Da Vinci

I've just finished reading the Da Vinci Code - what an intriguing book! Even more intriguing is that Rich Nathan, the pastor of our Vineyard church will be doing a sermon series on it. I can't wait to hear his opinion of this widely controversial book. From my research online, Dan Brown claims all his conjectures are true whereas others claim they are false. How can we know the truth? What I did find interesting is that in the portrait of the Last Supper (which I have hanging in our doorway) it does appear that there is a woman next to Jesus. Could that woman be Mary Magdalene? The woman that the Da Vinci Code claims is Jesus's wife? Who knows. Erik and I were discussing this and I don't really see a problem with Jesus being married. Of course Erik really doesn't think it is a problem being a preacher's kid :).

In other news:
1. Erik and I watched the March of the Penguins. What a great film!! Those little guys walk 70 miles to mate and raise their chicks. The male penguins live without any food for 4 months to take care of their babies!! What an amazing story.
2. Erik ripped up the bushes in front of our house and we planted flowers.
3. Jenna ate a lot of dirt this weekend (see #2).
4. Jenna's new favorite word (and food) is dirt.
5. This is finals week for me and I'm up to my ears in grading!!

EQ

Erik and I love to play EverQuest together. We created new characters with the names Foxxmulder and Danasculley and played with them for awhile, but apparently those names are in violation so we had to change them. Our main characters are Kire and Trillian. Here is a screen shot:

I am the shadowknight and he is the lizard mage. I'm not sure why he wanted to be a lizard (iksar). Lizards are slimy and yucky. To each his own I guess.

I'm currently reading the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I really like it (knowing it is fiction but well written) and am excited about the movie. Even more so than the movie, I am excited that our pastor at church will be doing a sermon series on the Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction. I can't wait for that!!

Jenna has started signing please for everything. If she wants us to read a book or give her something to eat or pick her up, etc. EVERYTHING! It is so cute and wonderful that she is communicating with us. Today she signed please to tell me she was hungry. How cool is that?

Today my Quiddler was atrocious as I only got 64 and the max score was 68 without bonuses. Oh well - you can't have everything. I can't be smart and have a polite daughter *smile*.

Good Friday and Apple bars

Today is Good Friday and Easter is only two days away. Easter is a holiday filled with goodies and pastel colors and spring. Who doesn't love Easter? We go to church and celebrate Christ's resurrection then stuff ourselves with chocolate peanut butter eggs (seems to fit right?).

This lenten season has taught me to be more creative with sweets. I have found a recipe for apple bars that have 140 calories and are absolutely delicious: http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/AppleSquares.asp
Not chocolate but still awesome.

Now that I'm dwelling on chocolate, let me list my top five candy items (not all bars).

1. Reeces peanut butter cups (obviously!)
2. Peanut M&Ms
3. Take 5
4. Nestle toll house cookie bar
5. Kit Kat

Yesterday I fasted and prayed about my class. I decided not to confront them about their rudeness but rather just let it go. So having not eaten anything all day I decided to go to Starbucks and get a coffee before class last night. Well I was bouncing off the walls so even if they were rude to me I didn't notice. Maybe that is the answer to all my problems :).

I got 75 points today in Quiddler with a max of 70. I had the word "fitted" to get me 5 bonus pts!

Easter Egg Hunt

Jenna braved the frigid weather today for her first Easter Egg hunt. Eggs were "hidden" all along the ground for the "under 2 year olds". The 3-5 and 5-8 year olds had eggs that were concealed a ltitle better.

Mom told me that Jenna would be scared of the Easter bunny but the opposite happened. She was so excited when she saw him and kept pointing at him. He gave her a little container of bubbles which is wonderful since blowing bubbles is one of her favorite pastimes.

In other news, I had the worst night of teaching that I've had in 8 years on Thursday night. My students were rude and insulted me the entire night. I went in the bathroom and cried during break. During my tearful interlude, I was reminded of God's peace and started humming praise choruses. This verse fills me now:
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:7. Praise God - the giver of peace!
In the midst of my sorrow, I just wanted to turn to chocolate. This also made me realize that chocolate should not be my source of comfort - rather it should be God. So thank you Lord for giving me peace and making me realize that I should turn to you instead of food. Will that help me get these last 10 pounds off???

Easter Eggs

Today we decorated Easter Eggs! Erik (as usual) offered a million reasons why he should be excused from participating in this yearly family event but he failed to convince me. This year Jenna participated too!!
Here is a picture of her with all of the eggs. Unfortunately when we gave her an egg, she thought it would be fun to bang it on the table. Luckily they were hard boiled. Now I know not to give her raw eggs when I'm cooking.

We had an excellent trip to Cincinnati! Jenna had a wonderful time with Nicholas and we were happy to see Randy and Julie again. We will have to visit them again soon.

The weather is warming up and our tree out front is starting to bud. Spring is such a wonderful time of year. I'm anxious to get out with Jenna and go to parks and revel in the sunlight! Unfortunately Erik found out that he will be working on a customer site 4 days a week until the middle of May. I love that he works from home, and both Jenna and I will miss him terribly during the day. Leaving one's house for work is overrated :).

Surprise!

Erik was fooled!!! I sneaked down to the kitchen and put green food coloring in the milk. Then in the morning I said "I'm going to make pancakes." So I got out the milk and eggs and bisquick. Erik looked at the milk and said, "Doesn't that milk look a little green." I said "maybe". Then he said we should throw it out and he didn't want green milk in his pancakes. To which I replied "April fools!!!". He didn't even know today was April Fools day :).

We are leaving for Cincinnati in half an hour. We haven't seen our college roommates in years and we are finally getting together - I can't wait!!!