Easter 2011 with Lucy

Granny & Granddad had the honor of spending Easter Sunday with our favorite little princess.  Granny was pretty much taken over by her sinus problems & could barely talk, so unfortunately we did not go to church service.  Instead we had an early brunch at one of Lucy's favorite restaurants, and then strolled the grounds of the mall.  

It was a beautiful day that God gave us ... 

and Lucy made our day complete (as she always does).

Doesn't that smile just melt your heart?

And the sunglasses to complete the outfit.

So, now we're on the road.  And look at the "yarn octopus" Mommy made special for Lucy ... so cute!

Spreading her napkin ...

and ready for brunch.

Lucy knows her table manners very well!

A special Easter kiss ...

and Lucy gave Granddad a special "camel kiss"

After brunch, we had a nice stroll through the mall ... 

and Lucy LOVES to window shop!

Looking for the fishies after brunch at The Cheesecake Factory

Little Girl & her Granddad

So many little pretties!

Oh what a cute little puppy ...

... in her cute little bed!

Princess Lucy with baby Princess Aurora

Granny & Granddad had a very special Easter Sunday with our little Lucy.  God in His wondrous ways has given us all the gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ.  And until the day we meet Him face to face, we nurture our relationships here on earth to show His love to others.  

Thank You God for the opportunity to share Your love 

with our precious granddaughter Lucy.  

An Easter Prayer Request

Prayers are greatly appreciated for our daughter & son-in-law.  This past week we went from the mountain top of learning grandbaby #2 would arrive sometime around Christmas ... to the confirmed miscarriage.  I'll post more at a later time, but for now Granny & Granddad's focus is on helping our family heal. 

I'm sure the 'Joe family would love to hear some words of encouragement & support from you.  So, please stop by her blog and lift up a prayer for them. 

And little Lucy always welcomes your comments ...

ACU's, Stiletto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus: Not the Easter we expected.: "I know I'm way overdue on posting pictures and returning messages. I just figured I'd explain why since there isn't a need to keep this a se..."

The Legend of the Dogwood Tree

Legend has it that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made from a dogwood tree ~~~

  

 At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree.  So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus’ cross. 

To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood.  While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in His compassion said, “Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross.  Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross – two long and two short petals. 

“In the center of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the center of the flower, stained with blood, will be the cross of thorns so that all who see it will remember.”

 

To me, there are no more beautiful blossoms than of a dogwood tree.  Whether or not the legend of the dogwood is true … I don’t really know.  However I do know that this tree’s flowers are a beautiful reminder of Jesus sacrificing His life for my sins.   So the dogwood is more than just a tree … it’s a representation of my eternal life through Jesus Christ.  

My Three Things ...

I admit that sometimes I’m a pessimist.  I don’t mean to be, but sometimes (more often than I like), my glass is half-empty.  At times it’s easier for me to see the negative rather than the positive … the conflict rather than the resolution … the disconnect rather than the connect.

However, there’s a simple exercise that I recently read from WebMD's “Accentuating a Positive Attitude”.  They list three exercises to help in seeing the glass half full: *meditation, *replace 1 negative thought with 3 positive actions, and *journal 3 positive things that happened each day.  So, in the midst of our hectic household, here’s Granny’s list of three positives from today:

~~ Snuggle time with Lucy.  Sweet little Lucy is still sick. Today (in the midst of her fluctuating fever), she curled up next to me and snuggled deep into my side. Yeah, poor little girl needs to get over this flu or whatever it is soon. But Granny loves to snuggle with this little precious angel even in the midst of her sickness.

~~ Breakfast & dinner with Granddad. With so many schedules coming & going in our house, it’s nice to be able to sit down to share some time together. Soon we will celebrate our 27^th anniversary, and I still enjoy every moment we have together. 

~~ Shopping at Target this morning.  I know it sounds pretty shallow.  However, I found Lucy’s little swimmers for a great deal today … even got a $1.50 instant coupon!!!  Yes, Granny loves to find little ways of saving $$$ --- even just a dollar at a time.

You know, God is good all the time to me. At the end of the day, when everyone is home safe & sound, then it's been a good day.  Yes there's times when I do look at my glass as half-empty.  But God always desires to give me a full glass … a glass that completely runs over of being so full.  I endeavor to do this exercise daily --- recounting (at least) 3 positive things that happened throughout my day. Will you do this with me?       

Banana Popsicles, Prayer & Determination

If you are a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent you know how heart-wrenching it is for your little one to be sick.  But you also know that sometimes our little ones bounce back to normalcy within a day or so. Or even sooner. 

Well, Lucy has wrenched our hearts today.  She hasn't been full-blown sick, but just a bit under-the-weather.  

There's a little secret in our household to what helps Lucy feel better ... 

"Yellow banana popsicles!"

(Shhhh, don't tell but she's eating Granddad's yellow banana popsicle! Hey, he's not home, so it's fair-game, right?)

Later this afternoon the sky had clouded as if we were in for a downpour.  I noticed my favorite trees all in bloom and wanted to get some pictures to share on here.  But I got distracted ... 

"I wonder if I can break free!"

"I can bribe Granny with a kiss."

"This window sure won't budge!"

"I'm going Higher-up now!"

 

 Yes, our little ones tug at our hearts when they are sick.  Lucy's feeling better now, and will be back to her normal self tomorrow.  And you know, I think the prayers & banana popsicles really work ... well, and a "little" determination too!

Afterword --- Well, things really do change in an instant with little ones. Just in the past few hours, our little princess has gotten sick again. We suspect that she picked up a virus from the doctor's office yesterday. 

Mrs 'Joe describes the ordeal here -- our big scare & biggest relief.

  It's going to be a long night in our house ... but hopefully Lucy will feel better in the morning, and ready for another one of Granddad's banana popsicles!