Simple Woman Monday, April 13th

What I've been thinking... Hallelujah! Lent is over!

Outside My Window ... The three puppies we have left (two still up for adoption and one we'll keep) are in the pen outside wrestling and playing. They grow so fast!

I am hearing... William behind me playing with a half dozen plastic monkeys. In a funny little falsetto voice he's speaking for the monkeys, saying: Help! Help! We need rescue!"

I am reading... Still working on Consecration to Mary. But, I just got a new shower curtain in my bathroom with palm trees on it, which is making me want to get my hands on another Egyptian Amelia Peabody adventure...

I am wearing... a short-sleeved, spring green, cotton turtleneck and blue jeans.

I am hoping... Kevin, Jon, Dominic, Michelle, and friend, Justin arrive safely home from Omaha tomorrow afternoon. Michelle and Kevvy drove out to sing in the Omaha choir for Easter and are bringing their brothers and justin back for a week's visit. Woohoo!

From the Learning Rooms... We're taking the week off of school to enjoy the Big Kids all being home. (Except for Paul and his fiancee, Nicole, who left to go back to college in western Colorado yesterday.)

From the kitchen... making sugar cookies and brownies today to have ready when the boys come home.

I am creating... garden plans. If we ever get a long enough stretch of good weather, we might actually, get our spring garden planted. Every time we plan to get our peas in the ground, it snows! Agh! And I have spinach, lettuce, radish and carrot seeds just waiting for their chance, too... It rained all day yesterday, which is a blessing because we needed the moisture, but now I'll need to wait for our garden beds to dry out a bit to be able to plant without a big mess. Maybe tomorrow...

I 'm thankful for... having our extended family so close together ~ in body and spirit. We got to have a long pleasant Easter visit yesterday with my parents and all my 7 brothers and sisters except for my youngest brother, David, who recently moved to Georgia. We miss our Uncle Dave! But his not being here points out how blessed we've always been to have all the children's aunts and uncles so integral to our lives. Definitely something to be grateful for!

Around the house... I think we found all the eggs (I think, I hope, I pray), but we're still picking up Easter grass...

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Ah, here's my chance to think out my wish list for when the boys are here!

* I would like to have a new cellar door built, and the trim finally finished in the dining room.

* I would like to have the garden fence finished and the latch on the front gate replaced.

* I would like to have the hole over the recently repaired front septic filled back in and the brick trim dug up around the perennial bed in the south yard and replaced.

* I would like for the boys to go through the piles of clothes in their room and tell me what needs to be donated to Goodwill and what needs to be stored until they get back for Summer vacation

* But, seeing as we only have a week to work with, the thing I'd most like is a chance to visit with each of the boys I never get to see (Jon and Dominic) and get a good assessment of where they are and what they're thinking.

Here are a few picture thoughts I'm sharing...

Holy Saturday Preparations

Inside and Out

Paul took charge of

the egg dying factory

Easter Morning

Gabriel, Anna, Catherine, and Theresa ready for Mass

(Yuyum stayed home with the folks that went to Easter Midnight Mass)

Easter Afternoon

Gabriel's birthday party

His monkey cake, as requested...

What Gabey thought of our rendition of the Happy Birthday song...

Our oldest and our youngest hanging out together

(There are eighteen years between Paul and William!)

For lots more Simple Women's Daybooks, run over and check in on Peggy!