Where to begin?

I've been slacking in the blog dept lately...Spring seems to make life "roll" faster, and I can't seem to find time to update the blog (and I know you've been waiting with baited breath--hee hee)...Life is a circus here. Grace and Sam seem to change every second of the day. Grace says things waaay beyond her years and Sam says things, well, in order to get food...he's pretty quiet unless there is sustanance involved. Here are some of his words at one year of age:

Harry (our dog and Sam's first word...I think he learned this because Harry is his constant companion. Esp at the highchair. Harry sits patiently waiting for food to fall--and it usually does--while I scream "Harry...LEAVE IT!! HARRY OUT!!")
Dada (he says this in a sweet and endearing way...like Daddy is his own personal superhero)
Sissy (again, very sweetly...he thinks Grace is LOTS of fun)
MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA (he normally squeals this at me in a loud and demanding sort of tone...it is usually related to food, or lack of food...I am NOT a superhero, I am a food source...often this is accompanied by his pulling at my shirt searching for his much loved "ninny")
Bite? (this is always a question...Like "Where in the heck is a bite of food WOMAN?")
Mmmmmmmm (as in "mmmmmm, this is the BEST food I've ever eaten")
More (sounds like "mo...Mo...MO!!!!" and goes hand in hand with beating on the highchair tray for more FOOD...right now...if I don't get it, I will surely waste away!!!)
Bye-bye (normally used when he is ready to LEAVE his current situation in search of food--i.e. the grocery store cart or car seat--and he wants to leave now!!! Sounds something like "byebyebyebye, mama, byebyebye...MAMA!!! BYE BYE!!!)

That's about the extent of it...did I mention the child likes to eat?? :) Today for breakfast he had 1/2 a banana, 1 egg, and THREE pancakes...

I know I haven't posted much lately. Lots of things going on in the Farris household...I'll update when I can. I just wanted to post this today--Easter...it was a reminder that sometimes it is best for us to see the story of Easter with fresh, childlike eyes. Nothing reminds us of this like telling the Easter story to a 4 year old. Grace was up BRIGHT and early this morning, she opened her Easter basket, and then I sat down with her to go through the "Resurrection Eggs" (see here if you don't know what these are) It's a difficult thing for ME to understand--why God would come down, live a human life, walk among us, and then DIE a horrible death for MY sins--so you can understand how hard it is to explain to someone under 4 feet tall who thinks Jesus is some sort of spiritual superhero and who's only concept of death comes from seeing a dead cat on the road during a walk. We went through the eggs--one by one--the donkey...the chalice...the crown of thorns ("Ouch, don't you think that would hurt to have on YOUR head? What if your princess crowns had thorns on them?")...the cross...the dice ("They STOLE his clothes...that's not very nice is it?")...the spear ("Was there blood mama?")...and finally death ("Jesus was dead...like that dead cat we saw on the road") She never lost interest. In fact, as I type she is making Danny re-tell the story. I didn't think she was listening really, I didn't expect her to fully understand...I just want her to NEVER remember a time in her life when she didn't know that Christ took the ultimate "time out" for her...that He lives with us, walks beside us...Hallelujah!! But she WAS listening and trying her very best to relate this story to her simple little life....the next egg was the linen cloth Joseph ("Jesus' friend") wrapped His body in after He died. Grace looked at me, wrinkled her liddle forehead and said "Like a big band-aid Mama?"....yes Grace...like a big band-aid...

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. --Mark 10:14-16