The Emptiness of Easter

Empty? The tomb is empty? Praise God for the emptiness of Easter morning! The tomb is empty, so our hearts may be filled with the Holy Spirit! Happy Easter to all!

"Then they looked up, saw that the stone had been rolled back--it was a huge stone--and walked right in. They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished. He said, "Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed on the cross. He's been raised up; He's here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. Now--on your way. Tell His disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, exactly as he said." Mark 16:4-7

Easter Egg Festivities

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:5

Jr. Gold for Big E

Yes, I am the very proud mama of a Jr. Gold Belt in Karate! My big dude completed his "First Basic Kata" for all to see and passed with flying colors. He was a bit thrilled to give up the white belt. Now he is gunning for the solid GOLD! The whole fam was there to cheer for him, and we celebrated with a yummy golden cake (note the very proud little brother). The best part of Elliot's day? "Getting my Jr. Gold belt!" The best part of Gavin's day? "Elliot getting his Jr. Gold belt!"

"The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous. More to be desired are they than gold. Yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." Psalm 19:9-10

Mardi Gras at Christ the King

Elliot and Gavin have decided they love the concept of Mardi Gras in that the party at Christ the King was complete with colored masks, beads, and a live jazz band. Elliot also discovered his love of both king cake and fried catfish! Although they don't likely grasp the concept of Mardi Gras and Lent, I know they are eager for next year's annual party! They have also realized Lent means the celebration of Easter is right around the corner!

"Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." Romans 6:22

Time to Rest and Time to Run

We had a great weekend of running, playing, swinging, hiking, and cuddling on the couch together when rest time came!

"My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." Isaiah 32:18

Valentine's Day Train

My hot hubby and I jumped a train to share in some kid-free, care-free timelessness together. It was a COLD day, but a cup of hot cocoa and a visit to the Blue Tomato Cafe made for a fun day.

"Keep on loving each other." Hebrews 13:1

February Birthday Chics

We were fortunate to have Aunt Rita, Mimi, and Aunt Shannon here during the month of February to love on us, making it easy to celebrate their birthdays with them. Happy birthday, February babies!

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." I John 4:12

A Journey to Ohio

After pondering aloud as to how to make a five-hour road trip with little people easier, my friend Melissa shared the suggestion you see above. She instructed me to place tape across the ceiling of the car with various-shaped "markers" along the tape to indicate cities along our journey. We start on a star at one end and finish at the star at the opposite end. After each hour of travel, we reach a different shape. Giving the boys a visual of where we are helps them to better understand "how much longer." They don't understand "two hours" to Grammy and BooBoo's house, but they do understand "one more movie." This will be a new part of our extensive road travel from now on!

We enjoyed some quality visit time with our loved ones. You can't imagine how much wrestling, Star Wars reenactments, train observation, music band tryouts, rocking horse rides, and military simulation five cousins can fit into one weekend. What a fun time was had by all!

"We love because He first loved us." I John 4:19

Three Years of Gavin Fox

"Baby Gav" turned three this month and is now officially allowed to climb the designated tree in the backyard. Of course, I didn't remember that this was permissible until I found him in the tree on his birthday, and he politely reminded me of last summer's promise. Yes, the sometimes "irresponsibly fearless" Hampton boys require constant supervision...

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:7

The New Year Has Come!

Happy new year! A time for new beginnings! We celebrated with the Broad family by grilling some burgers and putting pots and pans in the hands of children (okay, maybe not such a great idea...but the kids LOVED it!) Praise God for a great year and the love of family and friends! So far today, I have not broken any of my resolutions for 2012!

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
--2 Corinthians 5:17

The Hamptons Hit the Trail for New Year's Eve

To wrap up 2011, the Hampton family took to the trails at Beaman Park in Joelton, TN, about 30 minutes northwest of Nashville. Elliot served as our navigator and made sure we stayed on path with his handy compass. He eagerly loaded his hiking pack on Saturday morning while Mom and Dad did the same. The two-mile Henry Hollow Loop Trail was a two-hour trip for us with detours to throw rocks in the water and find perfect sticks for sword fights.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
--Psalm 119:105

No Hills Required

Gavin has adopted a new form of cycling which requires no "up hills" for him. This modern version simply requires a strong daddy to carry you AND your bike up all hills separating your from the school playground. Fortunately for the Daddy, the 1.1 mile distance does not have too many hills to cover! The weather has been beautiful in Nashville, and we have tried to take advantage of every opportunity to be outside playing. Can you see my little dude's muscles as he swings like a monkey across the bars? No, I can't do that...yes, I have tried recently! I simply swing and enjoy the joy of watching little guys run out all that excess energy. If only you could bottle that stuff!

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" --Psalm 133:1

Building, Building, and More Building

The building hasn't stopped! This picture was taken the day after Christmas, and the only reason I know that is that the boys are dressed in clothes, as opposed to the pajamas they wore ALL day on Christmas. Yes, they never changed out of jammies from sun up to sun down. I don't recall if they even paused to brush teeth, despite the stockings full of yummy candy and new musical toothbrushes. You name it, and they have built it this week.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
I Thessalonians 5:11

Christmas Bliss

Hooray for Christmas! We had a 6:30am start with Elliot informing us that there were presents under the tree!!! (The tree remained empty at our home until Christmas Eve due to "unsupervised" opening that has taken place in past years around our home...) The boys were pumped about the Legos, Star Wars, Cars, and Trios that found a new home with us. Merry Christmas to all!

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." -Matthew 2:10-11