Monday Night Basketball

John and a handful of his fellow air traffic controllers are wrapping up another season of men's basketball. They play every Monday night at Hope Church and are the most competitive bunch of recreation league players I know. 

Well, maybe not the most competitive. I did see another team recording their play for game film last night.

The team is still looking for a win. And trust me, this can be difficult for a bunch of controllers. 

If nothing else, though, they do have the best cheering section around.

And plenty of distractions. 

T-Ball Scrimmage

My friend Brandy grabbed some great photos at Jack's first T-ball scrimmage last week.

More Easter Festivities

We visited Trinity Baptist Church's Easter Egg Hunt and Festival the Saturday before Easter. I would say Trinity accomplished its goal, too. Jack's comment to me when we left was something like "That was fun, mom. They talked about God a lot."

Easter 2012

This is the best Easter picture we're getting this year. It was proceded with me begging the boys to be still so we could get this part over with.

"Let's get it over with, Jack" Ben told Jack. Quickly, they let me capture the photo above.

We went to church on Saturday night, so we could all go together (John still works Sunday mornings). After we returned, Jack wrote a letter to the Easter Bunny. 

 Later on, he added a note to the back asking that Ben get a ball too. We left him chocolate eggs and milk.  

 The Bunny brought Jack his remote control car and Ben found a foam soccer ball in his basket. Jack also asked for a chocolate bunny -- which he got, sort of. This is what happens when the Easter Bunny buys the chocolate and ... umm, leaves it in her car for a few days.

Eggs, Colored

We dyed a dozen or so eggs this past weekend -- the sets come with all sorts of fancy extras these days: glitter, stickers, a chalk pen ... We had fun and now the boys are working to destroy every egg in glass bowl I've set out. They'll be pretty while they last. 

 

 

 

 

Museum and Milkshakes

Memphis opened a new train museum this week, so Ruby and I took the kids downtown yesterday to check it out. It's pretty small but worked out perfectly for a quiet Good Friday. After we left the museum, we had milkshakes at Arcade -- one of Memphis' oldest diners -- and then walked around downtown Memphis. 

 

 

 

 

 

                            

Zombies and other scary dudes

 Are we sending him to the right school next year? How do I teach him to stand up to bullies? What summer camps should I sign him up for? These are the things I obsess over these days. It's the stuff that I know doesn't matter in the long run, but nevertheless, is the stuff that I keeps me up at night.
Sometimes, though, Jack reminds us that he's listening -- ready for more of the really important stuff. And then the pressure's really on to get it right.

This past Palm Sunday, on the way to church, Jack and I started talking about Easter. Last year, he got the basic "Jesus died and woke up" story. But I figured he needed a little more this time around. Lots of questions, and I could just hear that little mind working through it all.

Our conversation was one of those great theological moments (deep sarcasm) where I say a little prayer that something is sinking in.

Jack: Mom, tell me a little more about Easter.

Me: The bad guys hurt Jesus and then he died.

Jack: What did they do to him?

Me: They hung him on a cross. They put nails in his hands and feet and then his belly.

Jack: Like Zombies? Zombies are bad guys. I think Zombies did it.

Me: Um. Yeah.  ... (this is when I think God chuckles a little.) That was on Friday. Three days later --
Friday, Saturday, Sunday -- Jesus woke up. He wasn't really dead.

Jack: Kinda like Optimus? (translation: Transformers Optimus Prime is a good guy, an Autobot who  died in Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. His friend Sam, a human, helped bring him back to life in the movie.)

Me: Um, not really, but yes, Jesus woke up. He took all the bad stuff we do, our sin. And because he died, we all get to go to heaven if we love Jesus.

Jack: I love Jesus, Mom.

Thanks be to God.