The tale of the wiggly tooth....

There was once a little girl who thought she had a wiggly tooth.

The problem was she was only 2 1/2. Her nearly 5 year old sister had just lost her wiggly tooth and she really wanted to have one too.

As the years went by her sister went on to lose EIGHT wiggly teeth but she never had a wiggly tooth, even as much as she tried to make it wiggle.

She began to give up on the thought of ever having one of her own. She despaired of ever getting to have a tooth fairy visit and a shiny new coin to put in the piggy bank.

Her friends each started to lose a tooth. Then two teeth. But she still couldn't wiggle a tooth. Mommy and Daddy assured her that someday it would happen to her too.

But finally! at age 5 1/2 she had two teeth that were wiggling!

She tested those teeth every day to see if they were wigglier. She gave a regular report on the status of those teeth. She gave them regular wiggles to make them looser.

Then one day, a few months later, one was wiggly enough to push forward a little with her tongue. The next day at school she was wiggling and one of her friends asked if she needed help taking it out. She declined their offer but accepted the offer of her teacher who popped it right out. The brave little girl, when asked if it hurt, shrugged and said "Not so much."

Hurray!! She has joined the ranks of the toothless kindergardners and first graders the world over. She gets to keep her tooth in the cute little tooth shaped box the school gave her and then leave it by her bed for the tooth fairy to trade for a shiny coin.

The wait is on for wiggly tooth number two....... and little 3 year old sister is already inspecting her mouth for a wiggly tooth......

A Beautiful Day

Our beautiful girls on a beautiful day.

I love Easter for so many reasons. It feels fresh and new. Maybe because Spring is popping up all over but I think it is the fresh realization that Christ's Resurrection freed me from my sin. A fresh slate of God's grace, available to me anytime I ask, but first realized on that beautiful morning when Mary when to visit the tomb of Jesus and found he wasn't there. He died on the cross that black Sabbath morning, carrying all my sins, and then rose again on the third day after conquering ALL sin, mine included. How can I not feel fresh and renewed when considering that awesome gift!?

I also love that the holiday is less about consumerism and more about just enjoying. (And chocolate.)

I love dressing up, sometimes in a new outfit for me, but usually something new for our girls. They are so excited to put on their beautiful new dresses and twirl around for our viewing pleasure. Their joy is plainly visible in their smiles and the extra bounce in their steps.

I never fail to cry during the worship service on Easter Morning. The songs, usually familiar, stir such an intense joy mingled with an fresh realization of how much my sin cost my Savior. Our church usually has an outdoor service so all three services are worshiping together in a large tent with a booming sound system. Your whole body gets into it! One older gentleman had such a real joy that he couldn't help BOUNCING like Tigger during one of the worship songs. Beautiful.

Following our service we ran home to wrap up the preparations for three couples who came over to enjoy an Easter ham with all the trimmings. Fun conversation, happily sugared children playing, yummy food. MMMMMMM.

A beautiful day.