Beauty in Bloom

The Easter weekend post.

It totally escaped my mind today that I wanted to post pics of our weekend this morning. Better late than never I suppose.  My brain doesn't work properly on Spring Break. It's 11:22 pm. I guess I had better hurry if I want to finish this by midnight!

On Saturday, we they dyed 4 dozen eggs. This is my husband's thing. I am the paparazzi.

This is taking forever!

Sneaky rabbit made a visit.

I don't know where this kid gets it but she slays me with her sweetness. A letter to the Easter Bunny. I die!

Church on Sunday morning...which was an amazing service by the way. I love our church!

After church, we headed up to Bob's moms house for the afternoon. There was an egg hunt in South Park. {A made up park that is across the street from my mother-in-laws, she just decorated the entrance to the woods and called it South Park, ha!}

Ready, go!

The girls ate their weight in candy on Sunday. It took me all morning to recover from the weekend.  Maybe I shouldn't wait until the last minute to fill Easter baskets & eggs.  Fat chance.  I complain, but secretly I love it.

Living vicariously through our children...it's a beautiful thing.

XO

Today is the day.

Today is the start of our Spring break. It also happens to be Good Friday. Two very important days in the life of our little Family.  We do not have any big plans for today, but I can promise you that we will be remembering what Christ did for us on this day. How He paid with His life so that we could be forgiven.  Oh how I wish I would have had this knowledge when I was growing up.  My kids are so blessed and lucky.

There will also be a few fun things too, you know, because we have small kids, and because Easter weekend also brings things like egg-dying, dressing up, family time, a big potluck style breakfast before Easter services and of course an egg hunt or two. It's my favorite Holiday,

Since joining Instagram this week, I have been documenting life with my cell phone more than I already too. This app is too fun.

1. We registered Miss Annie for Kindergarten this week. I have very mixed emotions about this. I am very happy for her because I know she will love it, but I am a bit sad because she is such a super sweet kid and I LOVE having her at home with me.

She got to ride the bus. Hasn't stopped talking about it since.

She also received and new book and aced the evaluation.

2. We went to Michaels this week too. My happy place. I picked up a few goodies and then took the girls to their happy place. McDonalds. Ha!

They finished that day all together in the sandbox.  It takes so little to make them happy. I pray it always stays that way. Yeah right!

3. There will only be three bullet points because I have only had Instagram for 3 days. Ha! So yesterday the girls begged me to bring up their tub of Polly Pockets from the basement. They set it all up and played for a while..while they watched tv too. Of course.

J'adore these kids even though they stress me out all the time!

Yesterday also brought dinner out at the Applebee's. Half price appetizers baby. We eat them as our dinner cause we are cheap.  Daddy and Faith playing tic-tac-toe. She loves him so.

Last night I was watching a show and had kicked my family out of the living room for 30 minutes because honestly, they were driving me crazy!! In the middle of the show, the kids came running in and said Mom, you have to come see this. I grumbled, but got off my butt anyway. So glad I did cause this is what I found.....

Little rascals! Just when they push me to the brink of insanity, they do something like this and I get hit with a charge of guilt because how could I ever get angry with kids this cute and funny?!  I will never know!

That was our week. I am loving this app! Did I say that already?

Anyway, I hope your weekend is wonderful and full of celebration, joy, and most of all gratitude.  For Christ is risen!

HAPPY EASTER friends.

XO

Easter weekend part 2

Our day started out very early Sunday morning.  We had to be at church by 8:30 for breakfast, (which we didn't make) and hunt for 50 eggs that the Easter Bunny left hidden inside. Two weeks of severe weather and a foot of rain kinda cramps his style. Liv was still feeling very sick so these next few shots my husband took while I tended to the little one.

 
(yikes, what a messy countertop)

 
 

This little one was such a trooper. She tried to have fun and play with her Daddy, but it was super short lived.  We decided to go ahead and take her to church with us. It was probably not the best thing for her, but we did anyway. Hey, she was part of a trio and I didn't want to break that up :)

 
 

 

Look at them! Sporting pink toenails and hair flowers handmade by their Momma. I will miss the days when they refuse to wear things I make for them. *sigh*  After church we headed home to drop off Liv and Daddy. Then the rest of us were off to my Dad's house. We had some good food and the kiddos got to play with their cousins and hunt eggs...inside again.  I was sad that Bob and Liv weren't there. She was just too miserable. :(

These crazy kids had a blast jumping off the stairs!

 

 
 

Thank goodness the rain finally stopped because they needed to run off some energy. Yes, I brought rainboots because I am sort of overbearing and I did not want them to get their shoes dirty!  Uncle Jake kept them busy for a while in the back yard. Faith did not like this keep away business. 

 I really wanted to take a family picture this year but sadly, it did not happen.  I actually wore a dress to church! My goal was to have someone snap it at church after it was over but Liv had fallen asleep in the nursery. Oh well. I can not document every second, even though I want to.

