Me Gusta Mucho!

On Friday night, we went back to the Friendship House for the second time to do some authentic Mexican cooking! These are the most precious ladies that live in the neighborhood around the church, and they use this old house adjacent to the property as their little clubhouse. They hold English classes, sewing classes, Bible studies and more in this home.

In an effort for them to learn better English, they have us over for cooking lessons. The key is that they are not supposed to show us how to do anything- only tell us! They try so hard, but normally we are doing such a horrible job that they have to step in and rescue the recipe!

It is a joy to spend time with these sweet ladies and their kids! They taught us to make chili chicken and gorditas, salsa, praline and homemade flour tortillas! I am so excited to try at home!

DOA

Well, my bracket is officially DOA. It's been on life support lately, but Memphis finally pulled its plug yesterday by beating Texas. Last year I picked all number 1 seeds to go to the Final Four and this year I decided that was too boring. So, I picked NO number 1 seeds to go and guess what?? For the first time in history, all of them made it. How fun is that... So I have had to randomly pick who I want to win the championship. My pick is Memphis, mainly because dislike them less then the others!

We have had a really good time filling out and watching our brackets with my class. They are so cute about it and they all run in trying to tell me latest after the games! One of my kiddos, Jordan (seen below), has had one of the best brackets of anyone I know, including adults!

Easter Videos

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Ok Sports Fans, baseball season officially begins today. The Red Sox won their first game against the Oakland A's 6-5 in Tokyo, Japan. It's going to be a good season for my Sox, I have a feeling. Go ahead- join the Red Sox Nation (you won't lose your Southerner card, I promise).

Caroline Knows Her Full Name

Easter Weekend

We had a big weekend! The fun started on Friday...

Chris had the day off on Friday, so we got to spend some time together as a family. We met the Brantleys at the mall for lunch, and Kim and I looked for Easter outfits (see previous post about Easter dresses). I love shopping with Kim because she is friends with everyone we meet. By the time we walk out of a store, Kim has talked to every saleswoman and knows their favorite color and their middle name. I love Kim!

Friday night, the Deanes came over and we made pancakes for supper. Then, Laura, the girls and I made Easter cookies. What an adventure cooking with 2 year olds is!! I love my sweet girls!!

On Saturday, I took Lola and Caroline to a egg hunt in the park while the dads were at softball practice. The weather was amazing and Caroline actually flew her first kite!

Sunday started with the Easter basket- of course!! This year there was no candy or stuffed animals. I decided to get something that we wouldn't just end up eating or throwing away later.

We headed to church where I ran into two of my dearest friends from high school. It was so good to chat with them and see them doing so well!

After church we went to my parents' house to have another egg hunt and then the best meal of the year!

Friday Fave 5

Since today is the first day of spring, I thought I would do my 5 favorite things about this happy season!

1. I am a crazy fan of March Madness. All of my kids took home brackets to fill out with their parents and we have made a group on ESPN.com so we can see who has the best percentages. It has been so much fun getting it all together this week. More blogging on this later...
2. My spirits always do a major jump when the time changes. That first night with one less hour of sleep feels like torture, but when you get to have an evening of sunlight the next day, you realize it was well worth it! Long days make me think of the lake or BBQs or running in the evenings. Love it.
3. I don't know why, but I am 25 years old and the thought of not getting a new Easter dress every year is enough to set me off. There is just something wrong with wearing a worn dress on Easter Sunday. Amen? I suspect that I could not adequately celebrate the resurrection of our Lord without a crisp new dress in a bright color. There was no day like Easter as a little girl. The gloves, the hat, the white patten shoes, the ruffled socks. You cannot over accessorize on Easter Sunday.
4. Fruit and Flowers- both come out at this time of year. The melons and berries that come out at this time of year give me a serious case of summer fever. I also love that people begin to work in their yards and plant flowers. This is the second spring that we have been able to work in our flower beds and there is something very gratifying about getting your hands dirty planting. Agree?
5. I love how God uses spring to represent his grace in our lives. Things that once looked dead and brown suddenly burst forth into greens and blooms. It is as if God is reminding us every year that he makes all things new. I really pray that I can use this season every year to be reminded of the amazing resurrection of his Son and the resurrection He has done and continues to do in my life.

