Stations of the Cross

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder
them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."



It is a tradition that the First Graders at Madeline's school dramatize the Stations of the Cross. Madeline's turn was today, and it was so wonderful! Every child in the school came into the gym, and sat quietly (truly) for the entire hour long service. The kids stood like statues as the teachers narrated Jesus' walk with the cross and crucifixion. I was moved by the whole service, the respect and beauty of the children, and the message of sacrifice that was delivered. What a wonderful experience for the kids! I have been in a bit of a blue funk (which we all get into occasionally), and this was a great reminder of why I get up every day and do the things I do.



Madeline was blessed to have Johnny and Jeanine there today, and by having my parents at her soccer game last Saturday - what a great support for her! We love them and thank them all.

Cool Cousin Nicole Plays Volleyball

Madeline's cool cousin Nicole plays volleyball on her school's 8th Grade Team. Tonight we finally got to go to a game to check her out. We enjoyed ourselves, and Madeline got to see a sport that she'd never seen before. Nicole played well, and looked like she was having fun out there. Madeline had a great time yelling GO NICOLE at the top of her lungs. A good time was had by all :-) I didn't get very good pictures, but here they are:


Note Nicole's number - Madeline was excited!

Spring Soccer 2009

Soccer has begun! Spring Soccer 2009 kicked off yesterday with a great game for the Dragons. They have definitely kicked it up a notch in their game - they played quite a bit more aggressively. Madeline was so into the game - we were proud! We were happy that Grandma and Grandpa were able to join us! The girls played Sting - which has been the hardest team in the league. (Last season Sting beat our girls 14 - 0) Yesterday the Dragons held them off to two points, and Lauren even scored a goal! Go Dragons! If they continue to play like they did yesterday we have good things to come! Thanks Dad for your photography with your wonderful camera!

Fun With Sophia

We were happy to have a chance to hang out with Sophia this week-end... what a sweetie she is! She gave me a real laugh pointing to Madeline's eyes, ears, nose & mouth... too funny. It is so much fun watching Sophia grow up, each time we see her she has new words or a new trick. Can't wait to see what she can do on Spring Break!

Spring, Spring, where did you go?

This was our deck about an hour ago when we got home from soccer practice. BRRRRR!

Smiles and Bubbles

The swing set it is must have for any household with girls (maybe with boys too, but hey I wouldn't know that one). Madeline and her friend Becky had a great time playing outdoors yesterday. It was a wonderful 70 degree day, and such a relief after all of the winter weather we've had around here.

They got their swings going so high that they both got a little scared at the top end. It was kind of funny - they had one of those "I'm not scared, are you scared?" kinds of conversations. Then they decided it would be more fun to do something else...



The joy of bubbles isn't limited to the under 3 crowd either. They had a big time playing with bubble makers.

Becky is one of Madeline's friends from school. The girls were THRILLED to have a play date. I need to remember to set these things up more often :-)



What a great Springtime afternoon :-)

Neal's Visit Home AND the First Bloom of Spring

After many months, Neal was able to get a leave and come home from the Marines. He is doing great - he looks like such a man now! We had a great time visiting with him, hearing about his accomplishments and overall just being a family on Sunday, when all of the Hites got together at Johnny's for a dinner. I interrupted Nicole and Neal's conversation to take this picture:



During the afternoon Bridget noticed that Johnny's bushes had blooms :-) I hate winter - I was so happy to see the first blooms of spring!