Olivia's 5 year old Super Mario Birthday

We had a special celebration for Olivia's 5th Birthday. Just like any parent, I can't believe how time has flown by and my "sweet pea" is 5 years old. It seems like yesterday I was a bit surprised to find out I was pregnant with my 4th child. She brings so much to our family. Her animated faces, inquisitive nature, silly dancing, competitiveness, creativity, endless pretend play, flexible, love for her siblings, her continuous words of affirmation "Mom your the best cake maker in the world" "Dad your the best worker in the world", Maddy, your the best book reader in the world", "Logan your the best sports player in the world", "Breanna your the best art person in the world"

Blowing out her candles

 We had a few friends join us for cake and ice cream.

 Even though we said it was totally not necessary to bring gifts she somehow ended up with a few to open.

 We spent some time hanging out playing. I met this sweet family at Logan's bus stop and I am so thankful for our walks in the neighborhood, chats at the bus stop and quick childcare exchanges with the kids when we are in a pinch.

 Here are a few pictures I put up for Olivia's Birthday. Olivia and I spent some time looking at her baby book during the day.

I surprised Olivia with a trip to Chucke Cheese (yes I took Tylenol after our outing!)  and she had a blast picking out a few toys with her money from grandma and grandpa.

Papa and Nana have a very special way of singing Happy Birthday. The kids look forward to their phone call and now thanks to technology skype! Also, a bonus she was able to open her gift while the grandparents watched.

Olivia went to bed and said "this was the best birthday ever"

Cakes are a BIG deal at our house. Our kids start planning for their birthday cake months in advance. While working on Olivia's cake she started planing for her cake next year! The kids anticipate the cake "coming together" while they come in and out of the kitchen however Olivia tends to be in the kitchen most of the time helping.

Olivia's favorite thing to do is sifting. Can you tell?  Well....I did tell her she could lick the bowl. She cracks me up!

Olivia asked for a Super Mario birthday cake with a princes peach castle (All Chocolate!) .  A pretty big request but she is turning 5years old right?  This is a picture after many, many hours in the kitchen making cakes, icing, making fondant and more fondant. This is the fun part for sure! It was like I was really playing the game while decorating. 

Olivia is holding the super Mario book, giving gentle suggestions on what I should make to put on the cake.  ohh and yes, the castle is cake as well. lots and lots of cake!!

 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalms 139:13-16

Happy Birthday, "Sweet Pea"

Opening Baseball Day- Let's play ball!

Opening Day for baseball in Susquehanna Township is no joke! It was great to see all the teams that are involved in the league out on the field together. It was also neat to look around and have crossed paths with many families in other sports and activities in the community.

Here is coach Bucky, He is throwing the opening pitch for the season. Can you believe he lives right next to the park and has lived in the same house for 80 years? He has been coaching baseball for 56 years. That's impressive!

 STBA organizes team photos on opening day (great idea!) Here are a few I took....

 We couldn't have picked a better team to play our opening game day! We played against the red team...we are not talking about who won..right? The boys all played well & we are looking forward to a great season. 18 games on the schedule! Lots of baseball over the next couple months!

For the first game we had a nice little cheering section, I got caught up cheering and missed our full crowd that came! Fun times for sure.

Olivia enjoyed her time playing in the dirt, totally missed the game but she did have fun.

 The boys just cracked themselves up as they bumped into one another on the bases. It was cute, until I heard one of the coaches yell, "focus boyz!!" hehe

So Much More Than Eggs

Lot's of creativity going on here, it's not just dipping and moving to the next egg. Much thought and planning went into creating each Easter Egg, the kids used crayons to write on them and experimented with different colors.

 Dyeing Easter Eggs......

Easter Morning Buckets

 We had a good game of wiffle ball going before church (notice Nana in the cast....a bit competitive I must say) . It was a beautiful Sunday morning and we enjoyed having Nana and Papa here to celebrate Easter. 

We caught up with Billy's brother and family for lunch. It's nice that they live in York, only a quick 30 minute drive to see them.

 Much of the Easter Sunday afternoon was spent outside talking with neighbors and playing in the yard with the kids.  We spent time with our neighbor Yehoshua. He read in Hebrew a variety of Psalms and we discussed the translation from Hebrew to English.  Questions were asked about the meaning of Easter and why we celebrate. With that conversation entrenched in my heart,  I want to share a few verses in scripture.

