The Locket

We had a great visit recently from BestestHusband's cousin and her family. Her two teenaged sons were interested in seeing some New England schools, her husband wanted to see some of his cousins, and the whole family wanted to take in the sights that the opposite coast had to offer. 

They were great to get to know, and were amazing house guests. It was such a joy to have them. But Lynda brought one gift that is more special than the girls understand. 

MeToo's middle name came from her Great Grandmother. She missed meeting her by a few weeks. BestestHusband was unable to attend his grandmother's funeral because of a looming due date. So we honored her by giving her name to MeToo. Interestingly, they have the same initials. 

Great Grandma had a locket with her initials on it. Inside was a picture of the little girl she lost. 

We learned that the picture was taken a month before her death. She had just started walking. You can see that adorable "wobble toddle" stance in the picture. She wasn't even a year old yet. When they took the picture, they had no idea she would get sick and die just a few weeks later. 

Some people say that measles is "just a rash." If that's true, why did BestestHusband lose an aunt? If measles is "no big deal", why did this little girl die? The older sister, BestestHusband's aunt, was about 5 years old. She caught measles too, and wasn't allowed to attend her own sister's funeral. But thankfully she survived to pass the story down to the rest of us. 

There are people who say that the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) is dangerous. But our family has stories on both sides that say that the real danger is from the diseases it protects us from. I've heard people say "I've never heard of anyone dying from measles. The vaccine isn't that important." But I'm pretty sure Great Grandma and BestestHusband's surviving aunt would disagree. 

The Purge

This post isn't about our recent stomach bug. No, this post is about our house. That kind of purging. 

I'm committing to a significant purge. I am accepting the challenge to get rid of 25% of the stuff in our house. I'm a prepper. I like to be prepared. Craft supplies? I got 'em. Extra mittens? I got em'. All of our baby stuff in case we're blessed with #4? I got it all!

But not for long. 

This will be a challenge for me. I pride myself in saving stuff and pulling it out at the perfect moment 2 years later. A flapper headband for a party? I have feathers and ribbon for that! I'd hate to throw something out and wish I had it 5 years later, only to spend money on it a second time. That would just be wasteful!

So this will be a serious change in mindset. Big time.

Wish me luck.

Easter in Review

This was our Easter:

We cooked for Feaster, the traditional Easter celebration hosted by dear friends. This year's theme country was Australia. Yum. 

We tried silk egg dying, where you wrap colored silk around eggs and boil to transfer the pattern. Pretty easy. And not messy. We have a winner!

Here are the Lamingtons. They are quite tasty. I think we'll keep this recipe. 

BedtestHusband cooked 3 hams. Then cut the bones to make broth. And rendered the fat. And made soup. Yum 

The girls helped me complete this list. We were busy. 

So there was a lot of cooking and preparation. And there was a ton of church prep. And a ton of church services. And a stomach bug. And a crockpot full of ham that spilled ham juice all over the back of the minivan. But we ended today in a blissful haze. And I'm posting pictures instead of thinking about what this week will bring. 

I pray the Joy of Easter will carry us through the Easter season. Or at least last longer than the candy! Happy Easter!

Cleaning to get ready to be sick

A stomach bug hit our house today. I was looking forward to a day of Easter prep and a job interview. Until I got a call from HeyMama's school. And then HurricaneDebbie's daycare. So both girls and BestestHusband were home by noon. I didn't get much Easter prep done. But I did go to my job interview.

I went to Maundy Thursday services tonight. BestestHusband is going tomorrow night. It seemed like a great plan. But on the way to church, I was convinced I'd need to pull over at some point. Thankfully I didn't. I kept it together through the service, and even on my way home. My cookies have not been tossed.

But before going to bed, I'm cleaning our toilet with Bronner's Peppermint soap. Because I'm pretty sure my head will be in that toilet tonight. And when it is, I want to smell peppermint. Instead of other things. Moms, this is normal, right?