Happy Spring.

Settlers

We have a new addiction with our friends the Deanes. Actually, Chris and I have had bouts with this addiction before, but have never had friends like the Deanes that were such enablers. The game is called Settlers of Catan. Our friends James and Bethany introduced us to it in college. We have taught several other friends and family members the game in the past few years, but haven't had the chance to play it much.

That is until lately...

We weren't sure if they would enjoy it as much as we do because it is a game of strategy and Joe is, shall we say, a little high strung. We were mistaken, however. Ever since the first time we played, the game has become more and more competitive. There have been "strategic partnerships" formed and too many texts to count have been exchanged. We have had to lay out the ground rules differentiating life partners, lovers and then strategic partners. This is serious business and I would not be surprised if at least two of the four of us have searched the web for sneaky tricks. Another strange occurence seems to take place at the first roll of the dice- Joe Deane becomes a singer. I am not sure it it should really be called singing. I would describe it as a high pitched wailing that normally consists of rhymes that Snoop Dogg would make up. How many times I have heard "what's the hizzle call me j dizzle..."??

So let me just say, this game has taken over our friendship lately. Our sweet 2 year olds, most of the time, are pretty good at entertaining themselves, so we can focus our full brain power on the task at hand. We have had a few mishaps with the girls during game time. One involved a sink full of hot water and anything else in the bathroom that they could throw in there (the water was black when we found it). Another involved Caroline wearing Lola's pull up and Lola wearing Caroline's big girl panties (both legs were through one hole). This has actually happened more than once...

You have to find this game and get obsessed. I am sure it the only addiction that the Lord would bless.

My Big Girl

My Sweet Caroline is about to be 3 in just a few short months and she seems so big to me lately! She came in with my mom and Grandmother to help do some cooking with my class and she just pulled up a chair and joined right in. She is so independent! Can't believe that I can bring her to school with me the year after next!!

Snow Snow Snow

6140 Paddlefish Drive got a LOT of snow last night!!!

My Chris

My Friday Fave Five is about the most important person in my life! I don't always treat him like I should, but I pray everyday that I can be the woman he deserves and that God wants me to be for him.

1. My Chris is the most handy man I know. He can fix or build anything I have ever needed. It's so great to have around the house, but also not so great because any time anyone needs something worked on, who do they call?? You guessed it! But that is OK, because he loves to serve!


2. I love Chris in his work clothes. Don't get me wrong- he cleans up really well, but he is most himself in his work clothes. By work clothes I mean blue jeans, work boots, and thermal shirt. A tool belt often accompanies this ensemble.


3. Chris has the strongest hands. They remind me so much of the things about him that I love. I hope this doesn't offend anyone or their hands, but I secretly look at men's hands and kind of frown on them if they look like they just got a manicure. My man's hands are big and strong and yet tender. They are my favorite thing about him.


4. Chris has this explosive laugh. I don't hear it as much as we get older, but when we were first dating and friends in high school, we used to make fun of him for it all the time! It's like it just hits him and he has to let it out. I love to hear that! We heard it a lot in Cancun last week...


5. One of my many favorite sets of memories of Chris are some of our older ones. I spent countless hours sitting on hard, metal bleachers watching my tall, thin first baseman play ball. I'll never forget his coach ribbing him at his senior baseball banquet for the time that he had the biggest hit in their final home game of the season and he came over and gave me a kiss through the fence. Times were so simple then. We didn't have to worry about work or schedules or kids or bills. What a blessing to have those years of memories in our young age!

My husband can be defined by the following verse... "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders..."- 1 Thess. 4:11-12

Here's a page out of my Senior Scrapbook

This picture was taken the week of our first date. Notice my 2 ear piercings- how cool was I?!

Dad's Half

While I was in Mexico, my dad ran the Half Marathon in the Cowtown. It was his first race that I have missed, so I was very sad. He did a great job! Also, our good friend Chad Brantley completed his first marathon. He ran a good part of the marathon with my dad in DC last October. We love Chad so much and are really proud of him!