Good Friday

I'm going to start this post out on a more personal note because I wanted to write about this all through the week last week, but just didn't have the time.  Last Sunday at Church, a man, a young man, by the name of Aaron Odom visited.  He is a singer and sings with a group called The Imperials.  Aaron sang a song with our choir in the morning service and I knew after I heard him sing that I'd rather be no place else but First Baptist at 6:00 that night when he, along with our choir, would perform Easter music.  I sang with the choir at Christmas, but after that, just could not seem to find the time to go to practices for Easter.  Some excuse, huh?  Well, let me just tell you that last Sunday night, I was touched.  Touched by a Hand that I believe I've only felt a handful of times in my life.  And it was wondeful!

Of course Bailey was with us because where else would she be if there was some good singin going on?  And at one point she reached up and touched my tears, and my Mama's heart just melted.  And then she threw her head back and her scar stared me in the face, as if God himself was saying, "Look what I have done, and it is good!".  I reached over and rubbed that sweet inch of bumby skin at her throat and said, "Yes, it is good!" 

I have the sweeteset, friendliest, smartest, most beautiful little 15 month old a mama could ask for.  There is never a time we go out anywhere that someone doesn't stop us to to comment on how cute or sweet or good she is.  And to think about all she has been through just makes me even more grateful and thankful for her little life. 

I know there are Mom's and Dad's out there in this world who go through so much more than we did, life threatening things, things that require a very long hospital stay a long way from home, things that require types of treatments that cause the parents to have to watch their beautiful little ones be sick days upon end, diseases and disorders that require breathing machines for a lifetime and not just a few weeks, diseases and disordres and syndromes that bring parents to a plot of land and a block of stone to visit their child, treatments that cause their hair to fall out when I worry about a hair bow staying in.  I know we didn't go anywhere near those places, and for that I am thankful beyond words that could be written here.  But we did go to a place that was scary and unknown for us, a place where even though there were no immediate life-threatening issues, some could have arisen and turned the situation towards the worse end.  Even though we are coming up on the anniversary of the day that terrible ordeal began, and still paying the bills for it, we are on the other side.  And it is good! 

And so today on this Good Friday I just wanted to take the time to say that I am thankful for such a God who gave his only Son for our transgressions.  For a Son who died and rise again so that we may have life and have it abundantly.  We have abundant life here at the Whitehead household, and although we don't keep God as near in the center as we should, we are thankful for His scraficies and for His love and most of all for His promise of salvation and eternal life. 

One of the songs sang last Sunday was "I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy".

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered that gate I cried, "Holy"
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh what sights I saw.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for all."

Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."

I thought as I entered that city,
My friends all knew me well.
They showed me the streets of Heaven;
Such scenes too numerous to tell;
I saw Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Mark, Luke and Timothy.

But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for me."


Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."


I had heard that song before, but for some reason it was very powerful to me last weekend in that church holding my sweet little girl who has been through more than I would have liked for her to go through.  I thought about all the people who are already in Heaven that I will see again one day and what a sweet day that will be.  And I thought about how Heaven is not about death but about life and how thankful I am to know that I will see my loved ones there - Sid and Bailey.  I've never thought of Heaven in that way before.  But most of all I want to see Jesus.  Because of what we celebrate on Easter, I am given that opportunity and so are you. 

And because of His love for us, we have life on this earth, and like I already said, IT IS GOOD!!!

Which brings me to the second part of this blog post: Bailey's week of Easter fun!  Let me just tell you, this child is blessed and loved by both sets of her grandparents, and of course her Mama and Daddy. 

