"Jesus Christ was not spared by his Father. Whenever Paul was tempted to think, 'God might have spared me that,' this truth was what came to his mind: God had not spared Jesus! God did not single out Jesus to give him special protection from the harsh experiences of life. Indeed, 'God did not spare him' might be putting things as mildly as possible. For from the cradle to the grave, Jesus was certainly not spared!

Think of his early life: born in a stable, miles away from home; carried by his parents to Egypt for a couple of years; brought up in Nazareth, where perhaps his earthly father, Joseph, died while Jesus was in his teens or twenties. Then he knew hunger and poverty during his ministry; as well as the sorrows of bereavement; suffered the abuse of others; was eventually betrayed by one of his own disciples and then hours before his death, denied by one of his closest friends. He was beaten, spat upon, and ultimately exposed to public shame and crucified. Jesus was not spared at any time during his life. 

But Paul saw something more than human sufferings in this drama of the Messiah's life. He felt there was something almost unnatural about it, which haunted him until it eventually became the source of great comfort and joy. He was familiar with God's revelation of himself as the Father of his people: 'I will spare them' God had said through Malachi, 'just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him' (Malachi 3:17). Jesus had served his Father, as a son should serve a father. But contrary to all that is natural, his Father did not spare him.

Yet Jesus deserved to be spared. He did not deserve to experience the cruelty and malice of men in this world. He did not deserve to be poor, or hungry, or to feel his heart breaking as he stood before the effects of sin in man's life. If only we could see ourselves in the light of God's holiness, we would never defiantly ask, 'What did I do to deserve this?' We would know that before God's righteous judgment we deserve nothing good. But Jesus could quite righteously have asked, 'What did I do to deserve this?' In a sense that was the meaning of his cry of dereliction on the cross: 'My God, why have you forsaken me?'  Why had he not been spared? In the horror of his loss of his sense of communion with God, nothing seemed to make sense. There, on the cross, it must have seemed as though right had become wrong; good, evil; God's righteousness, the terrible judgment and condemnation of an innocent man.

Yes, Jesus deserved to be spared. Think of what he had accomplished in his short ministry. He had preached about a Father he knew and loved, and who knew and loved him. He had introduced a whole generation of men and women to this Father in heaven. He had healed the sick, given sight to the blind, even on occasion brought men back to life. His words were glorious, his life impeccable, his whole being perfect before both men and God. Everything about him seemed to point to the conclusion: here is One who deserves to be spared.

But Paul tells us Jesus was not spared. And in saying that, he is simply summarizing the teaching of the gospels. Yet almost certainly Paul knew something more than just the fact that Jesus was not spared...Paul knew Jesus had prayed that, if it were possible, he might be spared. In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night before he was crucified, Jesus had cried to God, apparently in terrible agony, 'Father, if it is possible, let this cup [the sufferings of the cross] pass from me. On the cross he later cried, 'My God...' but in the garden, his appeal was that of a son to a father. What father could possibly fail to grant his child's cry? But Jesus was not spared."

From chapter 6, "The Savior", in A Heart for God by Sinclair B. Ferguson

I was grateful for God to lead me to this reading this week before Easter. As many times as we have heard the gospel story, I want it to be fresh and meaningful every time I read it and contemplate it. What a sacrifice from both God the Father and God the Son to devise this plan, then carry it out. When thinking of the relationship the Father and Son enjoyed, how painful and heart breaking it was for the entire Godhead to endure. But it was done so that I might be brought into the family of God and enjoy eternity with God and his people forever.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

It somehow makes my own heartache a little less significant. If God the Father loves me as much as He loves His Son, and He does, then can't I trust Him to make all things right? That is a rhetorical question with an assumed positive answer.

John 17:23 ~ "I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Romans 8:32 ~ "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

I didn't have any appointments or obligations on Tuesday so I went and picked up Kasey for another "girl" day. She brought a bag full of horses and was happy to set them up. It's something she likes to do, but she plays with boys all day who get great pleasure in coming along and knocking all those horses over.

