another branch to your family tree and if you're lucky a long list of limbs in your obituary called Grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications and human sexuality no college can match.

For your $249,376 you get a hand to hold usually covered in jam.  A partner to blow bubbles, fly kites, build sand castles and skip down the sidewalk in the rain with.  Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $249,376 you never have to grow up.  You get to finger paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-n-seek, catch lightning bugs and you never have to stop believing in Santa Claus.  You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watch Saturday morning cartoons, go to Disney movies and wish on wishing stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted elbow macaroni Christmas wreaths for Christmas.

In the eyes of a child you rank right up there with God.

You have the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monster under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever and love the without limits, so someday they will...like you, love without counting the costs.

More muse...

already entered...

but then I remembered this...

and it is pretty much on my top 5 pictures taken of this adorable kiddo...

so I thought I'd share it...

make me wants summer now...

probably doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it snowed yesterday...

no really. 

snowed.

April 1st....and it snowed.

but looking at this picture...

it kind of warms me up...
warms my soul...

hope it does a little warming for y'all too!

Come on over and join the fun...

just click the link...

Picture Perfect...

So there's a new photo linky party going on....over at 

Here are the rules...

TO ENTER

1)  Make a post on their own blog that features their photo entry (and any text if you want)

2)  Add the Picture Perfect button to a post on your blog.    Just copy the code under the Picture Perfect button and paste it into the body of yourPicture Perfect post where you'd like the button to be displayed.  The botton and the code is right over there on the right side bar on top.  When you click "publish" it it will show up fine.  {I hope}

and...!}  ***If you don't have a blog, feel free to link-up to a photo in Flickr or Photobucket or Picas or THIS MONTH'S THEME

Your Muse!

I told you I'd keep it easy and fun!  Who do you just LOVE to take photos of recently or who was your must in the past? 

The winner will be announced May 1st here at the Crazy 8.

Seriously... this Crazy lady rocks it out with her super duper cool family!

I am ALL about this...eh... I may not EVER win...but I know I am going to see a bunch of wicked cool photos!

Here's the button...

Cute isn't it.

Come joint the party...I have a feeling it's gonna be a goooood time!

That being said...here it is...

My Muse....