More Easter

Jackson and I concluded our Spring Break with a trip to Gramma and Granddad's. Sarah went to her 18 month check-up (she weighed 26 pounds and was 33 1/2 inches long) and then we went to pick up Adam and headed towards the lake. Kevin stayed home to work on the porch steps. On Saturday, everyone came down for an Easter lunch. After lunch we all headed out to find Easter eggs. We had to come home on Saturday night so the Easter bunny could find our Easter baskets and fill them with goodies.

Bedtime stories with Gramma.

Dying Easter Eggs at Gramma's. Adam and Sarah are taking their naps or they might have been dyed themselves!

Adam's job was to put stickers on the dyed eggs. Gramma used the dyed eggs to make deviled eggs for Easter lunch. Yum!

"First of all, Granddad, why are you holding Ivey and not me? Second, Ivey, why don't you have much hair on your head?"

Don't you just wish the two of them could talk so you'd know what they were thinking?

Sarah's favorite place: in Grandad's arms (as long as he is standing and walking around!).

Adam and Jackson looking for the hidden eggs.

Chillin' out in the shade.

Look what the Easter bunny left us!

Adam loves his Peeps!

Sarah got some new barrettes.

Adam got a book with a dry erase marker that teaches him all about colors which he has yet to put down!

Easter Egg Hunt at CDC!

YAHOO! This week is Spring Break for me and Jackson. We have waited a looooong time for this week, and it is finally here! I've been staying home and getting some closets cleaned out without a three year old and toddler underfoot. It's been wonderful! Today Jackson and I ventured out to Sarah and Adam's daycare to help out with the Easter Egg Hunt. We hid more eggs than I have ever seen in one place for Adam's class. It took us about 30 minutes to hide them all (with the help of two other moms) and only about 5 for the kids to find them all. They made these cute little bunny baskets out of milk cartons. They would fill the baskets and then dump the eggs in a shopping bag and start all over again. Those eggs that I thought I was getting rid of by sending them to the daycare multiplied and then came back home with my children. We will definitely be having our own Egg Hunts here at home over the next few days!

Sarah never smiled but got the hang of picking up eggs and putting then in her teacher's bag.

I got lucky. I hid the eggs for Adam's class, ran down to Sarah's playground, watched her egg hunt, and then ran back up to the front of the church for Adam's egg hunt. I didn't miss a thing!

After Sunday's practice, Adam knew exactly what to do!

He would pick up all the eggs in one area and leave one laying on the ground. Jackson would try and get him to pick it up but he would say he wanted to leave it there!

This was his third time filling the basket.

Adam's class sitting down waiting to go inside.

Home Alone

If you asked Kevin, he would tell you I keep leaving him. It just so happens that two very important events happened two weekends in a row. Last weekend I headed to New Bern with three of my girlfriends. We went to the Home and Garden show to look at old houses and beautiful gardens. This past weekend I headed to Ridgecrest for the WINGS (Women IN God's Scriptures) Retreat.
If you asked me, I would tell you Kevin doesn't like to stay home. He packed all three kids up and headed to the beach to see his parents last weekend. He helped his dad build another section to their storage building. The boys were excited because they got to sit on the roof. If you asked Jackson about his weekend at the beach, all they did was sit on the porch the whole time. The weather wasn't the best but it did warm up for them on Sunday.
This past Saturday Kevin took them to the Natural Science Center in Raleigh. They had a great time until a tornado went through and forced them to head down to the lower level of the museum. I'm sure that was much more than he bargained for! I was innocently shopping for antiques in Black Mountain when the text came through that they were seeking shelter around 4:00 that afternoon. Thank God they all returned safely. They even made it to church the next day. It has been our church's tradition to have a hot dog lunch and Easter Egg hunt after church on Palm Sunday. Jackson and Adam also sang in the choir at the Worship service.

I really want to know what they are all looking at. Every picture has them facing in the same direction looking at the same thing.

Look! I found something in this egg!

This is the best picture of all three of them. Kevin only took about six. This was actually the first. It all went downhill after this!

And Yet Another Trip Around the Sun

I do hope that sun keeps going round and round although this getting old business is for the birds! My birthday fell on a Sunday this year and started out pretty good. We sat down to a yummy pancake breakfast. Kevin even made me some gluten-free ones which turned out to be not so desirable. I ate a few and everyone tried them just to see if any of us could actually stand them. So far, Maple Grove Farms (which I had high hopes for) does not make good Gluten-free pancakes. No worries- there are two other brands waiting in our pantry for their day to be tasted. I don't really have high hopes for them at all though!
After blowing out my candles on the pancakes (close enough to a cake, huh?) I quickly opened my gifts which consisted of popcorn and Cokes, and we headed to church. This was pretty much the highlight of my day. Jackson proceeded to get sick in between Sunday School and Worship. He was supposed to sing during worship, too. I was looking forward to a yummy lunch at our favorite after church restaurant, La Cocina. Obviously, none of this happened. We (well, Kevin) cleaned up the mess and loaded the troops in the van for the quick ride home. And home we stayed where Jackson rested and then seemed fine for the rest of the day. I was then showered again with gifts- more of my favorite things. Purple M&M's and Sugar Babies. Thanks goodness those are Gluten-free! It wasn't quite what I was expecting for a birthday, but it ended up being a pretty good one after all!

The Year of the Inverted Ages

This year I turned 36 and Daddy turned 63. It was easy to put the candles on the cake- 3 on one side and 6 on the other. No matter how you looked at it, you were celebrating my 36 years or Daddy's 63. I think it was Jackson that figured this out! We all met at the lake for the celebration.

Daddy and I pose in front of our cake.

Sarah was still not feeling well and clung to me most of the day. She was getting over a bout of Strep throat.

Oh Mommy, I will use this pocketbook for you!

Thanks Gramma for getting Mommy this nice little seat for me. Glad it was a sturdy present!

Daddy got a Nook and I don't think he has yet to put it down!

Ivey came to the birthday party, too! Although I don't think she is very happy with her mommy right now!

Blue and Gold Banquet

At the end of the Boy Scout year, which is at the end of February, Jackson's Pack hosts a "Blue and Gold Banquet" where they eat a meal together and are given their pins and badges for the year. Due to my recent diagnosis of Celiac Disease (I couldn't eat the lasagna they were providing) and remembering taking two little ones to this banquet last year, I chose to stay home with Sarah. Sarah was also not feeling well that night, and we would learn the next day that she had a terrible throat infection. Kevin and Adam (who just had to go) shared in Jackson's glory when he earned his Wolf badge which entitles him to "move up in ranks" next year.

Jackson shows off his pins and badges he earned.

Gotta Wear Shades!

Sarah found the hiding place for the boys' sunglasses. She busied herself taking this particular pair on and off for quite a while. Needless to say, she earned her own purple, sparkly pair on the next shopping trip!