This time, I spritzed the flower with some water before photographing it. It's so pretty .  Thank you again to everyone who has been including my family in their prayers.  Ron got a new job.  He starts on Monday.  He's going to be doing the same thing (automotive design) and making a little less money than before.  Thank God he was able to get a new job so quickly.  I'm dissapointed about him not taking advantange of the Sweden opportunity and what it could have done for our family in so many ways, but c'est la vive.

Back in February, our local library had a special event where they brought in therapeutic dogs so the kids could read to them. On the night that we went, the temperatures were below zero and apparently we were the only one's to brave enough to face the cold. The girls were free to read book after book after book to the dogs....

Now clearly Madeline (at 2 years of age) can not read the words, but that in no way stopped her from reading her fair share of books to this 2 year old golden named Levi. She was incredibly animated and enthusiastic with her delivery.  The resolution of this video clip is terrible, but her voice more than makes up for it  

He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.
-Matthew 28:6

And of course, I just had to add the progress of my little miniature rose. I took these pictures yesterday. So beautiful...

Could someone please tell Al Gore that it's snowing and 19 degrees in Michigan?! This is supposed to be nice weather. We have had one of the coldest winters on record in many parts of this country not to mention many other places of this world.

I find it interesting how the global warming "activists" are conveniently silent about all the extreme cold temps we have been experiencing. Arizona got snow this winter among many other places in this world which usually don't!  Catmandu got snow for the first time in 60 years.  Fish merchants on the Humber may be throwing up their hands in frustration at the worrying decline in fish supplies from Iceland since the beginning of the year. But the underlying cause is something they would never have guessed at - a massive deep freeze around the west coast of the country. 

I also find it hilarious how some of them attribute the extreme cold temperatures to Global Warming as well. Do people actually buy into this stuff? Do people actually believe that humans have the ability to control the atmosphere of this world? Has no one ever looked at the cyclical record of global temperatures to see that they have risen and fallen all through recorded history?

Why is Al Gore not talking about that fact that scientist have determined that Mars is experiencing global warming? Does not the common sense of these global warming activists realize that it's not humans, that it's sun temperature that affects the climate? How can Mars experience global warming without humans to heat it up? Sheesh! And if I may quote Al Gore "The earth has a fever". A fever?? Last time I checked, inanimate objects are not subject to fevers. What a ridiculous analogy!   

And although this has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion on Climate Change, here is a progression picture of the tiny miniature rose bud. It's quite delicate and beautiful.

I have experienced stress in my life. Sure. Everyone has, right? This time however, I am really, really struggling. Our future is so uncertain and Ron seems to be so indecisive. I'm scared. I have not slept well in weeks, and I even popped a stress induced cold sore smack dab in the middle of my top lip just in time for Easter. Lovely! All my energy (and lack of sleep doesn't leave ya with much), is poured into my kids. I don't want them to feel my fear, so I do my best to hide it from them. I think I'm pretty damn successful at it too. They are both sick, and I'm battling a sinus infection myself. Stress... I just keep trying to plug along. Tara pointed out to me today that the plant she got me for my birthday back in February "has a flower growing".  It's a little miniature rose plant. The bud is beautiful, and I can't smell it because of my sinus infection . Sorry to sound so crabby, but I can't help it. For those of you who have offered me the gift of your prayers, I could sure use more. Thank you, God bless, and sorry for this crabby post.

Here's my birthday present from Tara...