April 2020 Book Review

Reading more books has got to be one of the best pros about this pandemic time.

I enjoyed all of the books I read this month . The girls read Fish in a Tree and liked it so much that I decided to read it on my own. I thought it was wonderful. We really liked the author, Lynda Mullaly Hunt so we read her next book, One for the Murphy's, which we equally enjoyed. Then I read aloud book 1 of the fun series, The Mother Daughter Book Club. Lots of laughs with delightful references to Little Women.  

I typically LOVE anything by Jennie Allen so I was anticipating her new book, Get Out of Your Head. 

For me, it was just good, not great. 

The one that stands out the most was Unveiling Grace by Lynn Wilder.

This is the true story of one Mormon family. From a young man on his lifelong dream of going on Mormon mission, his siblings, his father, deeply submerged in the LDS Priesthood, to the author, a mother and tenured professor at BYU. She spent 30 years of her life devoted to the Mormon church. This is her riveting account of how each member of her family found their way out of the works-driven core of Mormonism to the unmerited saving grace of Jesus Christ.

After reading this family's account and everything they went through, it leaves me with a better understanding and compassion for Mormons. 

I had the girls read this one, too. It made for a great apologetics discussion. 

17/50  

Easter Sunday

"He is not here; He has risen. Just as He said." -Matthew 28:6 

I was up early preparing food for brunch, filling Easter eggs and the kids' baskets.

 I kept it simple with a book, a small gift and some sweet treats.

We used to spend Easter with Grandma & Grandpa and they used to bring the kids Easter baskets. 

We sure do miss them, especially during the holidays. 

Faith decorated our chalkboard early in the week. 

He is RISEN indeed! 

Every year, she loves to make deviled eggs. 

Grace blessing us with lovely piano music. 

Can I just tell you how wonderful it's been to have music flowing in our home during this pandemic? 

Music is so good for the soul.

All done! 

 We watched our church service online. Jeremy Camp was our special guest during worship time. 

Daddy is known for making Zach his special holiday pancake creations.

We enjoyed a simple brunch after church. 

Zach liked the GF Cinnamon Streusel Cake I made. 

And his new friend, Roo.

Our sweet little chicks and blessings from the Lord. 

Growing old together and weathering the peaks and valleys of life. What a privilege. 

Let the egg hunt begin! 

It was a gorgeous and sunny Easter day. We had a lovely time, celebrating our Risen Savior. 

"Spring is here to show us that extremes in life cannot exist without their opposite. Life and death depend on each other in the same way that all opposites do. Happiness and sadness, bitter and sweet, anger and peace, hope and fear. We wouldn't know the sweetness of victory without the disappointment of defeat. And we wouldn't recognize those heart-warming moments of breathtaking happiness if they were not hidden among harder days of disappointment.

 Hang in there beautiful friends. We will take root and find the surface again. No matter how dark and deep your disappointment, there is even more light and love and hope ahead for you.  

God is always good you guys and Sunday always comes."

-Kortni (born.from.my.heart)

Amen!  

Good Friday

How fitting it would rain today. It was a light and steady rain that lasted all day. 

As if God would weep, knowing the significance of this day. The day we remember His beloved Son, the Savior of the world, who died on a brutal cross. And yet, how beautiful this day is to all who believe! 

The weeping, like the rain may last all day but take heart and do not lose hope, the Son will rise again!

    

Given the weather, we thought it was a good day to dye some eggs. 

Ombre eggs. 

Yes, we did put all our eggs in one basket. 😁

In the evening, we did something new. 

We put mini glow sticks in the Easter eggs and let the kids do a pre-Easter egg hunt around the house.

It was a big hit for them all, especially Zach. He loved it! 

The dichotomy of worst and best has the greatest meaning on Good Friday. 

Thank you, Jesus for dying on the cross to pay for my sins so that one day, I can live righteously in heaven with You as if I've lived Your blameless and holy life. #whatkindofloveisthis #amazinglove 

Zach's School Days: Spring Edition

Springtime and science just seem to go hand in hand. 

We did a unit study on the metamorphosis of caterpillars to butterflies. 

The Butterfly Garden from Insect Lore is a fond childhood memory for all my kids. 

We watched the caterpillars eat their food and grow bigger every day. 

 Then they formed their chrysalis and were ready to be transferred into their protective garden. 

 He checked them multiple times each day and reported on their status.

And then one day, some of them burst out. 

They turned into butterflies! 

 Release day in the backyard. 

Fly away butterfly! 

Zach loved this unit study so much. He had us reading the Usborne book which detailed each step of the metamorphosis every night to him. He told everyone he met about the caterpillars and what stage they were currently in. And he still talks about it often! 

I remember when we did this with the girls when they were 5. Sigh... time flies!🦋

He's a big fan of all animals. 

Precious boy.

We also had the fascinating joy of watching the nesting and hatching process of these hummingbirds in our lemon tree. 

Spring has definitely sprung! 

And that concludes what I managed to capture of Zach and what he's been learning and experiencing over the last few months. 

Truth be told, I've really enjoyed the break from all his therapy appointments. I know we'll be going full steam ahead someday soon but for now, I'm not taking this quiet time for granted. It's allowed us to catch up on some things around here, like reading and math and also, it's given us time to just be in the moment and linger a bit more. For this self-proclaimed #introvert and #homebody, these are soul-infusing gifts! 

Zach's School Days: Outdoor Version

So very true. 

Zach is all boy and that means he loves being outdoors.

Again, some of these photos are over the last few months, #precoronavirus. 

 He had a blast when daddy took him to the RC Plane Show. 

Watching the planes take off. 

Once in while, if we get a free morning, I take him to the Living Desert Zoo. 

He loves the animals, of course but maybe more than that, he LOVES the train exhibit. 

 He could spend all day there just watching the trains.

 He never passes up a ride on the carousel. #happyboy

 The Lion and the lamb. 

 Butting heads with Mr. Rhino.

I think this was the first time I took him to lunch on my own. To some, that might seem odd but  

Zach's got some auditory sensory issues so loud and crowded places can be challenging. This particular day, Chiptole was so LOUD but we were out and about and on the verge of getting hangry! 

I was so proud of him. He did absolutely FANTASTIC! I look forward to many more mommy and son lunch dates in our future.💗

 Feeding the ducks and fish at the Civic Center Park after a visit to the library. 

Petting turtles. 

The girls get to spend some extra time in the library while Zach and I play out front at the park. 

This kid loves anything on wheels. 

He rides his bike all over the neighborhood and we use a star chart to reward him when he sticks by us and follows all the safety rules we've taught him. ★★★ 

Riding his motorcycle simply means TURBO wheels. 

Thankfully, we have this big open area in the back of our neighborhood where they haven't built new houses yet. It's been perfect for teaching him how to ride. 

 He's getting so good! 

 Daddy and son time.💕

 In our neighborhood park, if there's a dog around, he's your helper. 

He loves to play with and walk #allthedogs #futurejob

Hiking the Bump 'N Grind trail. 

Just down the street from our house, there is a section of our community where some new houses are being built. It's been fun for Zach to watch the whole process from the ground up. He especially loves all the heavy equipment. #dirt #boys

Exploring at Riley's Farm.

A boy. A stick. And a pond. 

He wanted to see what was in the tunnel so daddy gave him a lift.😄

 Family bike rides have been a regular thing for us since the quarantine... and so much fun! 

Thankful we can still get some fresh air and exercise around our neighborhood. 

Maybe the best kind of learning happens outside of 4 walls?😎