Easter 2012...

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday! I only got about 3 hours of sleep the night before but it was worth it. I got up early to make cinnamon rolls and muffins for church. I also made two of Pioneer Woman's flat apple pies.

I started an oven fire while making the pies.

Like big flames inside my oven.

Let's just say I wouldn't make a good fireman. I panicked and started jumping around the kitchen like my hair was on fire and burned my leg and finger during the process. Fireman Alex quickly grabbed the baking soda and put out the fire.

I had the girls' baskets out and ready for them that morning. Amelia received stuff like pajamas, colored bubbles, flashing toothbrush, button candy, color wonder paper, chapstick, strawberry milk straws, and a bunny purse. She asked her Daddy for a pinwheel the week before Easter so I was on a hunt to find one! She received one in her basket last year and after months of playing with it - it finally broke. Girlfriend can make a dollar toy last forever! FYI: I love Target dollar bin.



Sydney received a sophie the giraffe, socks, pinwheel (that Amelia plays with), and a bunny rabbit. I found their sweet bunnies at Cracker Barrel...they play Jesus Loves Me. Amelia has adopted Sydney's until she's old enough to care for it. Isn't she a good big sister?



I was excited that I didn't have to buy dresses for the girls this year. I ordered Amelia's last year and it didn't fit. I just tucked it away in her closet and it fit perfectly this year! I just bought her a little sweater and had her monogram put on it.



My MIL had given me this dress/sweater set for Sydney before she was born. I had her initial and monogram put on them and she was ready to go!



And I have to show you Sydney's barefoot sandals that I ordered from Etsy. I want some of these in every color until she can wear shoes because socks and shoes just don't stay on a baby's feet! Can you say PRESH??



Alex gave a wonderful message on the holiness of God. I think I cried through the entire worship service and a lot of the message. How can you not cry when you think about what Christ did for us? And yes, He died, but on the 3rd day...HE AROSE!! I serve a RISEN SAVIOR. That's what Easter Sunday is all about. Praise Him!!



They had an Easter egg hunt for the kids immediately following the service. Amelia got the hang of it quickly and filled up that bag.



My in-laws with some of their grandbabies.



We had lunch and an Easter egg hunt with my brother-in-law's family this year. We love his family like our own and had the best time! We took fried chicken and these adorable cookies that my friend, Robin made. She is so talented.



The Averitt Girls.



Sydney with her Easter basket. It's as big as she is!



After a yummy lunch of fried chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob, and much more, the kiddos headed out to hunt eggs. Here's Amelia going through her loot. She found lots of eggs with "monies" (as she calls it).



Amelia had fun following Christina and Halee around...she loves hanging out with kiddos that are older than her. She's like a little shadow - copying everything they do.



My B-I-L's Mom, Sheila has the most beautiful backyard. The big kids played football while the rest of us watched. And laughed. Alex blew out his flip flop playing. I've never laughed so hard at my husband. He was playing like he was 18 again. Unfortunately, he did not feel like an 18 year old the next day. ;)



Aunt Joy hung out inside and kept Sydney company. :)



After our afternoon with the Billson Family, we headed home to get ready for my family to come over. Everyone was coming over to celebrate my little brother's birthday. I didn't have it in me to cook a big meal, so I told everyone to come fed and ready for dessert and coffee. I made the apple pies, ordered a key lime pie from a local pie shoppe, and also had Easter smores made with peeps. Mom brought cinnamon sopapilla and Joy brought lemon bars (Drew's fave).



And that was our busy/fun/fabulous Easter Sunday!

Love to all,

Our new normal...

I've sat down at my computer several times since Sydney's arrival and have tried to blog. Each and every time I end up stopping to nurse, change a diaper, do a load of laundry, have a tea party, take a nap if both girls are sleeping, etc. It's our new normal...at least for now. :) Our days are flying by. Amelia loves Sydney and wants to help with her. She loves on her constantly. I feel like she has handled this huge change in the very best way, but I still see she has a need for one-on-one time. She asked me over the weekend if I was all better so I could carry her. Bless her heart. I want nothing more than to pick her up and carry her around the house like I do Sydney. 2 more weeks, baby...2 more weeks!! She used to get every single minute of my day...all to herself. We would play all day, have lunch dates, take a nap, run errands, and then cook dinner together. Needless to say, things have changed. So when I do have a moment to have a tea party, color, play with play-doh, or just watch a cartoon with her - I'm making it a priority to do it.



Just about every time we get in the car - I'm reminded that we're a family of four now and I'll look at Alex and say, "we have two kids!" For some reason I don't think about it when we're home - it's just when we're going somewhere. Maybe because it takes so much time and energy to get ready and go somewhere these days. :)

I have SO MANY PICTURES to post from our hospital stay, Sydney's newborn pics, pics of the girls since coming home from the hospital, etc. I'll slowly but surely get them posted. I know it will take a little more effort to blog but I want to have record of these sweet days/nights with Sydney, just like I did with Amelia. I love this newborn stage. LOVE IT. Despite being sleep deprived, it only lasts for a very short time and I enjoy every minute of it.



