Easter 2012

I know it's already May, but I wanted to make sure to share our photos from Easter of the kids. Our little community does an Easter Egg Hunt every year so we headed out the weekend before Easter to let the kids run around and have fun. Here they are waiting for each of their age groups to go.

While the kids ran around scooping up eggs, this little one snoozed next to me.

Here is Miss M's loot. She was thrilled to bits to get to run around and pick up all of the different colored eggs.

After her successful run it was time to watch big brother take a turn.

N doing the big hunt. He was hilarious. He told me before he went out that his plan was to get all of the yellow eggs. I let him know it was fine to just go and get any egg he found to put in his basket. He said okay.

Guess what he did? Too funny that boy. He even bypassed all of the additional goodies they had thrown out there like bubbles and buckets with shovels, etc. Nothing like a man with a plan. He did mention to me how he picked up two orange eggs too.

The proud duo. I think we're at that stage where she won't look at the camera...

My three little bunnies.

The kids couldn't wait to bust open their eggs on our kitchen floor to see what treasures were inside. Lucas and I were laughing at the fact that because N had only grabbed yellow eggs, he was stuck with them all having the same thing inside of them. It didn't seem to bother him one bit though.

Sisters.

We had a great Easter morning with the kids. We opted not to do an egg hunt Easter weekend since the kids had already done one the weekend prior. I actually liked having it separated as I felt like it allowed us to really focus on celebrating that Christ has risen! I did opt to do baskets for the kids which included our tradition of books. I also threw in a crayon/marker box that each of the kids could use.

I included one little chocolate bunny in each of their baskets. It was the first thing M got into when she saw her basket at 7a.m. It was unwrapped before I knew she was over at the table.

N digging into his basket and discovering his new crayon twist ups.

I had read about an idea last year called Resurrection Rolls. I loved the symbolism of it and that it allowed the kids to get a better grasp of what it means for the tomb to have been empty and for Jesus to have risen from the dead.

N really loved that the roll was hollow when we opened it up. We'll definitely do this again next year. And it was a great morning treat that tasted similar to a cinnamon roll.

And to top off the weekend, our traditional Easter family photo. I have no idea why I wore a top that puffs out the front when you lean over, when I no longer want to look pregnant...

Christmas recap - Part 2

We headed to Arkansas to spend Christmas at my parents home along with my brother and his beautiful family. It was so fun to all be together and to see the 6 nieces and nephews loving on each other and sharing special memories together. Oh how I wish we lived closer.

N decorating some Christmas cookies. Some of the sprinkles made it onto the cookies, and a lot of it made it onto the tray.

By the time it got to our family photo the kids were starting to melt down. As a parent I think you eventually say, "That's good enough," and move on.

Christmas morning arrived and N had no idea what to do with all of the presents under the tree. Thank goodness he had a willing niece and nephews to help him out!

And who needs presents anyway? The wrapping paper is good enough for me!

Our sweet Little Miss. Her first smile was revealed on N's birthday when a friend of mine was talking to her. Like her big brother, she has the best smile that warms our hearts.

My niece is so kind and caring when it comes to taking care of her cousins. She already makes a wonderful big sister and will make a great babysitter some day. N was in love with her and was calling her name out even after her family had gone home.

Thank you family for spending your Christmas with us. We love and miss you already!

Christmas recap - Part 1

I suppose I should start my Christmas recap off by saying Happy 2010! I'm not really in to making New Year's resolutions, however I do enjoy thinking of things starting fresh in the new year, taking note of the things that I'd like to change and work on in my life and set goals in order to achieve them.

Before Christmas we left for a weekend to chilly Prescott, AZ to look at twinkly lights and open a couple of presents with just our family of four. We hit the world's largest gingerbread village first and I must say I was a tad disappointed. I think I had in my mind that the displays would be done more professionally than what they were. We had fun all the same.

Isn't she cute!?!

The displays were done by groups in the community. I remember trying to do a gingerbread house from a kit a couple of years ago. It didn't go well.

N eventually got bored with the displays but thankfully the motorized train kept his attention long enough for us to finish looking around.

Watching the train go by in our awesome double stroller. I highly recommend this one if you're in the market for one.

On the road again.

Looking around at the twinkly lights in the cold. He refused to look at the camera and I had to laugh when I saw I caught this moment on camera.

It was nice to visit some cooler temps for a bit and have it *feel* a little bit more like Christmas. Mid-70's didn't quite cut it where we live.

Happy Easter!

I promise this really isn't a late post. For Easter weekend we had scheduled to take Noah to an Easter Egg Hunt. I was so excited to take him! Usually I love the change of pace that rain brings to Arizona but not when it means no egg hunt for my boy. So, they decided to postpone it to this past weekend. Noah had a good time and it was just so enjoyable to see what he would think of it all.


He set out in his age group of 0-2 to find those colorful gems spread throughout the grassy area. Once he would pick up one thing, he'd decide that was enough and he'd focus on that for awhile. He also discovered that the ones that mysteriously made it into the basket, might be more interesting than those he had to bend over and pick up on his own.


After getting bored with picking up these colorful round things, Noah decided pine cones were a lot more interesting. Such a nature boy. Definitely his daddy's.


And of course we had to have a photo with the Easter bunny. I mean, he's a week late but hey, nobody noticed.

I can't leave out photos from our actual Easter Sunday. It's fun having a little one to celebrate these special holidays with, and I cannot wait until he fully understands the meaning of Easter and that He is Risen!

One of my favorite books is The Velveteen Rabbit. It seemed like the perfect Easter gift and something he can cherish for years to come. The MagnaDoodle was an instant hit. I was tipped off that he liked it while visiting a good friend of ours. Thanks Carrie! And you might notice the bright colored eggs in the basket. These are hilarious. You go and hide them and push the on button. They say things like, "I'm hiding" and "Come find me." We video-taped Noah searching for the eggs and loved finding the surprises they have inside.