We also played Candy Land with 4 year old "rules" or lack, thereof!

We checked out the pond - and there happens to be water in it right now, thanks to all the snow we recently received.

Several things I had been waiting for have finally happened. What a relief to at long last have some closure and check them off my list. 

On Friday, I went and got Grace and brought her back to stay with me overnight and all day Saturday. Her birthday is early March but because of school work and other commitments, this is the first time that worked out for her to be free. 

On Saturday morning, we went over to see Andy. Some of the residents of the facility were out in the lobby waiting to participate in an activity. But when the activities director saw Grace with her violin, she said they didn't need to do the activity, they would listen to Grace's playing. Of course, when they heard her, they just wanted her to keep playing. She played a number of songs, then we took Andy back to his room.

While we were in there, the activities director came looking for us and asked us to please play some more for the residents. So we stayed a while longer while Grace played everything all over again. Well, since it's a memory loss facility, it didn't matter how many times she played a number. They were happy to sit and listen. 

After spending some time there, we went shopping together for her birthday outfit. It was such a nice day, so we had to get in some hiking, too. We went over to The Black Run Preserve and hiked about 3 miles. It was a gorgeous day - perfect for being outside in God's beautiful creation.

 We got back to the house in time to prepare for the rest of the family to join us for dinner. Amy and Ricky, Dawn and Tommy, Christy and Christian and all the kids. It can get pretty wild and crazy but I love it.

We ate together, then had an egg hunt for the kids. 

Spring is such a beautiful visual reminder of the dead coming back to life. It helps lift the spirits and puts a "spring" in our step again.



Matthew 28:5-6 ~ "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as He said."

Mark 16:6 ~ "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here."

Luke 24:5-6 ~ "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"
 

  
Because God did not spare His own Son, the resurrection could take place. And because of the resurrection, sin and death are defeated, and we will also live again after we die. 

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

He's alive! He is risen!

My journey this week followed a similar path, on a much smaller scale, Jesus' journey to the cross. The whole week I was reminded of how He suffered such distress and anguish, asking for the cup of suffering to pass by him, but humbly accepting the Father's will for him.

I seemed to be especially sensitive to the grief I was going through. I thought I had been through the worst of it, and it was behind me. But another wave of it came on me this week, maybe triggered because of my physical weakness due the cold I had. Whatever the reason, I was actually thankful for the experience because I was able to identify, even in such a finite way, what Jesus went through on my behalf. 

I was lying in bed on Monday night thinking how lonely I was. There was no one in the bed with me, no one to have a conversation with, no one to reach out and wipe my tears away and hold me to tell me it would be ok.

And then just as God sent his angel to minister to and strengthen Jesus in the Garden (Luke 22:43), so God sent him angels to me. On Tuesday morning when I woke, I saw there was a note from a friend in my email in-bin. She wrote how she was praying for me and our family with the sweetest, kindest words. I was so blessed and encouraged. 

The next day, I met with another friend - another angel - who hugged and encouraged me, as well. She reminded me that God knows that I am dust, it's ok to grieve, and God grieves with me. 

And then as if that was not enough, God led me to purchase a new book: Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb. 

 

Right in the introduction was such truth, that I needed to hear again. Such precious life giving truth - why am I so prone to forget these beautiful, wonderful truths?

"There's never a moment in all our lives, from the day we trusted Christ till the day we see Him, when God is not longing to bless us. At every moment, in every circumstance, God is doing us good. He never stops. It gives Him too much pleasure. God is not waiting to bless us after our troubles end. He is blessing us right now, in and through those troubles. At this exact moment, He is giving us what He thinks is good."

In spite of the trial I am going through, God has given me eyes to see that I am truly blessed. Because of the cross, I enjoy a relationship with the God of the universe. He has given me a new nature, and I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Himself. This is the greatest blessing of all.

