Jelly Bean Trails...

The kids woke up to Jelly Bean Trails leading to their Easter Baskets (ode to Ginny's folks!)...I'm sure as the kids grow the trails will get longer and trickier...I bet the Easter Bunny didn't want the kids to worry with the stairs just yet...

Mallory had fun collecting her jelly beans for her basket before heading downstairs to hunt some more!

Carter woke up and was HAPPY about his assortment of goodies the EB had left behind...

...Or was that SURPRISED and ALARMED?!?!?!

What a great 1st Easter for little Carter...Can't believe we started the blog on Mallory's first Easter!

And here is some footage after the hunt!

Happy Easter!!!!!

"Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!"

Annual Egg-Stravaganza!

Getting ready to go on the Annual Church Easter Egg hunt! Click here for pics and footage from last year!

Can we talk about the little birks?!?! Baby shoes are so adorable all though not too functional...as you can see they didn't stay on his feet long!

Mallory was super excited for the hunt to begin she could hardly stand it! (Side note: Last week when we told her about the 3 hunts coming up and asked her what would be inside the eggs she said, "chickens..." I don't think she was too disappointed when we told her there would be candy inside these eggs instead!)

Each kids was allowed to find 15 eggs...there were over 900 out on the lawn in different areas for the different age groups! Crazy amount of egg-e-os-i-t-y! :)

Time to play on the playset before crafts, story time, and lunch!

Our plans changed when the 30% chance of rain began to look like 100%...they called us to eat lunch before it rained and as people were getting food the sky opened up and half the people took their food to their cars and the other half made their way into the house! Def. an Egg-stravaganza for the history books for our church! Still so much fun! :)

And here is Mallory on the hunt....it will be so cool to see both of our "little people" on it next yr!

Hot Cross Buns

So apparently "Hot Cross Buns" isn't just a song you learn to play on your recorder in 4th grade Music Class! I found out from one of the ladies in Bible Study the history behind these...Click here for some info. Lots of drama in England back in the day over the buns. Since I love traditions and I can only bake a few things :)...I went on down to "The U" today and they had them! So after dinner we each (except Carter...next yr!) had our first Hot Cross Bun and we talked with the kids about the cross and what "Good Friday" is all about. Then we headed to our church service...

The Waiting Room

I've never liked hospitals....I could never be a doctor or a nurse...I think the reason I don't like them is bc the fact that "the world is a broken place" is right in my face when I walk through the doors...I always think of hospitals as a doorway in and out of life for some people...Especially after giving birth...every time I pass the hospital where we had our babies I think about them entering the world....The only wing I like is the baby wing bc life is new and fresh and possibilities are endless...

It's also hard to sit in waiting rooms looking around at all the sick and hurting people....Life is one giant "waiting room" isn't it when you think about it? There are so many people suffering...

I got an email from church this morning and when I read it I began to shake and go numb (and I still feel that way)...one of our church members died last night in his sleep. He leaves behind his wife and 3 small children. The youngest of which Mallory plays with each week in Nursery. I cannot even imagine losing my best friend like that and my children losing their Daddy...I am in shock and am heartbroken for this family....There is so much that we can't understand as we live "this side of Heaven." We need a Redeemer...And that is what Easter is all about. So I'm hugging my kiddos tighter today and I will do the same with Michael when he gets home (I haven't told him yet bc I don't want to get him upset at work) I think that is why I am so obsessed with blogging...every moment is precious and it's like a quote I saw when I was little...

"Today is a gift...that's why they call it the present."

Spring Break with Friends!

The kids and I met up with Trina and Danny and their kids at the park today! If only Mike had been off this week too! Riley and Mallory had a big time on the "Pirate Ship"...the slide is always a hit!

Mr. Danny was so awesome to play with the kiddos the whole time so the Mommies could chat and catch up!

Our "babies" had a good time playing...smiling and "regarding one another"...

The girls had fun feeding the ducks...

Riley was so good at sharing the bread...she would make sure Mallory always had a piece before she did...Such a sweet heart! :)

We can't wait for summer so we can hang out more when they are off work! We left at lunch time and I was supposed to make sandwiches at home...but as I left I kept hearing Chickfila calling my name....so we went through the drive thru....And Carter fell asleep on the way home so he took a nap with the car door open when we got home and....

Mal and I enjoyed a picnic lunch on our front lawn while he slept. MiMi showed up while we were eating and that was fun! And then the mailman came and we went to get the mail...and he handed us REAL MAIL! Easter cards from Grandma and Grandpa and one from Aunt Ginny! How exciting!!!! What a fun day we are having! :)

Luke 19 and Psalm 150

Carter enjoyed playing with the cross made out of a palm leaf as we waited for Sissy Bear to wake up this afternoon...Mallory was "plum tuckered out" from all the excitement lately and was still sleeping at 430...we had to wake her up to be able to get to the festival before it ended...we got there 10 mins before it did and walked away with lemonade and popcorn...no games or activities for us...but it wasn't a total loss...and then we headed to the park near the church...

I read Luke 19 today and love the part..."If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise."It has been so neat listening to Mallory in the car sing lyrics as she listens to our "Scripture Memory CD"...It always makes me cry in church when the little kids sing...today on the way to the festival she was singing parts of Psalm 150...

"Let everything that has breath...Praise the Lord!!!...." Happy Palm Sunday! Have a blessed week! :)