Off to the sleep clinic...

We got a call around noon today that they had an opening at the sleep clinic tonight. This week is really not ideal for many reasons but the next appointment is October so off we go.

I'm hoping things will go better than I'm expecting but here are my concerns:

1.) Eli and Emmy don't do well away from each other. Eli is already really upset that he doesn't get to go "bye-bye car"

2.) Emerson is afraid of all things medical at her ENT appointment last week we couldn't even get her on the scale.

3.) They have to hook her up to all kinds of wires, which directly relates back to point two.

4.) I'm afraid she won't sleep.

Here's hoping it goes well.

Scenes from Holy Week...

I promise I'm going to stop with the Holy Week and Easter posts after this one, but I just wanted to share some of the design elements that I used in my church during Holy Week.

I really love the use of candles and other elements to help invoke emotions and feelings during worship, and Holy Week provides a perfect opportunity for that.

I used only things I had on hand and I sort of made it up as I went along, trying to get the right feel for each service during the week.

Thursday- I did a tenebrae service with communion as the central piece.

I had twelve candles which represented the 12 disciples with the Christ candle in the center. At the beginning of the service I read the names of the disciples and "invited them to the table that Christ had set" as each name was said the candle was lit. Then throughout the service using songs and scripture the candles were slowly extinguished. At the end only the Christ candle remained lit and it was carried lit from the sanctuary. 

Of course on Holy Thursday communion was central and I invited members 4 at a time to gather around the table. Inviting them to feast at the table Christ set and prepared for them. 

On Good Friday I decided it would be a great idea to completely clear out the area. I had a ton of fun pushing around our huge altar and table. But I liked the look. The cross was draped in black and candles lit the way to the cross. The still lit Christ candle was at the base. At the end of the service with the words, "It is finished" the Christ Candle was extinguished. Along with the candles lighting the way to the cross.  

Then on easter everything returned and the cross was covered in flowers. 

I shouldn't read...

books about boy-girl twins, where something tragic happens. I'm reading The last Child and it's about a set of twins, the girl is abducted and her twin brother just can't let it go.

It's haunting me right now. It's 1:32 am and I all I can think about is how sad it would be for my twins to ever be separated. The story is just so sad and the entire family structure in the book erodes under the tragedy of the missing child.

Not a happy night time read, and now I'm here and awake.  

Easter Recap 2012...

We had a great Easter. Eli and Emerson are getting old enough to understand things a little bit. They had a great time dying the "eggies" as they call them. Only 3 or 4 were broken in the process.

Eli couldn't help himself, and his hands ended up quite blue in the process. 

The finished result. 

Then we set the baskets out for the bunny.

The cutest thing is Emerson remembered the next morning. Usually when they wake up they both head straight to our bedroom. But on Easter morning Emerson headed right to the living room and said, "I see if Bunny here."

And the bunny did indeed come and visit our house. 

The loved their new chairs. Just like daddy's complete with a cup holder. 

Then off to church. Trying to get a picture of the two of them is difficult. I guess all things considering this picture isn't so bad. 

Then Emmy gave her brother some loves, and when she was done hugging him, Eli took the hug and threw it away. Haha this is a game they play they throw everything away. Hugs, kisses, our noses. 

I did my first baptism on Sunday. Such a wonderful and joyous occasion. Notice my daughter tugging on me. She doesn't like to share.

The family Easter picture on the steps of the Church.

After church we went to a party and dinner at the house of a member of my congregation. They had a bounce house and Eli and Emmy bounced for hours. They came out occasionally for water, and then right back in. And then another egg hunt. Much like our last one Eli was happy with just a few eggs and his candy.

While Emmy ran around grabbing every egg in sight. It was a nice Easter.

One of my favorite parts is that Emerson knows who Jesus is. I gave all the kids in my congregation an activity pack on Easter since we didn't have sunday school. Inside was a religious coloring book. At one point she said, "I coloring Jesus" and then she said, "I coloring a cross" She's learning something haha.

lenten goals update...

We made it through lent and Holy week. I'm still recovering from Holy Week to be honest. It was good but a lot of work. Three services is a lot to plan and organize in a short amount of time.

At the beginning of lent I gave up soda, Reese's Candy, and procrastination.

I did pretty well overall. I did have soda a few times during lent but hardly at all, I didn't have Reese's at all, and you want to hear a sad story. I got some Reese's from the easter bunny after not having any for 40+ days. I had a few but now I can't find them.

That's right I somehow lost my candy. I would like to blame Eli that boy loves his chocolate but I'm pretty sure this is all my fault. Sad times.

As far as procrastination I did much much better and it made my life about a million times better.

The best part is that during lent both Marcus and I started exercising. I had to stop for a couple of weeks in there, because I bought some awful shoes and ended up with some really serious pain I had to recover from but we've both been really committed, and during lent Marcus lost 16lbs and I lost 5lbs.

I bought a pair of jeans the other day and they were a size 4 (last time I bought jeans I was in a 6) so this is exciting.

Now to keep it up and stay motivated.

On a sad note Marcus Grandma passed away on Friday. I'm assisting with the service so that's been on my heart and mind lately.

I have lots of pictures from easter but I'm so exhausted and just don't have the energy right now. Perhaps tomorrow.

Caught up in Holy Week...

I haven't had much time for anything but work this week. Three services plus a morning prayer service = my head is swimming.

Today at choir practice I was trying to remember which song went with which service haha. I have to say though as busy as this week is for me I love it. There's something so powerful about creating worship experiences on Holy Week.

I love that I get to do things outside of our normal ritual, to invoke emotions, and the Holy Spirit. Tonight while service communion was one of the Holiest experiences I've ever had.

Something was just different tonight. Different than the communion service on sunday, and different than the communion sundays' I've done for the past 9 months.

Eli giggled through the entire service. He was taking Marcus' nose and throwing it away and apparently this was super hilarious. This of course made Marcus laugh so my boys had to excuse themselves a couple of times during the service. I didn't mind though, it's way better than the alternative.

Emerson sat really well with a couple of members from the congregation and I was just relieved I didn't have to hold either one of them tonight.

Good Friday service tomorrow and then Easter on Sunday, where I will do my first baptism!

Palm Sunday & Egg Hunt...

Today is Palm Sunday and the start of the Holy Week Madness. When Marcus saw my schedule for the week he said, "Wow this is way harder than Christmas" haha. Yes it's a little more involved.

Yesterday, my church hosted a community egg hung, which included singing, craft, and story as well. Eli and Emerson were so anxious the entire morning to go and find the "eggies".

It was hard keeping them calm as they tried to wait patiently for 10am.

Emerson's Easter cross craft. 

Starting the egg hunt

Notice Eli's empty basket. He found one egg, opened it started eating the candy and was content. I finally urged him forward and had him pick up a few more. 

Emerson got a ton of eggs. She as an egg hunting fool. 

The bigger kids had a separate egg hunting area. 

And then Palm Sunday today. One of the great things about living here is we have palm trees. A member of our congregation just trims their trees and we have palms. 

We had a processional in church while we sang Hosanna!

And of course I had to do some more Hosanna yelling with the kids as we waved our Palms. 

Eli loved the Palms he walked around fanning everyone in the congregation. Eli and Emmy also handed out the palms to everyone. It was a good weekend, and a good start to Holy Week.