Seeking Spring

This past Friday my hubby took the morning off. J and I, along with his father, drove to Seattle to look for trees in blossom. The ones at the UW Quad are famous but alas, we found that they weren't quite ready to show off for us. We took the scenic route to Ballard and showed my father in law the gorgeous view from Sunset Park. I'm so thankful for the sunshine! Along the way, we stopped at a few magnolia trees for some photos. Right now they are at their most gorgeous. They are my favourite tree second only to lilacs. I love blossoming trees!

Our last stop was Swanson's nursery where I bought an anemone for my front porch, taken from this bunch.

Swanson's has such gorgeous displays.

I loved this pale pink hydrangea.

Hmmm, should I go back and buy it? :)Pin It

One Thousand Gifts #194 to #214

Cannon Beach, Oregon

194. days and days of sunshine in the middle of the wettest March on record

195. a skilled massage therapist

196. a culdesac for my son to practice his bike riding

197. my camera

198. 45 years of life

199. sunshine on my birthday

200. too many hugs and kisses to count from my precious sons on my birthday

201. not having to cook on my birthday - my hubby BBQ'd salmon

202. having Happy Birthday sung to me over the phone by a third grade class

203. both of my boys passed to the next level in swim lessons - I'm so proud!

204. celebrating Easter at a Christian school

205. on a rainy day I noticed water glistening on a pine tree branch

206. an awesome thrift store find - a magazine rack already painted a beautiful colour.

207. even though mammograms are not fun, I'm thankful for good healthcare.

208. getting rid of a stained couch - to help a single mom!

209. a new couch from IKEA

211. Spring Break - 6 weekdays of less driving!

212. a mini vacation to Cannon Beach and Seaside, Oregon.

212. new friendships formed with neighbourhood children

213. getting my hands dirty planting sweet peas

214. my youngest son vacuumed his room this morning!

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He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

image source

Up from the Grave He Arose - Text and Music by Robert Lowry.

Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Saviour.

Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord.

Up from the grave He arose;

With a mighty triumph o'er His foes.

He arose a victor from the dark domain;

And He lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Saviour.

Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord.

Up from the grave He arose;

With a mighty triumph o'er His foes.

He arose a victor from the dark domain;

And He lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Saviour.

He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord.

Up from the grave He arose;

With a mighty triumph o'er His foes.

He arose a victor from the dark domain;

And He lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!

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Mini vacation to Seaside & Cannon Beach

This year for a mini vacation during Spring Break week we chose Cannon Beach and Seaside, Oregon. Our boys had never been to the area before. We made our plans at the last minute since we had been waiting to hear what days my father in law would be visiting us and if J could take some time off from work. For last minute trips, Priceline and BiddingforTravel (which helps you know what to bid) are the best. We used Priceline and stayed at The Holiday Inn in Seaside for two nights. The customer service was poor but we liked the indoor pool and the hot breakfast which was included in the room rate.

On Monday morning, our first destination (after the requisite stop for strong coffee for J at Sleepy Monk Coffee) was Cannon Beach, the beach. Yes, it was windy and not too balmy but my boys had a great time, running away from waves,jumping into a sand pit, and drawing faces in the sand.

I went on a little detour to explore some of the little shops. For lunch we went to Pig n Pancake which had reasonable prices - a rare commodity in a tourist town like Cannon Beach.

In the afternoon, we hit the ice cream and candy store (The Picnic Basket) where we discovered the owner was a Christian and had Answers in Genesis magazines on the counter.

Next on the agenda was go karts and mini golf at Seaside Family Fun Center (along Highway 101) followed by bumper cars in downtown Seaside. The bumper cars actually went pretty fast.Since I have a bad back, I just watched. I did ride the carousel in Seaside.

I bought J a new hat from the hat store nearby.

We spent some time in the hotel pool and hot tub and then went for supper at Mo's in Cannon Beach. We couldn't believe the location - right on the beach with a view of Haystack Rock. Their prices were very reasonable, too. J and I shared some clams as an appetizer. C fell in love with their clam chowder.

Tuesday started off rainy so we went searching for antique stores. I found a fun little pink side table and J found an interesting book. The next place we explored was the Seaside Aquarium. It is small but has enough to keep kids interested and the entry fee was reasonable.

We liked the giant Pacific octopus. You can pay a dollar for some small fish and feed the cute seals. I wished it was easier to take photos of the seals but they are well protected by a high fence.

For lunch we had hotdogs, soup and sandwiches at the Tsunami Sandwich Company in Seaside. We checked out the Lewis and Clark statue,

took some photos on the beach, (note J's new hat) and said goodbye to Seaside. A took this photo!

Our next stop was Astoria which is only 20 miles northeast of Seaside. The sun came out so we had a fantastic view of the Columbia River from the famous Astoria column. It has 164 steps and yes, we all climbed to the top.

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving back home and listening to Alice in Wonderland audiobook on CD. On our way we saw rainbow after rainbow!

We stopped for supper in Tukwila and checked out the Rain Forest Cafe. The food prices were NOT reasonable but you are paying for the experience here. It would be a fun place for a birthday dinner.

A very successful mini-vacation. We had hardly any rain! Now if only we could've stayed one more day. :)

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{this moment}

C at Cannon Beach.