I can't believe Easter is in less than a week! I love Easter Sunday. Easter was the one holiday as a child that we received a new dress and can I just say - my 35 year old self still feels the need to buy a new outfit! But as an adult, it's more than just the new outfit and Easter baskets that make it such an important day. I get very emotional when I stop and think about what Jesus did for me on that cross.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

-The Old Rugged Cross
George Bennard, 1913

I started picking things up for the girls' baskets months ago - they're hidden in the closet and ready to go for Easter morning, but I'm most excited to do the resurrection eggs with Amelia again this year. It's a great way to explain the Easter story to her. Not that she understands fully but she does ask lots of questions when we talk about Jesus dying on the cross. I have no doubt that she (and Sydney) will understand one day and my prayer is that on that very day they surrender their lives to Christ and accept His precious gift of life. ETERNAL LIFE. Praise His Name....HE IS RISEN!!

Love to all,

Easter 2011

I ironed our clothes and put out Amelia and Alex's Easter baskets the night before. I was really looking forward to Easter Sunday. As a believer, how can you not be overwhelmed with gratitude for what Christ did for you?? I can't even think about it without crying. He took on the sins of this world. My sin. So I could have eternal life!! Thank you, Jesus!



I took Amelia's basket to church for her to dig into because Alex wanted to see her open everything. He leaves really early on Sunday mornings, so I hid her basket until we arrived at church. She opened everything up in his office.



She really liked the sunglasses. :)



I was only going to put one of these pictures on here, but I love Amelia's facial expressions in all of them.



Alex's entire family came to church with us this morning! We loved having all of them!! I worked with the kiddos this morning. I told them the Easter story with the resurrection eggs. If you don't have those for your child - you should get them. Such a neat way to explain the Easter story to younger children. They all got so excited when we got to the last egg and it was empty. It stood for the grave which no longer contains Him. HE IS RISEN!!



After a wonderful church service - we headed to Alex's cousin's home. She just married and they were gracious enough to host Easter lunch this year. We had SO MUCH food. I bet there were over 50 of us there - it was such a fun time.



And then it was time for the big Easter egg hunt for the kiddos!



She has started doing her nose like this and it cracks me up.



She was most interested in opening the eggs rather than finding them. She ran and ran all over that yard though. She played so hard.



I loved watching her see one, pick it up, open it, and then put it in the basket. She was too young to do any of this last year. :)



Me and my man. I love him so much.



It was a beautiful day.

I hope you had a blessed Easter with family and friends.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Love to all,

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Amelia had a play date with her cousins this week. She always has the best time with them. They had CFA for lunch and then played for a few hours.





By the time our company had to leave - Amelia was worn out! I needed to do something in the kitchen so I sat her in her highchair with a little snack. I looked over and she was sound asleep. She has never fallen asleep in her highchair. Ever. She took a 15-minute cat nap and was ready to go again.



Amanda came over to keep Amelia for a few hours yesterday. She's coming again today. Having a babysitter twice a week has changed my life. I'm serious. I'm so grateful to Alex for letting me have this time to take care of myself and to run my errands. Yesterday I was able to go to the chiropractor, to the post office, to Hobby Lobby, to get an oatmeal cookie & iced tea (this was the most important of the errands), to Hallmark, to the grocery store, and then headed back home.



I've pretty much bought everything for Amelia's Easter basket. I've been picking up things for a while and I only have one more thing to buy. I found several cute things in the dollar bin at Target! I always loved waking up to an Easter basket full of candy! My Mom bought one HUGE basket - filled it with each of our favorite candies - and would have it on the dining room table on Easter morning. Amelia doesn't really get candy in her basket but she'll get some other fun things.



We went out to eat last night. Alex took us to Outback Steakhouse. After we finished dinner - a couple (about the age of our parents) stopped and asked how old Amelia was and then told us that she was very well-behaved. We've never had issues with taking her out to eat but this is the first time strangers have stopped to comment on her behavior. It's always nice when someone older tells you that you're doing a good job. Whenever my Momma brags on me as a mother - it means the world to me. I think we (new/younger parents) need encouragement like that. Parenting is hard and it's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to tell someone what they're doing wrong and more than likely (in my opinion) we already see where we can improve. I don't know of anyone who thinks they're a perfect parent or that their children are perfect. It's normal for me to feel like I don't know what I'm doing on a regular basis! So if your kids are grown and your on the other side of the sleepless nights/fits in the restaurants/etc...encourage a (new/younger) parent this week. I think that would be nice.



We ended the evening with a trip to Walmart. Alex bought Amelia a ball pit for her birthday and it popped this week. He wanted to replace it since she plays in it every day. He chose one - brought it home - blew it up in her room - and then we realized it took up half her bedroom! I think we're going to have to make it an outside toy. If we can get it through the bedroom door. :) She loves it.



Speaking of outside toys. Our backyard is completely empty. Nothing. Nada. Amelia asks to go outside now that she's older and I have nothing for her to do out there. So what are some of your favorite backyard toys for this age? She'll be 17 months old this month.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!



Love to all,