Spring Break

So yes, our home got broken in to.

Apparently, the initial window break was much smaller and it was actually the police who came later and busted the whole glass door in order to enter and clear the house to make sure no one was still inside that shouldn't be.

Thankfully though, aside from the smashed glass door, nothing else was taken or damaged.

And aside from a long night of filing a police report, comforting our very scared kids, cleaning up all the tiny glass bits (no small task!), sealing up the hole, and figuring out what to do next, Phil and I were left feeling... really, really thankful.

Thankful that all of us were together and unharmed, thankful that our stuff (though a very minor thing in the big picture) was left intact, and thankful for the opportunity to remember that this is not our final home and to long for heaven all the more.  We were thankful for the reminder to ourselves and our children to place our greatest value and hope and trust in the Lord who never fails.

So though we were a bit shaken and disappointed in a vacation cut short, we still give praise and thanks to our God for the chance to teach our kids the reality that we do live in a sinful world and as much as we'd like to, we can't guarantee their safety and protect them from every bad thing.  But we can teach them to know and love our heavenly Father and earnestly pray that He would grant them salvation so that while they may face trouble and hard times in this life, their eternal future would be absolutely secure in Christ.

And I'd say that is a far better thing than anything this world has to offer.

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So seeing snow was a bust for us this year.  (Not complaining too loudly though, seeing as how our Minnesota friends are still getting socked with the white stuff this late into April...)

But!  Phil and Allie still had several days of vacation left so we decided to make the most of it.  Because that is how we Tsais roll.  ;)

My birthday was a couple days later and we decided to spend it as a family day.

Allie woke me up with not one, but three birthday surprises taped to my door.

Mikey left me a little surprise just outside my door.  I initially thought he meant the yellow paper.

He meant the white paper.

Then I went downstairs and discovered that Phil had made breakfast for all of us.  :)

Later in the day, we found ourselves at a dinner and tournament.

We were in the Red Knight's cheering section.

The girls had to go to the bathroom and just as we were returning, I heard the princess proclaim, "Happy Birthday to Queen Michelle.  Love, Mikey, Allie, Lauren, and Jonah."  Awwww.

Diving in to eat roasted baby dragons with our hands.  Tasted just like chicken.

There's our Red Knight deciding who to toss the flower to.

He threw it right to her.  She then passed it over to me and said, "I was hoping I would get one so I could give it to you for your birthday, Mommy."  That girl.  My heart.

Jonah reeeeeally got in to all the tournament cheering.  I think this was his favorite way to eat a meal.

"OK Red Knight, I will wave my red flag for you!"

Clanging swords and real sparks!

And as soon as we got back home...


Counting my many blessings on this birthday.

God is good.  All the time.