Happy Easter!

I am a few days behind schedule, but here are some pictures from Easter Sunday. We had a wonderful time celebrating Christ's resurrection with our Hazelwood Church family. He is risen!

Emma doing some pre-Easter preparations

The Dynamic Duo

Could she be any cuter?

Happy Easter! Love, The Dilleys!

Home Depot Divas

Those girls are at it again! Today, Emma and I headed out in the heavy rain, picked up Kendall, and headed to the Home Depot for their Kids Workshop. Umbrellas twirling and coats switched (they love to wear each other's clothes), the girls skipped into Home Depot and were given their very own orange Home Depot apron, complete with their names, and a kit to build their very own flower box!

It was an act of faith as they handed the three-year-old girls their very own hammers, but we successfully completed the project with no bruises or broken fingers! Emma and Kendall loved hammering away and coloring their flower boxes with crayons. They even got seeds to plant in the box, a pin to put on their apron, and a certificate of completion for finishing.

Home Depot Divas



Kendall looking just as nervous as me that Emma has a hammer!

Kendall working hard!

After Home Depot, we headed next door to Hobby Lobby to look at all of the fun summer things and the girls convinced me that our visit would not be complete until we got some gum. And not just any gum - green gum. I happily obliged, and we continued our walk down to Bed, Bath, & Beyond where the girls found some Silly Bands on clearance (they are already great shoppers)! Famished from all our building and shopping, we headed to McDonald's for some Happy Meals and, of course, no girls' morning out would be complete without a visit to Target!

Bienvenidos a Hobby Lobby!



Testing out the Patio furniture at Bed, Bath, & Beyond



Video of the Sweet Girls Talking



McDonald's!



Emma shopping at Target

We finished our fun morning back at Mrs. Leah and Kendall's house where the girls played dress up and I got to catch up with Leah and hold Kendall's brand new baby sister, Arden! Overall, we had a wonderful morning and it was such a joy to watch the girls build, play, and just enjoy each other's company. Little girls really are the sweetest!

Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Jeopardy

The first taste of spaghetti is a defining moment in a boy's life, and yesterday we introduced Ethan to that delectable dish during our daily Jeopardy viewing. The Alvaro Italian runs deep, and, true to his roots, Ethan loved it! Enjoy these pictures and video of this momentous occasion:

Ethan's First Spaghetti

One For The Books

Things are usually pretty exciting around the Dilley household, but last night things got really exciting. Around midnight, the tornado sirens went off, so we headed to the bathroom to ride out the storm. I was worried about how Emma and Ethan would react to being awakened in the middle of the night and moved into a tiny bathroom with lots of pillows, but they did great. Emma, as usual, slept through most of it, and Ethan was content to snuggle next to his big sister.

Thankfully, the storm blew over our area without causing too much damage and we retained power. Other areas were not as fortunate and 8 confirmed tornadoes were reported last night in Kentucky. I do not relish the thought of being in a tornado's path, but God was good and kept us safe and warm in our little bathroom. I will always remember this night and will enjoy telling Emma and Ethan about our exciting night.

My babies sleeping safe and sound in the bathroom

Catching Up

The quarantine is over! I am happy to report that both Emma and Ethan are healthy and back in action. We have been enjoying playing outside and our front porch is once again decorated with many colorful chalk drawings thanks to our very own Emma "Degas". They even began sharing a room this week and are have slept together successfully for three nights now which is nothing short of amazing!

Before the Great Outbreak of 2011, we had the pleasure of attending a preschool play day at the zoo with our old church, 9th & 0 Baptist. The weather was gorgeous and it was great to be able to fellowship with friends. Nani and Papa were even able to come!

Mrs. Leah, Stephanie, Emma, Kendall, and Nani

Emma and Kendall being sweet!



Ethan loved the sliding with Nani



Papa and Ethan enjoying some lunch

I would also like to thank my wonderful parents for being such a blessing during their visit! It is always great to see them, but they were incredibly helpful - especially when the brunt of Ethan's RSV hit. I will forever be indebted to my mom for dancing, singing, and just being silly in the pediatrician's office during Ethan's first (and longest) breathing treatment. And Papa's hugs went a long way to comforting Emma and Ethan when they were the sickest. Though they hate to see their grandbabies ill, God used them to bless and encourage us during this trial. We love you Nani and Papa!

