Spring Break.

Spring Break is here! No morning routines, after-school homework, back packs, and school schedules! I am completely excited! Instead we replace it with sleep-overs, movies & popcorn, a 'Super Sitter' class, and sleeping in, at least for the girls that is!

I got through as much work as I could by 11:00 AM on Saturday, then re-organized and re-prioritized things in order to hit the ground running today. I am renewed, revitalized, and ready to take on the week.

Kennedy and I had a wonderful day spring shopping on Saturday. We hit Platos closet, TJ Max, and Aeropastle for a total of 4 shorts, 8 shirts and 6 pair of socks, all for $120! YES, you heard right! I love shopping for deals and most of the time can find them! Of course in our shopping allowance was lunch and a stop for coffee! We came home tuckered out and proud to say we were only $1.34 over budget!

Both girls kicked off their spring break with sleep-overs Saturday and Sunday nights. We have an extra 4 this morning that will be raiding the pantry at some point, I am sure.

Mr. Milo and I watched 'Fireproof' on Saturday night. A friend loaned it out and of course had hyped it up. It was good, however I was a bit disappointed. One of those times when I allowed my high expectation to disappoint me. Still had a great message! PLUS my coffee was made and poured for me on Sunday morning, while I was getting ready. Watch the movie and you will get it!

Mr. Milo did some spring cleaning of the garage, got all the patio stuff out, and started assembling our outdoor living space for the season! Man does the garage look GREAT! All that salt and sand gone! I bet I will notice a HUGE difference this week, when cleaning the floors!

Kennedy and I participated in a drama at church on Sunday, playing ourselves. It was quite moving. Even Milo got a tear in his eye! We are currently in the middle of a capital campaign, raising money for a new building edition. Sunday's the focus was looking at our heritage. A cool video was shown and a spread you WOULD NOT believe of Swedish treats. Being 1/2 Swedish, many I recognized, like Almond Pastry, Kringles, and Lefse!

Sunday afternoon I was treated to ONLY 2 loads of WASH due to our NEW HOUSEHOLD CHORE plan. Today is the day it kicks off! Perfect timing with spring break, to ease them in!

The rest of Sunday was RELAXING. I did some channel surfing while I crocheted the afternoon away.

Madison and I scored some groceries after church.

Good Story here. We headed out following 11:00 service which was the first mistake! We didn't stop at home for lunch and decided we could survive on our Swedish delights. By 1:30, we are STARVING! Luckily hunger pains did not hit us until the end, the produce section. We checked out and of course our check out lane was RIGHT by Subway. I looked at her and she looked at me thinking the exact same thing! HOWEVER...that would have been the OLD Madison and Mom. The NEW Madison and Mom are in agreement with our FAMILY PLAN, of NOT spending extra money. Eating lunch out would have been consider a violation, because it was not budgeted!

So we avoided the Subway temptation, however deep inside my hunger was CRYING out for a Sub club, Sunchips, and a cherry/diet coke combination! Remember I am working with a 10 year old, who by no means is helping me at this point regarding caving into our hunger need!

We drive past Arbys, Starbucks, Egg Roll House, and ANOTHER Subway talking about how good curly fries, cafe mochas, and chicken fried rice sounded! Just then, my current #1 song comes on, Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin.

I looked to Madison and said, 'Let's belt this one out for the rest of the way home and see if our hunger pains go away.'

With a raise of the eyebrow and a slight look of confusion, she asked, 'WHY?'

GREAT teaching moment! Well, because we don't need always need food to fill our hunger, so let's try Jesus!

Still with trepidation, she claimed she didn't know this song. Then ever so slowly I saw her mouth starting to move, a smile across her face, then a soft tune, and by the time we pulled into the drive way we were singing so loud you couldn't tell if it was us or the radio! I was not feeling any pains at that point.

I looked at her and said, 'Are you still hungry?'

She replied with a smile, 'Only kind of.' Then she jumped out of the van and ran into the house to warm up last nights supper.

About 20 minutes later, as I finished un-packing groceries I could hear coming from upstairs ever so faintly, 'Jesus Messiah, Name Above All Name. Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel.'

For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in. And this made us all the more rebellious. In the end, all we had to show for it was miscarriages and stillbirths. But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God. Romans 7: 3- 5