Beyond that, He has given me so many other blessings. I was able to enjoy working outside in my gardens this week. The weather is so beautiful and a lot of my bushes and trees are blossoming. (Of course, the weeds are proliferating, as well, but not for long! Let me at 'em!)

 

I was interested to note that there were a few leftover beauty berries from the winter. I'm glad the mockingbirds and non-migrating robins had enough to make it!

Our family was able to be together yesterday to celebrate the Easter weekend. In order to make it less stressful for everyone, we decided to just order pizza. I made two salads and we had ice cream for dessert.

 

The kids had a lot of fun playing outside and the weather was perfect for that. Please observe that it is important to dress appropriately when playing on the swingset!

I told the girls that Andy always lights up when I mention them, and so we all decided to run on over to see him. Grace and Asher played, then some of the others played a piano piece or two. Asher is fearless and loves to play. The bench was a little high for him, but that didn't hinder him. He's amazing for only being 9.

I asked one of the staff to take a family picture. I was a little disappointed in how it turned out - somewhat fuzzy. I'm not sure how that happened. But at least we're all in it. And this is another blessing I enjoy - our family.

This morning I attended our Sunrise service. What a blessing to be reminded of the glorious hope we have because of the resurrection. This world is not all there is...one day, all our troubles will be behind us, we'll live forever in a perfect world with no more sorrow, no more tears, no more sickness and pain and with our blessed Savior forever and ever!

"'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you." (1 Corinthians 15:54b-58a)

So in one sense, we are currently living in our own Good Friday, with sadness, despair, overwhelming disappointment. But Good Friday is not the end...Sunday's coming.

He is risen indeed!

"O Praise The Name (Anástasis)"

I cast my mind to Calvary
Where Jesus bled and died for me.
I see His wounds, His hands, His feet.
My Savior on that cursed tree

His body bound and drenched in tears
They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb.
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone

O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forever more
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God

And then on the third at break of dawn,
The Son of heaven rose again.
O trampled death where is your sting?
The angels roar for Christ the King

O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forever more
 For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God

He shall return in robes of white,
The blazing Son shall pierce the night.
And I will rise among the saints,
My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face

O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forever more
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
 © 2017 CCLI, Inc. All Rights Reserved

I was reading in Spurgeon's Morning and Evening about the women following Jesus on the Via Dolorosa. They were wailing and weeping because of the suffering their beloved Jesus was enduring. I wonder if they really understood, though, that they weren't just weeping because the One they thought was the Messiah was now being led to his death. Did they realize that it was their own sins that was leading their Savior to his death? And vicariously, I was there with them, my own sins causing him to set his face to the cross.

Even though Jesus told his followers numerous times that he was going to die, it doesn't seem like it sank in. Then when he really died, they were so hopeless in their sorrow that they didn't remember that he had said he would rise again. And who can blame them? It really is a fantastic, incredible, wonderful plan thought up in ages past by the Father and willingly carried out by the Son.

No wonder we'll be praising his name forever more. What a great God.

I did not have a good week but came down with a very bad cold. It was so bad that I stayed in bed all day Friday, not getting up to eat, get dressed, take a shower, or doing anything except sleep and blow my nose. (So far, I've used up 2 whole boxes of tissues.) I felt a little better on Saturday but still didn't have much motivation to do anything. I did go to church this morning but confess I feel somewhat guilty, hoping I didn't infect the many people who gave me hugs and shook my hand. This is not something I would wish on anyone.

I did not go to see Andy on Friday evening, although that is the only evening I missed seeing him. Earlier in the week, he had told me he was thinking of getting a group of guys from church together to talk to them about his leaving. I'm not sure what he was talking about, but I probed and asked questions until I figured out that he wanted to go to heaven. My answer to that was that that was in God's hands and for Him to decide when would be the right time. Then he agreed with me. But he was feeling pretty miserable so I told him I would see if the nurse could come check on him. That seems to comfort him and the nurses at Care One are so kind and compassionate. They willingly come to his room, talk to him, ask him questions and show care, and he always feels better for the attention. In fact, he told the nurse this time, "God bless you." She was so sweet and thanked him.

