Happy 4th Birthday Parker!

Happy 4th Birthday to our wonderful son! Our lives changed for the better when you joined our family four years ago! We love you so much and can't imagine life without you! We hope you have a wonderful day!

Easter Sunday

After breakfast on Easter Sunday, I got all the kids dressed for church and tried to take a few pictures. As usual, Eden did not cooperate but I was able to get a great picture with Parker and Lily. (I think Parker could tell how desperate I sounded when I asked him to take a picture with me, so he gave in and actually smiled for once!) After some bribing with M&M's, I finally got a picture with Eden later that day. It wasn't great, but it will do for now. Hopefully one day she will outgrow this stage and take a picture with me!
After naps we went over to my parent's house for another egg hunt and dinner. We were also able to get a family picture that I desperately wanted. We had tried earlier that morning at church and it was a disaster. Thankfully, with the help of Uncle Jon, Aunt MerMer and some M&Ms, we were more successful this time.
We also got a good picture of all five cousins. They all looked so cute in their Easter clothes!
Granna was also excited to get a picture with all five kids before the Easter egg hunt started.

All of the kids had 12 eggs to find. Each egg had an initial on it and they had to check before they picked up an egg to see if it was one of theirs.
After the hunt, all of the kids were very excited to find out that the eggs were filled with money!

Lily enjoyed watching and playing with the empty eggs.

Before dinner, all of the kids got a special Easter treat from Granna. Lily couldn't eat the candy but she sure did enjoy chewing on the plastic bunny.
My mom made an incredible dinner and I ate way too much! After dinner, we let the kids go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. They had lots of fun playing in Granna and Granstan's new sandbox and taking turns swinging.
We had a wonderful Easter this year! I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such a great family! Holidays just wouldn't be the same without them.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Parker, Eden and Lily were very excited this morning when they realized that the Easter Bunny had hopped by our house and filled their baskets with lots of goodies! They each got a new swimsuit and pair of pajamas, which is a good thing since Parker is still wearing his "Santa I Believe" pajamas from Christmas! Eden was most excited about her new pink Crocs and Parker had a great time hunting for the eggs that the Easter Bunny hid around the house. Lily had a fun time exploring her Easter basket but ended up being most fascinated by the grass in her basket!

Easter at Grandma and Papa's

Last night we went to Grandma and Papa's house for Easter dinner. Grandma made lasagna and, as always, it was delicious! After dinner, Parker and Eden got to open their Easter baskets. They were filled with fun things like stickers and candy. Parker and Eden's favorite things were the orange and green lizards that were in their basket. They loved them and played with them all night. Parker even slept with his! Thanks again Grandma and Papa for such a fun evening!

St. Mark's Easter Egg Hunt

After the Easter egg hunt at FUMC, we went home, ate lunch, and put the three little girls down for naps. Then Emily and I took Parker and Addison to another egg hunt at another local church. This hunt also had two bounce houses that the kids both loved!


When the hunt started, Addison ran and collected lots of eggs. Parker, on the other hand, chose to stand next to Emily and suck his thumb. He was not interested in hunting the eggs at all. Maybe next year. At least Addison had a good time!

FUMC Easter Egg Hunt

This morning we took the kids to the Easter egg hunt at one of the local churches. I had been planning on taking Parker and Eden all week and we were very excited when we found out Addison and Aubrey were coming into town and could go with us.
Waiting for the hunt to start is always the hardest part! The kids spent their time running in circles and loving on each other.
Parker had a great time hunting for eggs this year and ended up with quite a stash of eggs!

As soon as the hunt started, Eden decided that she needed to throw a fit. I am still not sure why she was crying. I sat her on a bench and went to take a few pictures of Parker. By the time I got back, she had calmed down and wanted to find a few eggs of her own.
Addison and Aubrey also found a lot of eggs which meant that we all went home with A LOT of candy. Lily did not get to go this year but had a fun time playing with the plastic eggs after we got home. I can't wait until next year when she will be big enough to go with us.

Dig, Dig, Dig

After a lot of persuasion, Cory finally convinced me to get sand for the sandbox under the fort on our swing set. My biggest reason for being so hesitant was the mess of a sandbox. I just don't have the desire to clean up sand off of our floors on a daily basis. However, after watching the kids play in it the past two days, I am glad we did it. It has not been nearly as messy as I expected and I think Cory has had as much fun playing in it as the kids!

Eden does not like to sit in the sandbox, which really surprises me. She is usually the one that does not mind getting dirty. Instead, she chooses to lean over the side of the sandbox as she plays. Parker will stand in the sand, but he will not sit in it. If he wants to sit down, he sits on the edge.

Cory has had a lot of fun teaching the kids how to play in the sand. They have made towers, tunnels, and roads for their cars. Parker's favorite thing is to build a tower and then demolish it by jumping on top of it. I hope that our new sandbox will provide the kids with lots of imaginative play as well as help prepare them for their first trip to the beach someday.