Our Easter Garden

Last week at M.O.M.S. we received materials to make an Easter Garden! I have to admit, I was less than excited at the prospect of growing anything (I mean, come on, I've killed a Chia-Pet...who does that?!?). I was, however, intrigued at the concept of it! Ed and I have been looking for a concrete, visual way to teach the kids about the events of Easter week.

It's pretty simple and makes a great centerpiece for the table! Having it in the middle of our dinner table helps us remember what Christ did for us everyday!

Supplies:

Potting soil
14-inch terra cotta saucer
Rye grass seeds
Sticks (for 3 crosses)
Doll pin (represents the body of Jesus Christ)
1 piece of white muslin fabric (represents the burial cloth)
Ribbon (purple and white)
4-inch terra cotta pot
Spray bottle
Twine

Directions:

1. Pour potting soil in the 14-inch saucer-press down.
2. In the front center make a tiny hill where you will put Christ's cross.
3. Position the 4-inch pot (tomb) over to one side under some of the soil.
4. Spread out a layer of rye grass seed. Do not cover the seed.
5. Make 3 crosses with collected sticks.
6. Wrap twine around the crosses to secure them.
7. Tie a purple ribbon around the middle cross (Christ's cross).
8. Place stone in front of the tomb.
9. Water the garden twice a day with the spray bottle.
10. Place the doll pin wrapped in the white muslin cloth in the tomb on Good Friday.
11. On Easter Sunday morning roll the stone back, remove the doll pin, and leave the burial cloth in the tomb.

Other options: place flowers and candles around the garden. Happy Easter!

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:6

Our Weekend Away

At The Old 4th Street Filling Station

Ed and I celebrated our 8th anniversary by going away last weekend! It was absolutely wonderful!! It had been almost 5 years since the last time we went away just to get away and reconnect...it was LONG overdue! He planned everything out and made sure it would be a very relaxing time together!

Friday night we ate at the 4th Street Filling Station in Winston. We had our rehearsal dinner there 8 years ago :)

Saturday morning we drove to the Elkin Creek Vineyard in Elkin, NC. It was PERFECT weather, a cool breeze and an abundant amount of warm sunshine! The vineyard is an organic winery, they hand pick every bunch of grapes, and it tastes amazing! The owners are very friendly. The grounds are small, but beautiful! Everything is so laid-back and relaxing...it was exactly what we needed!

Elkin Creek Vineyard

After we shared a bottle of their Soft White while sitting by the Big Elkin Creek, we drove to our private cabin. The Frog Holler Cabins are the perfect size. They have a full kitchen and, an added bonus, a hot tub on the back porch! It was so quiet and secluded....very romantic!


Saturday night we ate dinner in downtown Elkin at Twenty-One and Main....yummy, yummy, yummy! But the best food we had was Sunday for lunch. We went back to the vineyard and had their famous homemade, wood-fired pizza! The owner, Mark, is 100% Italian and his food tastes like it! He only makes 20 pizzas on Sunday so we had to get there early...but it was worth it!


I love Ed and I love that he took the time to plan this out :) I am so blessed to have him as my best friend and husband!



If you are ever interested here are the websites:
Elkin Creek Vineyard
Frog Holler Cabins

Their Soft White wine

Their old Ford truck

Their front door

Adventures in Novocaine....

All smiles!

At TJ's dentist appointment, we found out that he had not one, but TWO, cavities! He had one on each side of the mouth so they couldn't do it all at once.

I think I was more nervous the he was! He politely asked me to leave and said, "Mommy, you can go now. I don't need you to stay back here with me!" WHAT?!? He can't be that old yet! After they finished, Dr. Goodwin gave him $1 for being a great helper and he got to choose 2 prizes from the prize box...no wonder he was all smiles!

I couldn't resist posting pictures of his silly, numb smile!

Filling #1

Filling #2

Father/Daughter Weekend

This past weekend, my dad and I drove up to Maryland for the Wake Forest game! We stopped in Washington DC for dinner Friday night before heading to our hotel. Saturday we drove to Baltimore for lunch and then to College Park for the game! We had perfect weather the whole weekend!

One of my good friends from high school is the Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Maryland. He was able to get us really good seats, a parking pass, and (totally unexpected) Field Passes!! We saw WFU practice and spent the 3rd and 4th quarters on the side lines...it was AWESOME! Wake had a horrible game, but it's almost impossible to have a bad attitude watching the game from that vantage point!

I had a wonderful time with my dad...it was almost hard to go home! It would have been nice to have 1 or 2 more days with him! I wouldn't have wanted to experience this with anyone else!!!

Bittersweet afternoon....

This is one of my most favorite memories of my Granddaddy...air popped popcorn! Almost every time my brother and I would go over to our grandparent's house we wouldn't be allowed to leave without eating popcorn. Just when we thought it was time to leave, we would hear that familiar sound coming from the kitchen.

Nana would instinctively roll her eyes and say, "Charlie, they don't need popcorn. It's too late." But, despite her objections, he would bring us each a large bowl. Then Nana would pour us some diet Ginger Ale. We would be there another hour or so, eating our weight in popcorn! It was so good!

Even when Granddaddy's health was deteriorating, he would shuffle up the stairs to the kitchen. We may have not each had a bowl, but it was still wonderful!

After he died, Nana gave me his air popper and one of the bowls he used often. That gift meant more to me than anything!

I didn't use it very much at first. But, in the past year or so, I have made bowls and bowls of popcorn for Emma and TJ. They LOVE it!! I know Granddaddy would have loved to see them enjoy the popcorn as much as Rob and I did!

The other day I was making popcorn for the kids when Ed noticed that the cord was getting really hot. Not wanting to start an electrical fire, he unplugged it. Well, long story short, the Air Popper has seen its last day :( 

I placed it in the trash today and sobbed. I felt like I was throwing away one of my precious memories of Granddaddy. See, his popcorn was a way to keep his grandkids around just a little longer. He loved us so much and cherished every second he got with us!

I miss him so much and I cannot wait to see him again in Heaven one day...now that's going to be some great popcorn!!!

Dixie Classic Fair (Family Fall List, 6 of 22)

The Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem is truly one of my favorite Fall activities! I have only missed 3 or 4 of my 29 years! Even when we lived in Indiana we would time our family trips out to NC around the Fair :)

It's so incredible to get to share this tradition with Ed, Emma, and TJ! Ed was out of town this year and he was greatly missed. We still had a wonderful time, though! My parents, sister, and brother were with us :) We ate too much (Fair calories don't count!!), rode rides all afternoon, and loved every second!!

I love this one!

 

 

The kids with my parents!

Rob and Emma must have done this slide 10 times!

<3

She loves her uncle!!!

Friday Fight Night...Cake Fight, that is!

Ed heard of this idea for a cake fight from Kurt at a Men's Institute meeting! We decided to put it to the test for the Hoolehan family!!

The kids look pretty excited at the prospect of having cake for dinner...oh they are so naive!

The first sneak attack victim was TJ. He flipped out! Ever since he was little he has hated getting anything dirty on his body. Well, you can just imagine the scream that came out of his mouth when Ed plastered orange icing all over his face! He loosened up a little when he learned he could throw cake at his sister!!

Emma started off laughing until she got hit. She went back and forth from laughing to crying!

Poor Deacon was following behind us eating all the cake! Whatever didn't end up in the drain of the washing machine was in Deac's stomach!

I wonder what in the world the neighbors thought we were doing to our children?!? Oh man!