He Is Risen!

Happy Easter, everyone! He is Risen!

Easter is definitely at the top of my favorite holidays list. I love the feeling of renewal and love! I also love dying eggs, eating friend chicken and deviled eggs with the family, and of course my dad's (and mine) favorite hymn is sung at church on Easter.

Side note: not my church, but this arrangement is very similar to the one our church uses.

My dad walks around the house humming this all day. And his imitation of the trumpets at church always cracks me up.

I tried to pick my favorite verse to post here, but I can't pick a favorite. They're all so wonderful and fill me with God's overwhelmingly powerful love! I guess I'd have to go with this one though...
"Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!"

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your friends and families.

Instagram 365 (+1): April

Can you believe it's almost MAY?! And that means I'm almost 24?! This year is going crazy fast! This month feels like it just started, but here we are at the last day.

Game of Thrones finally started!
 

I started my part-time/freelance-y job!
 

I enjoyed Deviled Eggs and family time on Easter.


I had Jury Duty for the first time ever and felt like I was in the Hunger Games at the Reaping.

I went to a surprise party for my favorite Northern friend.
 

I saw my beautiful step-sister dance in her studio's ballet, Red Riding Hood. Check out her perfect arabesque!
 

Lindsay did our nails Friday night and we hung out with Calvin after I played some frisbee with Nappy.
 

How was your April? Are you doing Photo 365(+1)? I'd love to follow along with you! And don't forget to follow me on Instagram (@fmkey88)! OH! And don't forget to go ask me a question for my 2-year blogiversary! I'll answer the questions later this week.

Oh, How Pinteresting!

I'm back for another Oh, How Pinteresting! I love linking up with Michelle at the Vintage Apple every Wednesday!

I've recently decided I have Celiac Disease (thanks to my mom, WebMD, and this website) and need to try a gluten free diet, so I've been pinning a few g-free things on Pinterest to try... one day.

Source: thespunkycoconut.com via Chris on Pinterest

Source: crockpot365.blogspot.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: healthygreenkitchen.com via Erika on Pinterest

Source: kraftrecipes.com via Debbie on Pinterest

And devlied eggs brings me to my favorite holiday: Easter!

Source: tasteofhome.com via Sandi on Pinterest

Source: barefootkitchenwitch.com via Rama on Pinterest

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Lisandra on Pinterest

Source: landeeseelandeedo.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Cynthia on Pinterest

Source: pinterestoffer.com via Cathy Jeffrey on Pinterest

Have you or has anyone you know gone gluten free? Is there a place you love to get recipes from? Is there a restaurant with a great g-free menu? AND are you as excited for Easter as I am? My step-sisters and I dye eggs every year and I think tonight is the night!

1 Year Blogiversary and Easter!

Yesterday was my 1 year blogiversary! I can't believe I've kept this thing up for an entire year! I must say I'm very proud of myself.

Now on to Easter. For as long as my dad and step-mom have been married (and a little before that), we have been dying Easter Eggs. In the past few years, we've started to make egg people. Yes, we dye the eggs and then draw on them to make them like people we know... or this year we may or may not have done (read: definitely made) Harry Potter eggs. The past few years Paas has slacked off though and stopped putting crayons in their dye kits so this has forced us into being creative (by making the egg people) or kind of burning us out (like this year, not the most fun year for dying eggs). Next year a kit will not be bought without the crayon. It adds a level of creativity if you ask me.

Dying eggs with Courtney in 2009

2010's Glittery eggs

Easter Egg Dying 2011

Note to self: Next year's dye kit MUST have a crayon to make fancy designs!

Any readers have traditions like my family does? I'd love to hear them!

Late Easter = Hard Lent

Ok, I honestly don't remember Easter EVER being this late. We've got 19 more days to go, for those of you who have given up something essential to your daily lives. And because Lent started so late/Easter is so late this year, I cannot remember when Lent started. I'm guessing we're about to head into week 4? I feel like I've given up Coke since January 1st and not the middle of March.

Today I broke. Totally on accident, but I feel AWFUL! There's a pizza place in town that my mom and I love to go to for lunch. We hadn't been there in a while, so today we decided to meet there on her lunch break. This place is one of the few places in Tyler that has Cherry Coke in their fountain. And is it delish. I LOVE Cherry Coke from a fountain, I don't know if I've ever told y'all that, but I'm almost obsessed. Yes, Sonic and Dairy Queen can add cherry flavor to their cokes, but there's nothing like a perfectly carbonated and mixed Cherry Coke from a fountain.

Anyway, I was SO on autopilot when I got to lunch that I didn't realize (until 30 minutes ago) I went over and completely ignored the Sprite and went for the Cherry Coke. I've been SO good, too! I don't remember Lent being this hard ever (except that one time freshman year at TCU I gave up being nosey, which is REALLY hard to do).

Is anyone else having as hard a time as I am with Lent this year?

I'm Giving Up Coke Because Jesus Loves Me

We're now one week into the Lenten Season, aka the 40 days and nights before Easter. I decided to give up Coke. Or possibly dark sodas in general, I still haven't decided (but at the moment it is all dark sodas).

Just looking for this picture was exhausting and frustrating.

This lack of caffeine in my life is reminding me of a time before I knew of my medical problems - also known as he time when I took WAY too many naps to be healthy. Now I've given up Coke for Lent before. However, I was in school and had neighbors, homework, and going to class to distract me from wanting to curl up in bed anywhere from 2:30 to 5 pm. Now I'm unemployed (yes, I have freelance projects to work on but I did some of that today already) and don't have a puppy to take care of like I thought I would to distract me from realizing I need some caffeine to perk me up. It also is not helpful that the weekend after Lent started I went to a wedding, went to a party, lost an hour of sleep thanks to day-lights savings time, and saw Lady Gaga Monday night (which obviously all adds up to less sleep).

I don't mean to sound all complain-y, but wow. Giving up coke three years ago was not this hard. However, Lent is about Sacrifice, so I will push forward. Seven and a half days down, 32 and a half left? I can do this!

What did you give up for Lent?