First, when we went shopping last Saturday, her Mammaw (Nene) bought her two outfits, one of which is her Easter outfit.  I wanted it monogrammed, so Tuesday after work, we went to one of her friend's house who has a monogramming machine to decide how I wanted it and get it done.  While we were there, I spotted some really cute Easter baskets, one for a boy and one for a girl, that had some things monogrammed on them along with their names.  They were too cute and come to find out, she had picked the baskets up at Wal-Mart for only $8 and all the monogramming stuff (other than the name) was already done on it.  She just added the names of her grandchildren and they were so cute.  They looked exactly like some I had seen on Etsy for like $30 the week before when I was ordering the tutu.  I had planned on just sending some cheap Dollor Store plastic Easter Basket to Bailey's party on Thursday at school because her real Easter Basket was my Mom's and then mine, so it's, ummmmm, well it's just needs TLC and not to be dragged around a playground by a toddler hunting plastic Easter eggs.  So I mentioned this and Nene's friend was so increadibly nice that she offered to do one for Bailey if Nene could find the basket on Wednesday, because remember this was Tuesday night, and I needed it by 9:00 on Thursday morning.  Nene was thankfully able to find the basket, and one for Mason too on Wednesday, they were monogrammed with their names on them Wednesday night, and ready to go Thrusday morning for the parties.  On top of all that, Nene made homemade decorated Easter Egg cookies for her party, too. 

Bailey also got a package in the mail last week from her Mimi and Poppy T.  Mimi sent her a dress from a little shop in Birmingham with some bunnies on it along with her bunny slippers that were in the last post.  Even though the dress was white, I decided to go ahead and let her wear it to the party and Easter Egg hunt on Thursday.  If you wait for that perfect time for things like that, I've found the clothes will just hang in the closet and never get worn.  So I went ahead and decided it would be the perfect dress for the perfect day, and it was!!!! 

And one more "first" for Bailey....she died her first Easter eggs.  I have pictures that her teacher sent me, but I don't have a scanner at home to scan them in.  I do, however, have pictures of the eggs. 

Wednesday and Thursday were such big days for Bailey that Sid said she fell asleep when they got home yesterday afternoon, which she usually never does.  I was sad that I didn't get to go to the party yesterday, but her Daddy and her Mammaw where there and her Daddy did get some good pictures.

So, you want to see all these pictures instead of read this long old boring story?? Alright already, here we go!!!

Now look, I am NOT a morning person, but these two look like they are on the way out the door to the most boring event they can find.......

Until someone knocked at the door.....

Who was it???

Why, Mammaw bringing the basket of course!!!  Their spirits really lifted didn't they???

She acted like she has been carrying a basket around her whole life.

That's an up close one of the sweet "Bunny Love" dress Mimi sent!

Before I show pictures of the party and Easter Egg hunt, check out these super duper cute Easter cookies Mammaw made for the party.  Of course Mason got a set for his party too, only in boy colors.

And my baby's first died Easter eggs!

Now for the pictures from the party and Easter Egg Hunt.  I thought Sid did an excellent job getting pictures and Nene has some good ones on her camera too, but I forgot to get it. 

My gosh, she is getting so big and it makes me soo sad and soo very happy all at the same time!

Even though her head is missing, I think this is the sweetest picture of my baby knowing just what to do!

Oh, or maybe not knowing just what to do......to darn funny!

Holding onto that basket!  I wonder if her friends remember she WILL scratch when someone gets in her space??

See all that mulch on the slide?  She had at least that much in her basket.  Sid says she comes home daily with that much on her, but she's always cleaned up by the time I get home.

Those darn teeth never let up do they???

Shew....all that hard work....a girl needed some shade and a break!!!

Her first little party, sitting at the table like a big girl.  Sid said they called that big t-shirt they put on her the spagetti shirt.  I'm so thankful they think of things like that because they sure don't have to.  I almost didn't recognize her though with that dark shirt on over her white dress.

And last, but for sure not least, Sid got me some tulips this week.  This are really pretty and they are my favorite.  He usually always gets me some around this time of year.  Bailey spotted them today and said "oooo" and tried to pull one of them out.  She is for sure into anything and everything.

I did a few Easter cards for her teachers at school and this is the Bible verse I put on it:

This is the promise that He Himself has made:  Eternal Life! 1 John 2:25

May you all have a blessed Easter weekend and take the time to remember the celebrations!