Easter week

I've decided that I'll spend this Easter week (I'm looking forward, even though I know the holidays are all done now) counting my blessings. Here are just a few that popped into my head this morning as I ate strawberry chex (which leave pink milk in the bowl, my favorite!) and drank coffee with fat-free hazelnut creamer (might turn me into a coffee person just yet!).

1. Angela and I made it to Texas right on schedule. We left Yuma at 3:30pm Friday and got to Bryan, TX at 7:30pm Saturday, just in time for pizza and chi-chis (pina coladas) with the Bricks!
We had a pretty uneventful trip with stops for gas and food and lots of sleep and listening to a good book on the old iPod.

2. We had a great hotel room in El Paso. We were worried because the first 10 of so motels we stopped at had no vacancies but we finally found a room at a Marriott which was really nice for a good price. We slept well, and quickly, and then got on the road again bright and early!

3. We had a great worship experience with the Bricks at their church Sunday morning and got to praise God with a ton of others which is something I've been missing. Add that to the whole, God died and rose again for my salvation and I am truly blessed beyond belief.

4. We got to help the Easter bunny make Hannah and David's baskets and hide their eggs and attach yarn to the baskets to make a maze all over the house to lead them to the baskets. It was a fun night/morning!

5. We had a wonderful Easter lunch (and dinner) with the extended Brick family which included ham, pineapple dressing, asparagus, poke cake, and angel food with strawberries. I ate way too much and enjoyed it all!

6. I got the chance to have a long long nap Sunday afternoon which was a great way to recover from the hellish week I've already forgotten all about. Except that Friday I got a wonderful gift. A student of mine who's been very troubled all year, emotionally and scholastically, ran into conferences to present me with 4 books his family had purchased for my classroom from the book fair. He was so excited to give them to me and I was so excited he'd thought of me and the class. Very cool indeed.

7. Today I got to wake up to the sound of little ones watching Sesame Street and wanting to curl up with me in the lazy boy. As soon as bath time is over we're going to the Blue Bell ice cream factory for a tour and then we'll have a picnic lunch at a park. How much more blessed can I be?!?!?

8. Oh yeah, I am spending the week with one of my favorite friends, Jamee. I am so grateful that she and her family have opened their hearts and their home to Angela and I. I'm going to enjoy every single moment!