Easter, Singing, and a Broken Heart

The girls at our playgroup Easter egg hunt.

Sweet Addison! I can't believe how big she is!

Our family on Easter Sunday. My dress has really big flowers. Ha!

Emma Claire in her Easter dress.

Our girls in their Easter dresses

Me and the girls with my grandpa a few days before his surgery. We were celebrating his 71st birthday.

Lulu in her Easter dress. She's getting to be such a sweet big girl.

Addie Fae in her dress. She's almost ready to walk.

Olivia again. So big!

Easter was nice this year. Our new church had a great walk through experience that took us through the last few days of Jesus life, his death, burial, and resurrection. It was a great way to let the girls, especially Olivia see, feel, smell the whole thing. We really stressed the importance of the reason we celebrate Easter and I think that the girls really got it! We did the resurrection eggs with them and also read through Benjamin's box. It's so amazing to not only know that our kids understand what's going on, but they have been talking about it to others. What a blessing out kids are.

We also got together with family and friends and had lots of egg hunts. The girls loved looking for the eggs, but mostly just like the treats inside. Olivia also found out she loves boiled eggs.=) She WAS NOT going to try one, but her curiosity got the best of her and she finally gave it a try.

I mentioned our church earlier. We are enjoying it so much. For the first time in several years we know FOR SURE that we are exactly where we need to be. God is so good to put us in a place where we are certain our kids are learning and we are too. We are also getting ready to really dig in and get involved. I've started singing in the praise team and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It feels so good to be back leading worship. I've really been working on allowing God to really use me and that people would see Christ's love overflow through me. It's hard sometimes to not get puffed up when so many people compliment me, but it's been so amazing how God has allowed me to redirect that praise to HIM and to be reminded that it's ONLY HIM who deserves the praise. BUT, getting to be a part of that is so so cool.

So, my grandpa recently went in to have his pre-op consult for cataract surgery. After a routine EKG they decided that he needed to see a doctor before they'd complete the surgery. After a few scary days and two visits it was certain that he had to have open heart surgery. Last Wednesday he had bypass surgery. It was scary for our family, because he has never been sick and never even been on a prescription drug before. So, a hospital stay and extensive surgery threw us all for a pretty bug loop. He did well in the surgery though and even got to come home on Sunday! Please pray for his continued recovery. There are still some health issues that need to be unmasked and he still also needs to have the eye surgery too!=) Anyway, his heart is fixed for the time being and we are thankful for that.

I know I'm slow in getting going on this blog, but I'm not really in a hurry. I decided that I'd write when I had something to write about. I want to share something with you. My husband, a very smart dude, started his own blog a few weeks ago and writes only when he has a thought to write about as well. He's recently written a blog that I'd like you to see. You'll find it here.

So I've had people asking for my recipe for my laundry detergent. I stole it from the Duggars. It's very simple, but a little more time consuming than I thought it would be. Mostly because I had to use a fork to grate the soap because we didn't have anything else to use.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

• 4 Cups hot tap water
• 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar(We sub Ivory for the soap. Just make sure it isn't scented)
• 1 Cup Washing Soda
• ½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Make sure all the soap is melted completely. You also need to make sure it doesn't start to boil. Just stay with it stirring until all the soap is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-The next morning the soap will be thick and gel-like. Stir out all clumps. Fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with the soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

TIP: You can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.

This is the one that we use. We just leave the 5 gal. bucket out in the garage and use it to fill the containers as needed. You don't have to make it all up at once.

Here is the powder version. I'm not sure that anyone would want this one, but if powder is your thing, here you go!

Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine

• 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
• 1 Cup Washing Soda
• ½ Cup Borax
  

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

I'm also including these. We use the first one.


Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1

1 Cup White VinegarAdd vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2
1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half
Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

If you have any questions let me know! Enjoy saving money!!