A year ago, almost exactly, a dear friend of mine gave me an orchid. I have managed not to kill the beautiful plant and it is rewarding me by blooming again. And not just in one, but two places on the elegant stem. 

 7 weeks old and more precious to me each day.

 Life is grand when you have your best buddy to play with each and every day.

 Hugs are something they can't get enough of.

 This past weekend, we went with Zach and Anna to Mountain Harbor to spend the night at Anna's parents' lake house. What a beautiful, beautiful home...we happened to time our visit with the local Easter Egg Hunt.

 While the kids searched for hard-boiled easter eggs, I made sure they weren't stepping on poison ivy. 

 What do you do with a bag full of hard-boiled eggs?

 Don't ask. 

 Cheesy B ended up with so many eggs she could barely lift her bucket.

 Ah yes, Avery and August. And Dottie...can't forget her. Avery drapes herself over the accommodating bulldog while August makes sure she's still breathing.

 Dottie, you need a little CPR? 

 Looking down into the dining room/kitchen area from the second floor. Notice August's lovely hat.

 Jan and Sam have the most amazing coffee/cappuccino/espresso maker that had never been used and I was determined to figure it out. After an embarrassingly long time fiddling with it and flipping through its instruction manual, I'm happy to say I successfully made a darn good cappuccino. If only I could afford to buy my own monster coffee maker!

 My little daisy man.

 Easter lunch at my parents' house. My mom was delighted that all of us were there, even Josh and Lauren and their new son, Gage Ashcroft. (That's not him I'm holding...that's my Dorien). Gage was born at 2:14 last Friday morning and weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces. So far, the grandkid count is up to 7 with 4 boys and 3 girls. Anna is set to deliver the 8th grandchild end of June and will either tie up the count or tip the scales even further to the boys. We shall see.

 My family of 5. All in shades of blue.

 Happy Easter!

 And if you pay attention to the weather, you'll know the South is getting hammered by horrible storms and tornadoes. Seems like every day we get a new one. Fortunately, we have a wonderful basement that we retreat to when the sirens start wailing. Last night, as the worst round of tornadoes yet tore through our area, we huddled low. I even served dinner on the basement steps and we prayed for God's protection.

 My kids are getting a little too used to this. We actually keep candles in the basement in preparation for power outages. 

It also helps to occupy their attention with library books. And Aunt Kara, B is wearing the socks you sent her! She loves them!

Keep us in your prayers as more storms are rumbling outside even now. Our new favorite verse around here is "Do not be afraid; your prayer has been heard. Luke 1:13"