***

Today is the day! I still have so much to do! I hope my husband took the 50 'impossible to blow up by using only your mouth mini balloons' because I almost passed out last night. He is supposed to blow them up at work. Sheesh! Great, now I am distracted by the Royal wedding. Is it bad that I cried when I saw Kate Middleton for the first time? Don't answer that. :)

Easter weekend part 1

Our weekend began by singing to the newest member of the 8 year old club...

Then it was onto dying eggs...

 
 

 
 

Then it was time for Grandma's house to celebrate with family...

 
(Faith's dress)

 
 (Annabel's dress)

 

We had cake and opened presents!!

 

 
(This chick scored $80 in Justice gift cards. Thanks Grandma, Uncle Jake & Aunt Vicky)

 
 

This little nugget required constant Mommy attention all afternoon. She was so winey and seemed to be in pain. Later that night she came down with a fever. After going to the doctor's office monday morning we found out she has a double ear infection. It also did not help that two molars are coming in too. We had to leave Grandma's early.

 
(poor baby)

But before leaving we had to take a spin on Mickey in Grandma Kim's famous Mickey Mouse room. All the kiddos just love it in there. It is sort of our inheritance. LOL! (kind of a running joke in our family) 

 

On the whole the day was good. I just wish Olivia had been feeling better. This post has taken me so long to write because I have been planning and preparing all week for Faith's birthday party that is tomorrow night. I hope to post part 2 of our weekend later today or tomorrow. I had it all wrote out 2 hours ago, but when I hit "publish" it ALL disappeared! AHHH!  Besides party prep and cleaning I have to go to Faith's school today to watch a play that her whole class has been practicing for weeks. I also must go shopping for all of the mini food that I will be serving at her party! If Olivia would just stop climbing on things and falling down and getting hurt then maybe I could get something done! I guess spending 2 hours posting this was probably a bad idea. Oh well!

Happy Easter!

This is why our family celebrates Easter.  The truth in this video gives me great comfort. No matter what sin or struggles I face in my life, I know that I am forgiven and that I am not alone.  My Redeemer lives!!

I also just want to say how grateful I am that our family and friends escaped the devastating damage of the tornadoes that hit our bi-state area. This morning my hubby and I were watching the news and they were interviewing people who had lost everything.  Houses were leveled. Entire neighborhoods too.  I can not imagine walking out of my basement and seeing the sky.  It seems so strange that they hit such a populated area.  Praise God that there were no fatalities. I hope these people find strength in God and in their families and communities. I hope.

Lord, thank you for blessing me with small problems. 

I promise to stop complaining about the little things.

Happy Easter

 
Today was spent worshiping our risen king! We even threw in an easter egg hunt and dinner with family. I just love dressing these two up in the same outfits. Watch out Olivia, you are next!

 
 
 

 I just love the action shots, don't you? They look so serious about their egg hunting!
 

Easter fun

It's Easter season and you know what that means...Egg dying, easter egg hunts, decorations, church services, dressing up in cute dresses, and time spent with our family.  Every year Grandma Dianne joins us to dye eggs.  It's kind of a big deal. She is an expert really.

 

 
 

Our redeemer lives! Jesus has risen! This is by far my MOST favorite holiday. I love every. single. thing. about it! I am so thankful for an awesome savior :)

Happy Easter

They were so excited to play with all of their loot! The Easter bunny sure knew what they like. Faith said, "This is what I always wanted," she was talking about her new Thumbelina movie, of course. Annie really liked her new harmonica. Now she can stop stealing Faiths. 

 

The girlies in their Easter pretties!

The last week around here has been so delightful. Between dying eggs, making cookies, hunting eggs(x3), making treats, resurrection eggs, visiting family, and Easter services, I would say a good time was had by all.  Faith has a better understanding as to what Easter is all about. Our Redeemer lives!! Christ has risen! -and for that there is no better reason to rejoice and celebrate how truly blessed we all are!

More Easter prep

Today was spent making oreo pops and sugar cookies. The girls had a great time decorating the oreos after I dipped them.  The cookies didn't turn out as great as I hoped, but they still look cute and they never pass up a chance to play in the sprinkles.

 

My favorite photo...they are serious about their sprinkles.

Faith's favorite cookie.

 

Annie ate more sprinkles than she decorated with.

The next few days will be filled with hunting eggs, lots of over eating-mostly candy I'm sure, dressin' up for services, visiting family and making sweet memories.

Happy Easter!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Dying Easter eggs with Grandma

The girls had a great time tonight dying Easter eggs with Grandma Dianne(my husbands mother).  We really got down and dirty. My favorite eggs were the tie-dyed ones.

 

 

 

By the time we were done B-belle spilled half of the food coloring, but she kept informing me, "Its ok Mom, its ok."  I am glad she thought so. Dying eggs every year is a big deal, and tonight we did it the Italian way, according to Dianne. She told us that her and Grandma Pearl used to do it together, and that Grandma would hog all the eggs. Funny.  We love Easter around here, and I am so proud to say that Faith knows the true meaning of this holiday. Last year we bought Resurrection Eggs and they are teaching the kids, well Faith, ALOT. Everyday we open up a different egg and there is a new story to share about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful to have a daughter like Faith that has a heart for the Lord. I love you sweetie.