Easter Day

I hope everyone had a great Easter! We had a great day! It started out by waking up at 6:15am (I know, our kids are early risers). They looked for their Easter baskets. Ava found hers behind a couch and then Hayden got mad because he couldn't find his. We gave him a hint and he found his in our pantry. They were very happy with their binoculars, candy, books, and other little things. We ate a quick breakfast and got ready for church. After church we came home and got ready to go over to my mom's for the day. We had a very yummy lunch and then the kiddos got their Easter baskets from my parent's. Then we went out and had an Easter egg hunt. We had way too many eggs. My mom's front yard was completely full of eggs. The kids had a blast. Then my dad took the kiddos out to Mackinaw for a little bit and so my mom, my aunt Julie, and myself watched a movie. We watched, "Mama Mia." We had a fun, relaxing day.

Ava with her Easter basket

Hayden with his basket

Hayden before church

Easter picture

Hayden sneaking a kiss

She wouldn't put her head up

He was very lovey, he was sneaking another kiss

Looking at their baskets from grandma and grandpa

Kiddos with grandma

They got goggles for Florida

The Easter egg hunt

All of Ava's goodies

Easter Eggs

What a glorious day! It was so beautiful out! Love it!!!!! We got an early start this morning. We went shopping for summer clothes today. We needed to do that because we are leaving for Florida in 3 weeks! We went to a few stores and the mall. We ate lunch at Q-Doba! Yummy! Then we came home and the kids went outside for 3 hours and played with the girls who live behind us. They have so much fun playing with them. They go back and forth between playsets and they have a trampoline so the kiddos love jumping on that. I went to Wal-Mart to buy my food for tomorrow. I am responsible for making green bean casserole and our salad bar. The store was soooo busy. They were out of cauliflower so I had to go to Kroger. They had a ton of it and it beautiful. I came home and boiled our eggs so we could decorate them. Brian took the kids to Mackinaw to dump some clippings and he got rid of our bench outside front of our house. It wouldn't be such a big deal but he gave it to me on our first wedding anniversary. It was so weathered and gross but I parted ways with it ( I am dealing with my sadness. Just kidding!). They found my dad out there so the kiddos rode back in his truck (they love riding in his truck!). They came home and we ate a quick dinner and started to dye Easter eggs. We dyed them first and then they took showers. When they were done with showers the eggs were dried and we finished them off by decorating them. They did an Egg-cellent (he, he) job!!!! Then they got to have a special Easter egg cookie. Good times! Tomorrow we will be at my mom's to celebrate Easter. Hoppy Easter everyone! ( I couldn't resist)

Before the Egg-stravaganza (I just had to)

Waiting for them to dry

Hayden decorating

A final product

Hayden being silly

Beautiful eggs!

Egg-cellent job!!!!

Zoo Hunt

We had a great Saturday today. We slept in (which is 7:30am). We had planned on going to the zoo in the afternoon but then my mom told me there was an Easter egg hunt at 10:30 at the zoo. So we got ready and left for the zoo. There were so many people there. We have membership passes so we got to go right in. They had three different age groups and times for the hunt. Hayden and Ava were in the second group. So we walked around a little and looked at some of the animals. They had so much fun! Hayden was talking to the seal and was upset because he wasn't talking back. I had to explain to him that animals don't talk back. We watched the little kids go first. Then it was their turn. It lasted all of 3 minutes. It was a free for all. They each ended up with maybe 6 eggs each. Oh well, they had fun doing it. Then we walked around the rest of the zoo. After the zoo we went out to lunch and then to Kohl's to get Easter outfits for next Sunday. My mom was with us and on the way back Hayden had asked if they could stay at her house to play for a little bit. Bonus for me and Brian. We dropped them off and we went grocery shopping. We picked them up and headed home which they promptly went right back outside to the backyard to play with the two girls who live behind us. We had a great day! Hope you did too! My pictures were put in backwards...Sorry!