I don't have much to say tonight except that I'm very thankful that God is the same, constant in faithfulness, never fickle and never feels bad. So in spite of the way I feel, I can depend on his care and presence with me.

Matthew 1:23: "They will call him Immanuel - which means 'God with us'."  He is always with me. That is a comforting thought and reality.

Forgetting What is Behind and Pressing on Toward the Goal

Sometimes the anticipation of something is not at all like the actual event. I'm afraid I got myself all worked up over the anticipation of attending an old order Mennonite funeral. Memories that were long past came bubbling up to the surface, reminding me of some painful issues that I thought I had dealt with. But even with the discomfort, it was an interesting event, and I was even able to enjoy it to some extent.

We left our house at 7:30 Tuesday morning to make the drive to Lancaster County. Ricky's parents attend an old order Mennonite church that has a fair number of deaf in that church community. So they feel comfortable worshiping there and have many friends. The service was well attended. We arrived at the church before the hearse and the family. I was glad Christian and Christy had also decided to attend the funeral since then we had some moral support. Amy had warned me ahead of time that men and women don't sit together in this church, so I was glad that Andy could sit with Christian. I don't know how he would have done on his own. I suppose somehow we would have managed.

Men and women not only sit on separate sides inside the church for the service, they also have separate entrances into the church. (I did not take this picture myself, but it is a good representation of what the church looked like.)

  
Christy and I went into the women's entrance and weren't sure what to do from there. But two ladies graciously greeted us, then entered into conversation with us. They were twins in their 70's (just guessing on how old they were) with a great sense of humor. They told us they came into the world together, and they've lived life together ever since. We asked them if they were married and we were told, "No, we're SS - single and satisfied." It was gracious of the Lord to allow us to meet these dear ladies as our first contact in this church. 

When the hearse and family arrived, we filed by the coffin for the viewing, then walked down to the cemetery for the graveside service. A preacher preached a sermon before the coffin was lowered into the grave.

After that, we all went into the church for the memorial service. Two preachers preached full length sermons which were interesting and sounded like what we would hear in our own church. Christy and I sat in the back row and the view in front of us looked something like this:
 

I was tempted to take out my phone to snap a picture but I resisted that temptation! 

After the service was over, a lady sitting in front of us, turned around to talk to us. This woman was very different from the twin ladies we met before the service. She was much more critical and started in on us with the "Mennonite Inquisition." Having grown up as a child in the Mennonite culture, I am fully aware of what they consider important: Christian heritage, church affiliation, keeping the rules, who were your parents, to name a few. So she started asking me:

"Where are you from?" (I obviously wasn't from Lancaster County!)
"I'll bet this church is a lot different that what you're used to."

At that point, I told her that I had actually grown up in a church just like this. When I was young, men and women did not sit together. 

Next question: "What conference was your church?"

I don't know, I was only a kid.

And then, I guess to try to identify with her and convince her I knew what she was talking about and just how conservative my church was, I told her: "When I was a teen, I cut my hair and my dad was really upset with me."

Oops...wrong thing to say! And that was the end of the conversation. Christy told me later, that when I said that, the lady looked horrified like I had just said I murdered someone! Yup - raised eyebrows and pursed lips!

It was good of the Lord to allow the first experience in the church to be positive with the twin ladies. It was also very helpful to be there with Christy who wisely observed that every church has their gracious, friendly people who welcome visitors, as well as those who are critical, judgmental and legalistic. 

All in all, I was thankful for the experience because it reminded me of the grace of God. I will never measure up but I don't have to because Jesus fulfilled the law and with his death in my place, not only saved me from my sins, but credits his own righteousness to my account. Hallelujah, what a Savior.

I was also glad we could attend the funeral for Amy's sake. She loved her father-in-law, and he was easy to love. He was a friendly guy, always with a ready smile, and accepting of us "outsiders."

