it's So Fwuffy!!!

We visited the Roland farm and brought Fey and Karen along. The baby animals were all born this past week, so it's pretty amazing that we got the chance to even meet these new little ones! 

Karen really wanted to catch a chicken. So she tried. 

Instead though, she settled on taking one of the chicken's fresh eggs and is now trying to make it hatch in her own home. She's literally sitting on the egg and snuggling it under warm light to make it hatch:).

We got to milk a goat-something on my personal bucket list of things to do! 

Whoot, one accomplished in my life!

I loved loved loved snuggling the little dorf lamb. She was so precious and still!

[I love this pic of me and my sweet man]

The girls got to feed the baby lambs with baby bottles! They were actually stuffing the bottles in the lambs mouths to make them eat.

Aren't they just sweet??

The Roland ladies and myself.

We took a little hike after the barn and went on a zip line. I think Karen definitely went faster and farther than i did. I weighed the line down pretty low. haha. time to get the running shoes out.

It was really a great afternoon out at the farm. Sometimes, I wonder how the heck anyone could live out in the middle of the country, but times like today with such a great family, fabulous kids, and adventurous imaginary fun, i can understand. This family was SUCH a joy to spend time with. The kids are pretty much amazing...Even little Will was fun to talk to:).

Thank you Heidi and James and kids for your hospitality and letting a few city folk enjoy country living for an afternoon!

Spring Break package

1. The Hunger Games - My sisters, ilene and Ashley recommended this book to me and I've always wanted to read it. It finally became available at the library yesterday, so i grabbed it up and now looking forward to curling up on the couch to read it.

2. Hush Hush- heard this is the new "Twilight." Let's see if it even competes:) Heard great things about this book, so after Hunger Games this will be my next book.

3. Anyone ever watch the Faerie Tale Theatre videos? Ilene and I would always borrow these videos when we were kids, so when I saw this at the library in Dvd form, i got all excited and practically jumped up and down. Hansel and Gretel as always been one of my most favorite fairy tales, so I begged my hubby to sit down on the couch and watch it with me:) He's a good man-haha.

4. I finally went out and got a planner. I had tried for a couple years to get my life straight by putting my schedule on the phone; however, it was not always convenient to pull my phone out and type stuff in. So I'm gonna do it the old fashion way. I actually love pulling out my planner and penciling things in-a tad bit of organization in my life;)

5 & 6. I'm Studying Proverbs again, but reading through different parts of Scripture. I got a journal because I have so many thoughts going through my head especially during quiet times and I had gotten out of the habit of journaling after moving here to Storm Lake, so I want to get back in it and record the things God is doing in my life and here in Storm Lake. 

I'm excited to get into this spring break package of things to do. I love the feeling of having time to sit and read or write and these books are all kinda calling out to me. Not to mention that it's spring break and I'm sick with a cough and cold-so this package of things to do is extra appealing to me:)

again, He reminds us...

God worked on her heart. 

Ryan and I, along with quite a few others, have been praying and praying for her.

Tonight, one of our dearest friends asked Jesus into her life tonight.

WOW. I'm amazed at how He brings people to himself. 

I'm in awe of the privilege of being there when she asked Christ into her heart.

AMAZING LOVE.

[Praising GOD for her new life in Christ!!!!]

Princess

This is "Princess Belle"

& I was 

"Princess Aurora"

She and I went on an outing to practice being princesses: That included doing our nails, saving servant girls from mean kings that ruled the land, and picking our BEAUTIFUL princess dresses from our giant collection of Princess dresses that we had in our beautiful castle...

"Lily, would you rather be a Princess Barbie or a Mermaid Barbie?"

"A PRINCESS barbie!!"

"Really? why?"

"Because I don't wanna be half whale!!!"

after getting her ice cream cone, the lady at the counter pointed at lily and said, "She is SO cute."

Lily walks away with her ice cream cone and whispered, "That lady said I was cute!!!"

"but, lily, are you cute?"

"Well, YES, I'm cute!"

hahaha, it was really too cute.

What a splendid outing for two princesses to go on! 

(Anne, your little girl was so sweet to spend time with! Love your kiddos!  Thank you for letting the Princesses get together!:))

He hears our prayers!!!

All the stuffing, filling, and counting eggs is over now...

Here in our living room we had over 1,300 eggs stuffed with candy and a whole extra oriental trading box full of candy. 

WOW...people are so generous about giving...these eggs came from lots of different people and the candy inside them was donated as well.

However, the day of the Easter egg hunt was supposed to be cold, windy, and rainy...

guess what?
 It was all that...but the block of time we were all out for the Easter egg hunt-it wasn't raining or too windy!!!! We had been praying all week that between 3:30-6:15 it wouldn't do any of those three things and the hunt went so well. 

I love those little reminders that God hears our prayers!
there were so many new kids that showed up. pumped and excited; but VERY very attentive:) great job kiddos in listening!


wanna know what I'm blown away about? I had the privilege to share the gospel with like 90ish kids...and they were incredible listeners that day:). I am longing for the day that one of these kids shares with me that they put their life in Christ. Until then though, seeds were planted and God is GREAT and still working!!


So, enough talk...here's a visual aid of what God did in during ZAOkids...but also what He has done in my life through this.
 I was so blessed and encouraged by them and the volunteers that showed up...
we definitely couldn't have done it without them! 
The college students and high school students went out while it was rainy, windy, and cold and hid all those eggs. 


Here are a bunch of pics...hope you don't mind me sharing all of these, but they were too fun not to let you see!

they stayed enthusiastic the whole time. It was fun watching them run around crazily finding eggs...but also seeing them sharing eggs with those that did not find very many.

only some of the volunteers!!

We walked to Chatauqua Park from the church...so fun cuz they were such good sports:)

this little man had so many eggs...so he gave out some of his to some kids without any eggs. we were so proud of him.

And then when we got back, a hot dinner was waiting for us...So thankful for the chance to visit with the kids about the time they had at ZAOkids.

I had a nice surprise when this gal came as one of the Easter Egg hunt visitors to ZAOkids.

Well, that's all folks! Hope you enjoyed the journey of the easter egg hunt journey! We were so blessed with prayer and volunteers-so thank you if you were one who did either of these things. 

Hope your Easter celebration will be wonderful and uplifting!

happy weekend!