Matthew 28:1-10

Jesus Has Risen 

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

additional verses: Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 27:50-53, 1Peter 1:3, Philippians 3:10-12, Romans6:8-11, Romans 1:4-5,  John 11:25-26

Visit from NC

 Our family had been counting down the days until the Saleeby's came to visit us in H'burg. I only wish we didn't sit around so much being bored.....NOT! It turned out to be a very busy weekend. Busy. Did I mention it was a very busy weekend?  The Saleeby's were so gracious in being flexible with their 3 small children. They jumped right into the mix of our lives and poured into us and our neighbors.

 We loved sharing meals, late night talks, tears, spontaneous prayer times, laughter..etc

 Here is "princes Layla" I don't think she wanted for anything all weekend. The kids loved "taking care" of her and I don't think she minded at all. (I took several pictures with my phone so the quality of the photo is poor)

 Lala had all of us wrapped around her little finger.

 

We had a sweet time in the word as we gathered together for brunch with the Shays. Joseph challenged and encouraged us with the Word.

Thankful for this sweet family. So difficult to see them pull out our driveway, I must admit that is the hardest part of visits.

Celebration of a Life That is Changed!

On Palm Sunday we had a fantastic celebration service at Redeeming Grace Church. I am excited for my friend who was baptized along with a neighbor and Elijah, the Shay's son.  There is no way to adequately explain God's faithfulness in the details with how these lives were changed. 
To see God's faithfulness in our lives is overwhelming to me.  It was only a few short weeks ago that my friend and I met and began conversations about life.  She began coming to Bible Study on Sunday nights and soon after professed Jesus as her Savior and Lord.  She has quickly become a dear friend and I am so excited to walk along this journey with her.  Isaac, our neighbor who was baptized has been a faithful attender of our weekly bible study since the very beginning.  He has become a fixture at our house and has adopted us as his second home even though all the boys bounce back and forth from his house and ours.  He asked Jesus to be his savior a few weeks ago after a bible study one Sunday and immediately wanted to get baptized.  So here are  a few clips and pictures from the baptism service.

We are so thankful for our new brothers and sister in Christ. The first step of obedience for a person who accepts Jesus as Savior is Baptism.  Baptism is a rich symbol, publicly proclaiming the decision made to accept Jesus Christ as Savior.  The water is not what saves the person, but is a symbol of what has been done in the heart and an important way of professing one's faith in Christ.   Romans 6:3-4 says, "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
Salvation is a gift of God, not something we can achieve on our own. (Romans 12:3). Baptism is a gift to the Church to allow the faithful a means of expressing their faith and gratitude for God's redemptive work.  Baptism is a walk of obedience to Christ after accepting the free gift of Salvation. As Jesus was baptized by John in the River Jordan, we follow Jesus' example when we accept the Lord as our Savior.
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Cross references:

1. Romans 6:3 : Matt 28:19
2. Romans 6:3 : Acts 2:38; 8:16; 19:5; Gal 3:27
3. Romans 6:4 : Col 2:12
4. Romans 6:4 : Acts 2:24; Rom 6:9
5. Romans 6:4 : John 11:40; 2 Cor 13:4
6. Romans 6:4 : Rom 7:6; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 4:23f; Col 3:10

Running the water hose for the baptistery

All hands on deck getting set up!

The Camp Curtin YMCA gym being transformed into church.

Here is a shot of the friends and family who showed up to celebrate along with us. As I look at all the precious people the Lord has woven in our lives I just don't have words to express the depth of joy it brings. We pray our bible study groups will continue to grow so we can soon gather together for worship each week. God is faithful.

Billy is introducing the gang and explaining Baptism. God is faithful.

These two young ladies blessed our time of worship with song.  Their hearts are so tender and are pursuing the Lord. God is faithful.

Pizza and hanging out after the service. God is faithful.

It is privilege to have all these ladies as neighbors. God is faithful.

The crew with the pastors. God is faithful.

While the lives being changed are personal and the connections are deep for both us and the Shays, we are excited about how God is building His church here in Harrisburg.  It is impossible for both our our families to separate life and ministry and for that we are all thankful.  God is faithful in the lives of all the people we have met and we are excited to watch His faithfulness continue as lives are changed for His glory.