Busy, Busy, Busy

My last few weeks have been full of fun and frolicking.  

Okay. Maybe not. But they have been busy and have had many laughs.

The excitement began with me getting a new away-from-home job.  I get to work with babies!  The hours aren't too bad, although I have to begin at 0-Dark:00.  That does mean I get home before my gang gets back from school so I get a breather for a little while. 

The day before I started working  I missed church and "The Falling of The Cross".  The crosses set up for Easter are nestled on the stage to the left of where our minister stands (stage right, really).  The tech booth folks (including Matthew and Andrew) watched it slowly drift out of the screen on the monitor before it fell to the floor during the sermon as our minister was discussing uncertainty.  That had to be interesting!

India went to a youth camp called Footsteps - more on that in a later blog...

I joined the Decorating Committee at church.  My first project, since we couldn't find a picture to hang in place of a winter scene, was to cannibalize two wreaths and use extra floral pics I found in the committee's storeroom to make a Spring wreath in two days, plus work full time and take care of the house. 

This is the wreath I made: 

  Out of these:

The finished wreath is proudly hanging in the back of our sanctuary so it can be seen as folks walk toward the doors on either side of it.   During our placing palm trees around the crosses, a track light dropped from it's track and ended up dangling from it's cord 30 feet above the seats.  It was kind of freaky!  Two things falling in 7 days - weird.  Matthew was with us when it fell and texted our music director who sent him a text back saying "Climb the walls and fix it, Spiderman."

I also am in the newly organized PTO at the kids school.  I missed being in one since I had been heavily involved in PTO and volunteering at the old school, even being Elementary PTO President for a year while I was Secretary for the Middle School PTO.  

Our first real fundraiser was to sell donated prom dresses.  We set up shop in a local Curves-like studio (but with extra equipment). We did make a bit of money but business was slow so I discovered that many of the station equipment can be used without ever putting down the book I was reading.  I also spent a lot of time on the stair-climber and exercise bike while I waited for customers.  Still without missing a beat on my reading...

I also joined the committee for the local Tulip Festival.  A bi-yearly event celebrating the Dutch heritage of the community.  In addition to the ad sales and product sales at the actual event I also volunteered Amanda and myself to be Clog Dancers or "Klompendansen" in the parade.  Complete with traditional costume and wooden shoes.  Johannes said I will be the first person in his family to know how to clog dance. That is so cool!

Photo of the clog dancers during the last Tulip Festival.

Back to church the other day to decorate for Easter and I brought home a car-full of grapevines donated by a local vineyard.  Poor Jerome.  I took the Subaru, not knowing I would have large items to carry, and I folded half of the rear seat down so he was poked in the face by grapevines the ride home.  

I have them soaking in my tub and hopefully they will become pliable enough to weave into a crown for the cross and several wreaths for throughout the church.  I need them done by Saturday - wish me luck. 

Next Barista duty at church.  Since I had to be there at 8:30 and Matthew needed to be there at 8:00 we rode together.  Andrew hung the wreath up for me and everyone went separate directions.  Eventually some of us made our way to the kitchen where we began making the 8 pots of coffee and 2 of hot water.  I ended up accidently hitting the pump and squirted coffee on the front of my sweater so everywhere I went I smelled coffee.

Poor Matthew.  Two minutes before service began the switcher went out and so the clicker to change slides wouldn't work.  He managed to bypass it but by then the praise band singer in control of the clicker was clicking frantically as Matthew was using the computer to try to get the correct slide to show up so they were dueling for control and we were all trying to figure out the words to the song because the slide kept quickly changing on us.  Yup, it was interesting...

Now my gang is home for two weeks of Spring Break and I finally get to catch up on things.  

When is too early to begin planning?

Easter will be here in 5 short weeks.  If I plan well enough then I should be able to get all of my needed supplies and my prep-work done before then.  I do know a basic idea of what we will be eating but I am always looking for new ideas for food and decorating.  My big question for the day is cake.  The last few years I had been making carrot cake, an appropriate cake for Bunny Day.

For many years I made this
cute little bunny cake for my
cute little kids.


One of my dilemma's for this year is whether to make one of those or to  go cutesy and stick with a bunny theme

This little fella is adorable and easy to make.

 Or do I want to be more adventurous and take on something a bit more complicated and go with a basket cake.  

This would be fun to make and I could use the
top to showcase the Easter candy that I plan
on making.

These cakes are so beautiful that I
would almost hate to see my gang
cut into them.

Then there is something simple and delicious like these mini cheese cake nests.  You can never have too much cheesecake.   

It is, after all, one of the tastiest food groups.

I've learned over the years that I look forward to holidays, just like a child.  The difference is that I get so much excitement out of the planning process that I can't wait for the next holiday to come around.  Easter is 5 weeks away, then I can look forward to the Fourth of July, and more planning...