We've been enjoying warmer weather...not exactly warm, but warm-er. I had off on Friday (Good Friday) and we sat on the deck to drink our afternoon coffee. The sky was gorgeously blue.

Andy has been taking the opportunity to clean up the back deck and yard. The magnolia petals have been falling and blanketing the ground. I think it's pretty - a pink carpet. But they do need to be cleaned up before it rains and then they stick to the deck and make a mess. He's always a good sport when I want to take his picture.




Yesterday, everyone came down for an Easter meal together. We had 20 at our table, including all 3 daughters with their families and Andy's mom and dad. I had organized the menu and the girls chipped in to bring dishes to add to the meal. There was a lot of food and everyone was happy.

Little Cole is almost 8 weeks old. He is very attentive toward anyone who holds him. Here he is getting to know his Grammy. What a sweet baby.

Today is Easter, and we're celebrating the resurrection of our Lord.

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
  

Songwriters HALL, JOHN MARK / BLEECKER, MICHAEL

Published by Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

After church and lunch, it seemed like a good idea to go to the woods. It was somewhat cloudy, with occasional patches of blue sky. We hiked around Pakim Pond which was a challenge in several spots because the trail was under water.

 

The trail around the pond is only about half a mile, and we felt like we could go a little further. We went off into the woods on the Batona Trail for another half mile before turning around and hiking back. 

Pakim Pond

The Batona Trail in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest

Andy was very interested in Randy Alcorn's book, Happiness, when I was reading it. He picked it up and is making the effort to get through it. He is making progress and marking it up, making notes and highlighting significant sentences. He shared with me a quote that Alcorn made of A.W. Tozer that "The people of God ought to be the happiest people in all the world!" Then offered this explanation:

"Goodness is that in God which desires the happiness of His creatures and that irresistible urge in God to bestow blessedness [happiness]. The goodness of God takes pleasure in the pleasure of His people...for a long time it has been drummed into us that if we are happy, God is worried about us. We believe He's never quite pleased if we are happy. But the strict, true teaching of the Word is that God takes pleasure in the pleasure of His people, provided His people take pleasure in God."

And truth be told, we have a lot to be happy about. We are blessed beyond measure, pressed down and overflowing. Even in our "light and momentary troubles," we are blessed, because Jesus is with us, giving us the strength to endure cheerfully, knowing that it will all be worth it when this life is over and we are with him forever and ever.

It's hard to remember every moment of every day just what a blessing our trials are. That's why I have to constantly bring my thoughts around to His thoughts. I do that by reading His Word as well as books that challenge me to think right thoughts. I finished reading Desiring God by John Piper. What a man of God he is. I so appreciate his emphasis that we glorify God most when we are most satisfied in him.

Just a couple of quotes that I wrote down in my journal from Desiring God:

"All suffering (persecution, sickness or accident) has this in common: they all threaten our faith in the goodness of God and the preciousness of Christ. They all tempt us to leave the path of obedience." (page 216)

"Suffering is clearly designed by God not only to wean Christians off self and onto grace, but also to spotlight that grace and make it shine. That is precisely what faith does, it magnifies Christ's future grace." (page 223-223) And he referenced 2 Corinthians 12:9-10..."The power of Christ may dwell in me...when I am weak, then I am strong."

"The deep things of life in God are discovered in suffering. So it was with Jesus himself. Hebrews 5:8: 'Although he was a Son, Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered.' Learning obedience does not mean switching from disobedience to obedience. It means growing deeper and deeper with God in the experience of obedience. It means experiencing depths of yieldedness to God that would not have been otherwise demanded." (page 223)

So through the experiences of my childhold and with what I'm learning about suffering, Philippians 3:12-14 seems a fitting conclusion.

"Not that I have already obtained all this (knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings - verse 10), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

He is Risen!