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Resurrection Rolls

My son's first grade class made these during their Easter party.

Yes, there is still time to make these! Easter should be the most important Christian holiday but the resurrection message gets buried under all the chocolate, bunnies, and plastic eggs. If you would like to do a fun activity to teach kids the Biblical account of Christ's resurrection, look no further.

Materials needed:

- aluminum foil

- refrigerated crescent rolls - one tube

- melted butter in a bowl

- cinnamon

- large marshmallows

- cookie sheet

Directions:

1. Oven should be preheated to 375 degrees.

2. Cut/tear aluminium foil into pieces - one per child

3. Place the crescent roll on the foil and place the marshmallow on top - the marshmallow represents Jesus' body (go with it!)

You can read Matthew 27:57-60 (or have an older child read it) while you do this next part.

4. Dip the marshmallow into the butter - this represents anointing his body with oil

5. Shake the cinnamon on top of each marshmallow - this represent the spices put on Jesus' body.

6. Wrap each marshmallow with the crescent roll - this represents the burial cloths Jesus' body was wrapped in. Pinch the seams together very tightly to seal in the marshmallow as it melts.

7. Place all the foil pieces on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 375. This represents waiting three days.

The cool thing is that the marshmallow disappears (melts) to leave an empty tomb. He is alive, He is risen!

These resurrection rolls taste delicious, too.

Here's a great closeup photo from the blog Beauty and Bedlam.

My son's classmates checking out their resurrection rolls.

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A Visit from Grandma

(a bit overexposed - I'm not used to this much sunshine!)

Our school puts on a special event every other year - Grandparents Day - where grandparents are honoured all day long. My dad came to it in 2010 and I was really hoping that my mom could come this year since she had never been to see the school. Also, it is my birthday this coming week so I talked her into it!

She came by float plane (Horizon Air) which is the best way to travel to and from the Seattle area and Victoria. It only takes an hour and there is very little customs hassle or waiting time. Since ferry prices have risen so much it isn't even that expensive.

On Thursday night A & C had a great time donning various identities and combinations from the dress up box and coming out to show Grandma, giggling all the way.

On Friday morning there was an assembly filled with music for grandparents of children in K through 2nd grade followed by special events in the classroom. C did a reader's theatre of The Little Red Hen and he played the Hen. Due to space constraints, I wasn't allowed to be in the classroom so I don't have video or photo of that. :( I took Mom out to lunch in Mukilteo and we had a fantastic view of the mountains, the water, and the nearby islands.

In the afternoon, another assembly for 3rd through 5th grade grandparents and classroom events.

My sons really enjoyed showing Grandma around their school. My mom enjoyed getting to know the boys' teachers.

She was also here to witness A riding a bike sans training wheels for the first time. This has been quite a hurdle for him but with Daddy's encouragement along with some warm sunny weather he mastered it and now wants to teach his little brother!

Today Mom and I went clothes shopping and she found a dress and a blouse. We have so much better selection here in America compared to Victoria. We had lunch and tea at Bothell Country Village and then saw her off on the shores of Lake Washington.

I'm so thankful for the fantastic weather we had for my Mom's visit. Come back again, Mom!

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One Thousand Gifts #184 to #193

184. the beautiful contrast of crocuses and snow (and sunshine!)

185. enjoying a shamrock shake

186. my mom is coming to visit this weekend

187. a new grocery store opened nearby

188. uninterrupted time to organize the kid craft area

189. my birthday is coming soon, even if I don't like the number :)

190. cheap (but great) entertainment - the middle school's production of

Alice in Wonderland, Jr. was last Friday

191. Barbara Pym novels

192. the weekend

193. finally planning out a wall full of family photos

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St. Patrick's Day book page garland

This banner was embarassingly easy to make. Is embarassingly a word? Maybe not, but I like it. I basically did the exact same banner as Rebecca Cooper made here.

Materials needed:

- book pages

- 5 buttons (white or pearl)

- green cardstock

- glue

- glue dots

- shamrock pattern - I found one by searching Google images and then I enlarged it on my printer. I had to play with it for a while to get it the right size.

- jute

Instructions:

1. Cut out book pages. Mine are 3 1/2 inches wide and 6 inches long.

Cut out a triangle in the middle.

2. Cut jute to the length you want for your banner.

3. Cut out the shamrock pattern (I print onto cardstock to make a sturdier template) and then trace shamrock shape onto green cardstock, cut out shapes.

4. Glue buttons in the center of the shamrocks - I like to use glue dots for heavy items.

5. space out the book pages along the jute, fold over the top of the jute (about 1/4 inch) and staple on each side.

6. Glue the shamrocks onto the book pages.

7. Hang up your banner in a prominent spot.

I'll be joining the following link parties:

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One Thousand Gifts #170 to #183

a phone call from a good friend who lives far away

our fireplace is finally retiled!

a new talk radio station for me to listen to during the day

learning a new skill and using it (pruning roses)

excellent dental care

no cavities for me

eight and nine year olds getting excited about new books at the school library

BBQ'd salmon for supper

reading a short book (Crampton Hodnet) as a break from Les Miserables

my parents' cross town move was successful

making a new friend

the resolution of a difficult coworker situation at J's work

a playground fall *didn't* result in a broken bone

my bulbs are growing and will be blooming soon!

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