He Lives!

I just can't find anything better to express my feelings about Easter than this painting and video that I've posted on Easters past.

This video is beautiful:



And I love this painting of Peter and John running to the tomb.

The artist, Liz Lemon Swindle, said about this painting:

"When Mary came to the tomb, she found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. She ran to the disciples crying, "They have taken away the Lord…and we know not where they have laid him" (John 20:2). Peter and John immediately ran to the tomb.

"What did they think as they ran? Were they simply curious to see for themselves? Did they fear, like Mary, that their enemies had stolen the body? Or did they remember His promise, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"?

"The decision that faced Peter and John that Sunday morning is the same decision that faces each one of us today. Will we doubt? Will we hope? Or will we know that He lives? I know that He lives."

I know, too, that He lives. Happy Easter!

Happy Friday!

This picture just makes me laugh. I have no idea what's going on here, but I figured that it's a good one for the Friday before Easter.

[via The Graphics Fairy]

Happy Friday!

Pepperoni!

Last week was a very, very good week. Isaac finished up his two-year program at the local technical college, and The Boy finished kindergarten. (If you're interested, you can find more info on the home-kindergarten thing on one of my other blogs, Pie for Breakfast.)

So we had ourselves a little homemade-pizza party.



Whole-wheat pizza, anyone?


Pepperoni always gets a thumbs up from The Boy. Pizza was accompanied by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and we followed up with some ice cream. We know how to party.

Now, we're on to a new job and first grade. And I'm totally not freaking out about it. Nope. Not at all.

The Beginning of a Christian Life

"So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do...The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The First Great Commandment"

What We Saw Last Night--Savior of the World

Our local stake is putting on a production of Savior of the World this week and next. Isaac, The Boy, and I went to see it last night.

The performance itself was kind of a mixed bag--that was to be expected, I guess, with such a wide variety of experience in our little community. Some of the show was great--breathtaking, even, especially in the second act--and some of it was a little rough.

But here was the interesting thing: regardless of the quality of the acting, the singing, the dancing, or the script, the feeling in the room was undeniable. It was a feeling that didn't come from any of those things--it came from a perfect God working through imperfect people. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and I felt that so clearly last night.

I'm glad we went.  It was a beautiful way to start the Easter season.

(Have I mentioned that I love Easter? I do.)

**For those of you who are local and would like to see Savior of the World--tickets are sold out, but admission is free, and walk-ins are welcome. Walk-ins will be seated a few minutes before the performance starts. Click here for more information on when and where.

Worrying, Wondering, and Weeping

[image via lds.org]

"He is blessing you and He will bless you, even--no, especially--when your days and your nights may be the most challenging...Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' And it will make your children whole, as well."

-Jeffrey R. Holland, "Because She Is a Mother"

Happy Friday!

Have you seen Kid History or Kid Snippets on YouTube? Each video is acted out by adults, but voiced by interviews with their kids. Funny stuff. (And clean, which is always appreciated.)

This is my favorite of the Kid Snippets. (That is, of the ones I've seen. There are a bajillion others that I might maybe okay-probably-will-never have time to watch someday.)  Watch, laugh, and have a happy Friday!

Winnie the Pooh, and The Boy, Too

The Boy and I just finished our latest read-aloud books: Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. We watched the old Pooh cartoons, too. He loved all of it. So much that this is what bedtime looks like:

For the past few nights--every night--he's had his Winnie the Pooh baby quilt, his uncle's old Pooh, and a not-quite-authentic Owl, Rabbit, Piglet, and Tigger. I asked him whether that makes him Christopher Robin, but he thought that was silly.

And yes, I've now heard every Pooh (i.e., poo) joke that a six-year-old boy can dream up. Several times. For weeks.

Happy Friday!

Okay, so I like Bohemian Rhapsody. But I love, love, love the Muppets' version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Animal's part gets me every time. Oh, and the Swedish Chef. And Beaker. And Kermit.
But not Miss Piggy. I've never been a Miss Piggy fan.
Happy Friday, everyone!

This post is way too corny.

[If I weren't so lazy, I would've taken a photo of my
actual tortilla press. Alas, I am lazy.]

I have always hated corn tortillas.

Or, I guess I should say that I had always hated corn tortillas...until I bought a cheap tortilla press and some masa*, and made some of my own.

(Why would someone who hates corn tortillas decide to make some herself? I can't really say. But it was a good decision.)

Turns out that homemade corn tortillas taste amazing. Plus, have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a package of tortillas from the grocery store? It's not terribly long, but there are several preservatives listed (and food dye and thickeners, in some cases). As for the homemade tortillas, I use 100 Days of Real Food's recipe, which contains three ingredients--and that's including water.

Now, I'm not saying that I think you're a bad person if you eat store-bought corn tortillas. I'm not even saying that I'll never eat a store-bought tortilla again. I'm just saying that I loooooooove corn tortillas now, and the three-ingredient thing makes me happy.

Also? Squashing a ball of tortilla dough in a tortilla press is kind of fun.

*Masa is Mexican corn flour--or it can also mean the dough made from the flour. Unlike American cornmeal, masa is whole grain.

Happy Friday!

[image via]

Today, not one bother shall be given. Happy Friday!