Happy Easter with Jesus (and a Famous Bunny too!)

Easter 2011 was a blast as Hayden is old enough to understand some of the cultural traditions like Easter egg hunts and the Easter Bunny. He is also starting to understand Jesus and who he is to us as His followers. As Hayden would say when giving a fist bump (or knuckles) to someone else, "Knuckles for Jesus" [too]. We enjoyed church followed by brunch out. We then came home to find the Easter Bunny had been here and enjoyed an Easter egg hunt. We shared our Easter dinner with a nice young couple relatively new to town. Later in the afternoon we made Jello jigglers in the shape of bunnies and eggs. We have to be creative since we're working with some allergies. No dyeing eggs for us or making festive cookies or chocolates. Its better for Mommy anyway, easier on the waistline. The evening was a relaxing time, just enjoying each others company and catching up with family from far away thanks to Skype.

The whole family complete with Sadie before church

Before church with the Easter baskets with our Easter Bunny treat behind the kids.

Seeing and enjoying what the Easter Bunny left inside the house and that our lettuce and carrots were gone after church.

After the Easter Egg hunt with the videographer for Easter 2011

Making bunny and egg Jello jigglers (or jig-a-ders if you ask Hayden) and trying them. They were a hit.

Clare's version of kissing Mommy which was a little wet.

Zoo Shenanigans

So we love the zoo. We have a membership and we often go for a couple hours at a time, enjoy what animals we want to see and then have a picnic lunch. This time of year is one of the best. The mornings aren't too cool and by lunch it is perfect outside. We had two great outings this week. I went with the kids once this week and for Family Day Fridays on Daddy's day off, we all went again by request of Hayden. The animals were particularly active and we got to listen and see the lion roaring and the seals interacting by swimming up to us. We watched tigers playing in the water and the baby elephant and its mama eating grass a mere 5 feet away from us. Hayden loves animals and is a sponge wanting to learn more about them. We often start in the stroller but his seats gets taken over rather quickly by discarded jackets and purses.

6 months, half a year, oh my where does it go?

Our little baby girl is just growing up so quickly and I can't hardly believe it. She sits on her own and has for several weeks now. She is finding her voice and likes to scream. Not just out of frustration and discontent, though occasionally she throws a little fit, but just because she likes how it feels. These are ear-drum busting screams to which Hayden promptly says to her "no screaming baby Clare". It just amazes us that these noises come out of her because she has been quiet and docile since she was born. She also enjoys blowing bubbles immensely which is not so fun when you are wearing white and she is eating peas or butternut squash. She is eating solid food but really wants what everyone else is eating. She will often grab off your plate, or more brazenly, out of your hand something which you are eating and try and shove it in her mouth. (Just today, some birthday cake that her daddy had in his hand...that was some nice blue frosting to clean off of her hand). I caved and gave her a cracker the other day which she promptly gobbled down. I would NEVER have done that with Hayden. It's funny, but the second one actually grows up faster than the first one because they are always chasing the first one. She really wants to walk and gets mad at us when we try to help her crawl. She still clings to us like a little monkey and does the cutest little things like laying her head on your shoulder when you carry her. We all just enjoy her so much and look forward to seeing what she does in the next month.

Derrick's Very Own Mini-Me

I believe the pictures speak for themselves.

Official Family Day

With our house remodel, we had left behind doing fun things together as just a family. They had to be wedged in between work and work around the house which seemed to be a never-ending task. So, Derrick has every other Friday off from work and I am officially calling it Family Day on that day. Our first day was at the Botanical Gardens. It gives us some green therapy to go there and Hayden loves the model trains and farm animals. Clare is wanting to take in the surroundings of wherever we are at so she got to ride shotgun for the first time in our front and back double stroller. We even packed a picnic lunch and share that together before heading home for naps all around. Yeah for naps!

Mommy Photo Session

I try to be consistent with taking pictures. I make the effort to always carry my camera in my now jumbo sized purse which doubles as a diaper bag. However, I get on kick occasionally, especially when my children are acting rather docile and looking especially adorable. I have to pick up the camera and begin a Mommy photo session. Hayden now runs at the sound of the camera turning on however, after taking cues from our professional photographer, who plays with Hayden while she takes the pictures, I was able to capture some of him that weren't a sour face or produced a blur in the image. This day wasn't particularly extraordinary, just a normal play-at-home after a nap sort of a day. But I hope my memory holds what these days were long many years from now






Then, I attempted to get myself in the shot (as I take more pictures than I am actually in.) That was a great cuddle.