I was in Sarah's bedroom this week when I saw a beautiful picture of her friend, Rebekah, with her new baby. Sarah said I could post a copy here. What she didn't tell me was that I'd have to sift through hundreds of pics to find it! Enjoy motherhood, Rebekah. You both look wonderful.

One of my favorite snacks is dried green beans. I love to eat green beans raw...right off the stalk in the garden. This snack is the closest thing to raw...taste-wise, not nutritionally.

This is what it looks like. So it's gotta be easy to make...right?! I couldn't find any directions online, just some hints.

I blanched a bunch of fresh green beans (freshly from the store), poured a few drops of olive oil over all, then sprinkled sparingly with salt. Then I dehydrated them for...too long! I meant to turn the dehydrator off before going to bed but forgot. In the morning they looked like this. But still tasty! Just crunchy. I think they would've been perfect with less time. Anyhow, I bought some more beans yesterday, so I'll put them on to dry tonight.Last year I made Ruthie's Easter outfit using this jacket pattern. I commented that I had a miserable time making the pattern work. Wouldn't you know it...Ruthie begged for the same pattern this year. And I had just as much trouble. Well, I procrastinated until this morning because I was dreading the thought of dealing with that pattern again! But I finished the outfit and she is happy as a lark, so it was worth it. This picture sure distorts the colors of the fabrics. Here's a closeup:

Taking pics of fabrics sure is hard! My scanner kept wanting to change all the colors. I bought four sets of fabrics to make Ruthie enough dresses to get through the summer. Last year she liked her Easter dress so much she wore it all year...even in the dead of winter. Here are the other color sets:
Mostly green colors.

Purple colors...I love this set!

Pinks...and yes, they are as bold as they look! All I can say is, when I finally make a quilt out of all these scraps, I'll need sunglasses!

I went ahead and bought four sets early in the season because last year Joann's Fabrics ran out of them long before Easter. So I do learn from my mistakes...sometimes!

We were given some pink flannels from freecycle.org that a woman had bought but never used. So Anna has decided to make a baby quilt for Mike's friend Jason, a new daddy. Anna was a help to me today with cutting and ironing, and fellowship. Thanks, Anna!

I had a wonderful time sewing and listening to good music. We invited a lot of folks for church and dinner tomorrow but it looks like we will just have three guys...thanks to chicken pox.

Last night we went to the Good Friday service at Grace and Peace, and had a wonderful service. The theme of the service was Shadows, as in the shadows Christ had to endure. The service started off with all the lights on. Throughout the service, as Scripture was read and songs were sung, the lights were turned off, one by one. By the end of the service, the only light came from the candle burning at the large wooden cross (on the stage). The light represented Jesus Christ. Our family was very touched by the service. The music was excellent.

I'm off to sew a new dress for me. Hopefully I will be able to finish quickly and still get to bed early since tomorrow morning is Easter Sunrise Service.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found

Was blind but now I see.

Many blessings ~ Kathie