Since coming home

 I am getting ready for our daughter and son-in-law to come to our home.  Jason is going on a work trip so Mindy and the babies are coming here to hang out!  Jason loves our German Mennonite bierrocks so I made those today.

Do you celebrate April Fool's Day?  Our granddaughter fooled us.  She texted on the family chain that our daughter (her mom) had made an appointment to get a tatoo.  I was pretty surprised because Jill is very pain sensitive!  I forgot it was April Fool's Day.  But as a matter of fact, Hannah DID make an appointment for herself to get a tatoo.   After being reminded that it was April Fool's Day, I stuck a black stuffed puppy in the trap that Allen had set out to catch an armidillo that's been digging in our yard.  Here he is, when he got home from work looking into that trap.  We haven't caught an armidillo yet, but have caught 2 possums that he relocated way out in the country and 2 neighbor cats that he released. 

The Thursday before Easter, we went to church in the evening for a service and sing time as we thought about what our Lord suffered.  And why He died for us.

"Christ suffered for our sins once for all time.  He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.  He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit."  1 Peter 3:18

On Easter Sunday morning, I went outside to put some seed in the bird feeder and a dead thorn branch grabbed at my skirt.  I needed Allen's help to free me!  It seems rather coincidental that I got snagged by thorns on Easter.  Just thinking about our Lord with that crown of thorns on His head.

These pictures captured my heart Easter morning:

We sat with Shirley at church.  She was a dear friend of my parents and she mentioned that Jim (who passed away last year) is celebrating Easter with my parents!

After church, we drove to Pretty Prairie, the homeplace where Al grew up.  On the way there, we saw a plane in the sky and it looked to us that it was going straight up into the atmosphere!

What an enjoyable time with the siblings!

We went through Al's mother's story.  She had begun filling it out before she was too sick to finish it.  After she passed away, I interviewed 2 aunts to find out if they remembered some of the questions.  Things were much different back in her days of growing up.  

Other things I've been doing....I'm working on a quiet book for my grandbabies.  I'm calling it a busy book though.  I'm making it into a mountain/camping theme since they live in Colorado.

We have had several very blustery days!  You can count on wind in Kansas!  One day the wind whipped up all the dirt from a new construction sight north of us.  Uck!

We need rain badly!!  One day it looked like it might rain.  But it was like empty promises.  We continue to pray.

We had a zoom call with the family as we needed to talk about the upcoming trip to Romania.  

I've had a daily visitor come to my window each morning while I've been having my morning devotions.  Coo-cooo.  I love it!  I have enjoyed the singing of the birds this spring!  All creation praises Him!  Jesus said that if the people didn't praise Him, even the rocks would cry out!

I did a prayer walk at church.  Father, You are mindful of Your people and the burdens of sorrow each one carries.  The adversary wants to push us to despair and hopelessness.  "A discouraged army enters battle with the certainty of defeat."

Went to the Manor to help take the elderly to chapel for hymn sing.  I LOVE singing the old hymns!  Such deep theology in the words! 

Mindy sent a picture of the two precious babies that will be coming soon!!  Can't wait to snuggle and kiss!!