Happy Day

Verse 1:
The greatest day in history, Death is beaten
You have rescued me
Sing it out Jesus is alive
The empty cross, The empty grave
Life eternal You have won the day
Shout it out Jesus is alive
He's alive

Chorus:
Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same
Forever I am changed

Verse 2:
When I stand, in that place
Free at last, meeting face to face
I am Yours Jesus You are mine
Endless joy, perfect peace
Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate Jesus is alive
He's alive

Chorus:
Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same OHH NO
Forever I am changed


Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious way
That You have saved me
Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious name

Chorus:
Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same
Forever I am changed

What a glorious glorious day,
I'll never be the same

© 2007 Sparrow

Christian lyrics - HAPPY DAY LYRICS - TIM HUGHES

It is a glorious day today.  The weather is nearly perfect, but even if it weren't, the thought that we serve a risen Savior gives great hope.  I was reflecting this morning about how the disciples must have felt those 3 days that Jesus was in the grave.  How utterly depressed and low they must have been.  Their hopes in the Son of God, their Messiah, their King - gone and dead.  They must have thought life was over.  What were they going to do now?  How could they go on?  They had no idea, no clue, even though Jesus had told them he was going to die and rise again.  Friday was the darkest day in history, but what they didn't know was that Sunday was coming!  From Friday, the lowest day to Sunday, the happiest day.  O happy day, indeed.

 

Pastor began his message this morning with an illustration from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.  I love that story, Tolkien masterfully contrasts good and evil, and even though he doesn't overtly talk Christianese, the parallels are unmistakeable.  In the story where Pastor picked up, Frodo and Sam are looking out at the land of Mordor (that evil place). 

 "The land seemed full of creaking and cracking and sly noises, but there was no sound of voice or of foot.  Far above the Ephel Duath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale.  There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while.  The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him.  For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing:  there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."

And that is characteristic of this life, too.  We are just passing through, there is light and high beauty forever beyond this life.  We may have suffering and hard times here, but this is not the end.  Jesus' resurrection makes our hope a sure hope.  Because he rose, we also shall rise; death is defeated.  And that is something to celebrate.

We've been busy the last several weeks.  Spring is always busy.  It's nice to be active outside again after the long, cold winter.  Andy has been feeling pretty good.  I've been pleasingly surprised at his energy level, tentatively waiting for him to come crashing down again.  His memory is still not good, but it's nice to have him feeling good anyway.  

A week ago, our magnolia tree was in full bloom.  I just had to get some sun therapy, sitting on the deck under those beautiful pink blooms and blue sky.

Last Monday we left work early and went to get Aiden for his birthday overnight with us.  What a sweet boy he is.  We had his favorite supper:  barbeque chicken pizza.  Of course, we had to watch a movie and have some ice cream together, too.  Tuesday was raining all day so we had a full agenda of indoor things to do.  Andy and Aiden got some biking in on Monday afternoon before supper, which is a favorite thing for Aiden to do.  They rode to the church, played on the parking lot, then rode home again.

 

On Tuesday we played games and watched another movie until time to head on home to the Lindsays.  We took along a cake with strawberries and blueberries and whipped cream for dessert.  Everyone was into having their pictures taken.

Then yesterday, we had a mulching party at our house.  Christy and her gang came down and worked all day on our gardens.  We had 5 yards of mulch delivered and they worked hard to get it all distributed.

I did my share of the work but no one took any pictures of me, so I have no proof.  Of course, someone also had to entertain the little ones.

At dinner time, Ricky and Amy came with their kids and Tommy and Kira stopped by, too.  What a house and yard full.  But a good time was had by all.

4 fairy princesses

 

The hungry guys

Sharing

 

Andy worked and played hard all day.  We were all concerned that he would be tired out, but he said the kids energize him.  Hmmm...he ended up taking two naps today! 

After church today, it was just too nice to stay in the house so we took a ride down to Franklin Parker Preserve in the Pine Barrens again.  We had been there several weeks ago and enjoyed it so much we just had to go back and explore some more trails.  We were not disappointed.  It was a perfect day.