Looking at all of their goodies

Showing me their eggs

Hayden trying to get some eggs

All the eggs before the hunt

Being goofy before the hunt

Daddy and Ava

Checking out the billy goats

Hanging with the seal

Hayden talking to the seal

They have been wearing their suits around the house lately...they are ready for Florida

Happy Birthday, Brian!!!!

Happy Birthday to my super Husband, Brian! His birthday was actually on Sunday. We celebrated his birthday on Friday because I worked yesterday. So, on Friday I had made dinner reservations at Jonah's. Yummy! My parents and Uncle Mike and Aunt Julie joined us for dinner. Before dinner Brian wanted to do some birthday shopping. So we went to Kohl's and to Eddie Bauer. While he was shopping in Eddie Bauer I took the kids to the play area. They had a blast! Nothing much is going on here. I am still busy learning my new job. It takes a lot out of me mentally. I am learning so much and there is so much to remember. I go to nights with a preceptor the last two weeks in April. Then we go on vacation and when I come back I will be on my own. I am so excited and also scared!!!! Anyway, I love Brian so much and he is the best Daddy ever. Brian-Thank you for being who you are. You have the biggest heart and I appreciate you very much!!!!!!

This is Hayden in his St. Patrick's Hat. He is very proud of it.

Ava being silly

She had a lot of fun climbing

Hayden loved all the tractors

The birthday boy and his kiddos

Hayden at dinner

Ava being silly, again

Brian with his birthday cake

My cute boys

A Texas Wedding

This past weekend I was in Dallas, Texas for my cousin, Chadd's wedding. It was a super great time! Brian and the kiddos did not come this time (too expensive). Anyway, I went with my mom, dad, brother (just like old time family vacations), my aunt Julie and then my other cousin, Andy, flew in from Chicago. It was a great wedding! We got to our hotel early afternoon on Friday. We walked across the street to eat lunch at the Macaroni Grill. We came back to our hotel and went up to the pool on the roof. It was beautiful out. We relaxed up there before we went down to the wedding rehearsal. The wedding was in a restaurant in the hotel and the reception was in the ballroom. It was perfect for us because we didn't have to go anywhere. After the rehearsal we took a party bus to downtown Dallas for the rehearsal dinner. We ate at the Iron Cactus. It was a mexican restaurant. It was three stories tall and we had the bottom floor to ourselves. It was so good. We had chips, salsa, queso, rice, beans and a fajita bar. We took the party bus back to our hotel and went back up to the pool and just talked with family. It was such a pretty night. We had most of Saturday to do what we wanted because the wedding wasn't until 5pm. We took a cab to the 6th floor musuem (which is the floor where Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy) and saw where Kennedy was shot and stood on the grassy knoll. It was a great museum and I learned a lot. It was kinda depressing too. Then we walked a mile away to the Nasher Sculpture Garden. It was ok. I got some fun pictures there. Then we called our cab driver back and he took us on a little tour. We went back to the Macaroni Grill for lunch again (I know, but it is so good). We came back and relaxed some more before getting ready for the wedding. The wedding was absolutely beautiful! I am so happy for Chadd and Jessica. They are very cute together and I wish them all the best and happiness. The reception was great, too! Everything was beautiful and the food was delicious. They had a salad bar, mashed potato bar, fruit, cheese, grilled vegetable bar, and a roast beef sandwich bar. They had a photo booth so we did some funny pictures. Our family had a really great time. It was nice to be with all of my cousins because I don't get to see them that often. Also, it brought back memories of going on family vacations when I was younger. Enjoy the pictures!

My mom and aunt Julie holding the bag of goodies we got at our hotel from Chadd and Jessica

The Iron Cactus where the rehearsal dinner was

The family

Where Kennedy was shot

At the sculpture garden (aunt julie, mom, jean (Chadd's other grandma), Alexus(my cousin, Shelley's daughter)

The groom's cake. Chadd works at a golf course

The reception

The wedding cake

The wedding. It really did look like a chapel and not a restaurant

Having some yummy drinks during the cocktail hour

my aunt julie and her son, Andy

Me and my cousin, Shelley

All of us cousins and Jessica (the bride) with grandma

I had to put this in. It is my aunt julie and my mom dancing with their sons. How precious!!!