Othello

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to appear on the show, Jeopardy. I loved watching it with my parents growing up, and, to this day, enjoy hearing Emma scream "This....is....Jeopardy!" almost every night at 7:30 p.m. However, I realized early on that if my dream is to ever become reality, I need to be well versed in the American presidents and Shakespeare.

Like most, I am already proficiently familiar with and Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet (thanks to my high school Literature classes), so when perusing the Shakespeare section of Barnes and Noble, I chose Othello.

As I concluded reading Othello this afternoon, Chris asked me what I thought and I answered him, "It was wicked." From its opening lines, Othello is filled with jealously, deception, and tragedy as the play's namesake, Othello, is subtly and slowly lured to his demise by his ensign, Iago.

Iago's hatred toward Othello stems from nothing more than a suspicion that Othello may have had an affair with Iago's wife (which has no merit and is later proven untrue). As if to achieve what he believes to be poetic justice, Iago weaves his horrific plan to bring Othello down by planting in his head that Othello's new bride, Desdemona, is having an affair with his closest friend, Cassio. The results, as you may expect, are disastrous.

On the whole, Othello is a greatly entertaining and thought-provoking play. It is amazing to see how slight and small deceptions by Iago mature and take hold in Othello's heart, driving him into a truly blind rage and jealously against those who care for him the most. It is another great literary example of how our sin can (and will if unchecked by the Spirit) rule our lives.

Likewise, Othello is saturated with sexual references and overtones. The crux of Iago's (and later Othello's) hatred is based on his belief that his wife had an adulterous affair. As I read, I was struck with how translatable the plot was to modern day society. Though many have tried to paint adultery in a softer, gentler light, the reality is that it destroys as many lives and families today as it did in 1623 (the date when Othello was published). You needn't but turn on the evening news to find some truly Shakespearean tragedies personified.

Read Othello - you will shudder, but you will remember that even the "smallest" sins have the greatest consequences. I recommend the Barnes and Noble Shakespeare edition (it has amazing and comprehensive notes for even the newest Shakespearean reader) or the FREE Kindle edition.

Yes, Shakespeare can be intimidating, but if you are ever going to win Jeopardy (and I intend to), you'll need to brush up!

TOTAL PAGES READ IN 2011: 2,470

Our Tiny Troopers

I love my children more than any earthly gift God has given me. That is why it is so difficult for me when they get sick. This past week Ethan got a viral infection which progressively got worse. Eventually, he was diagnosed with RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) with an ear infection to boot. RSV attacks the respiratory system, so the little guy has to have breathing treatments throughout the day to help him breathe easier and subdue his coughing. Thankfully, the antibiotics (for the ear infection) and the breathing treatments have been beneficial thus far so we are praying he continues to improve.

In like fashion, Ethan's big sister decided she didn't want to miss out on the action and has developed a viral infection of her own. Mercifully, it has not turned into RSV, but she is in the early stages so it is one of those "watch and see" situations that we parents just love.

Although it is so hard to see my children sick, I am thankful for the trial. It is a reminder of God's sovereignty and his loving control over our lives. I am also thankful that God has provided competent and compassionate doctors to care for my children. And as my little ones crawl into my lap to be held as they ache, I cherish the extra moments to hold them.

So, tonight, as I sleep with one eye and ear open and listen to my little troopers cough, I will pray for them and thank God for the opportunity to be reminded anew of his great compassion and love for us even in the midst of trials and trust in his design.

Singing to Ethan during his breathing treatment

Loving my little man!

Wedding Weekend

This weekend we packed the car and headed to Columbus, OH for Auntie Heather's Wedding! Chris and I realized that this was the first time we had stayed in a hotel since our honeymoon (so hard to believe) and Emma and Ethan's first time. We had some great family time together and Chris, Emma, and I enjoyed being in the wedding. Here are some photos from our wedding weekend:

Emma enjoying her very first hotel stay


My Bowtie Baby


The whole family with Auntie Heather & Uncle Steven


The Girls!


My Mom and I at the Reception