Easter Egg Hunts

We love Easter egg hunts around here...Who doesn't though!
The kids had a lot of fun.

Nothing like hunting for eggs next to a cemetery. The even said please stay out of the cemetery there are no eggs there...I thought it was funny they had to make that announcement.

The eggs were in the mound of dirt. Horrid! My shoes still are muddy!

Lightening McQueen candy...Cool!

So thrilled w/ her loot. I was very thankful this hut had stickers, tattoos, and other stuff besides candy.

My 2 egg hunters

The loot

On the hunt

Found one

Long over due pics of CA Part 1

I am slowly but surely going to try to post pics from CA.....So w/o further a due...I begin with San Diego where we flew into....We flew out of Nashville. Southwest rocks!!! They have this awesome kids store. A giant mega block castle, toys and chairs to watch a movie. This was great while we waited to board the plane. The kids got to run around a bit too. The store is genius at a airport in my opinion. We stayed with Shannon, Stacey, Sammie and Casey. The kids had so much fun playing together and it was great to connect again and Stacey and I got to talk talk talk.

At the Nashville airport. The kids loved this castle.

Watching a movie while we waited to board

Casey and M playing

This is the only dog. E does not freak out over...Literally! He likes Nicky.

Sammie the ballerina and E so happy to play together.

This girl loves chocolate

This is one of the funniest things I have seen Makenlee do....Just watch!!

Opening the egg

Look what I found

Love...She kissed the chocolate

Isn't that cute!!!

She did this all on her own....

Easter Story Cookies

***UPDATED WITH SOME PICTURES FROM US DOING THIS LAST NIGHT***

Something is up w/ the flash on the camera so it does not take good pictures inside.

Easter Story Cookies A couple years ago, I discovered a recipe for Easter Story Cookies. I was intrigued with the idea and decided to try them out. What a wonderful opportunity this presented to further teach the truth of Easter.

Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter.

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer
duct tape or packing tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300*F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.



Let each child smell the vinegar.

Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl.

Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to the vinegar.

Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste.

Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.

Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.

Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!

Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!

Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

Opening Day

So handsome in his uniform. That is the smallest uniform they had too. I told Jon he needs to be a Dodger for the next 2-3 years b/c he can grow into it.

That is our retirement...E being a left handed pitcher!!!

Coach talking to the team


Batter up!

Easton's first T-ball game was today. We all were so excited for it especially Daddy. Jon says it is exciting to watch your kid play in his first team sport. E did really good and had lots of fun. It was a beautiful day for a ball game.

57 items-=$150...

These are for you Mom and everyone else that has asked what I got. Duck Duck Goose was today and boy did I have fun. I found great deals and what is awesome it will all resell next year.

Lots of stuff for name brand things for just $1

I paid on avg. $2-3 for each piece of clothing. I paid no more then $5. that was only on 2 things.

Lots of new stuff w/ tags for $3 each

Toys and a video monitor for $5

7 pairs of shoes for M and 1 pair of shoes for E. Crocs, converse for $4 each

You may wonder why she needs that many shoes well, she is my daughter and second the shoes were so cheap that I could not stop. Shoes are fun!!

The funny things....

I got some great news today I told Jon, " I am so excited I could pee my pants." Easton says, "Mommy, don't pee your pants."

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I was crying about something last week and Jon whispered to Easton, "Go give Mommy a hug." Easton screams, "Dad I can't hear you, what did you say? Don't talk so quietly." So today Jon burped and I whispered to Easton, "Say Daddy that is gross." Easton again screams, "Mom I can't hear you. What did you say?"

Takes the surprise out of something if you have to scream it out!!!

He is a silly that Easton boy!

Pray for this baby....

I have been praying for Stellan for days now. Check him out here. http://www.mycharmingkids.net/. You can read all about him and the family.

Just a little background he had SVT while in utero and the Dr.'s pretty much said he would die....Horrid!! But we serve a HUGE God he miraculously healed him and he was born healthy and strong. Baffling Dr.'s. But now it is back. I believe he is around 6 months old.

This precious boy is in SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia). I had this while I was pregnant with Makenlee. It is very scary while pregnant. But just as scary when it is happening to your precious baby. I am praying God heals this boy just as he healed me when Makenlee was 5 weeks old and I went in to have surgery. Jesus healed my heart before the Dr. could do the ablation. Surgery is not the wisest option for this baby b/c it is very difficult on a small heart.

Pray Pray Pray for Stellan.

Reading my blog

Somebody from Canada and someone in Sweden read my blog...I don't know anyone in those countries... So if you are reading this and you live there tell me how you found my lil blog. Also there are others that blog stalk me from other people's blogs. Don't make me call you out and say what blogs you came from....HA!!!

So tell me how you found this and why you like to look at it every single day. I know what city and state you are in and I know which blog you came from. There are no secrets here I just don't know maybe we do know each other or maybe you are just fascinated by my wild life. So tell me who you are and why you love my blog to look at daily and then maybe I will blog stalk you...

Please come out of hiding!!!

I just love to know who my readers are.

Like Father Like Son!!

This was Jon's old hockey jersey as a kid..Easton loves to wear it...

Thanks for sending it Grandma!!

Silly Boy Easton

So Easton found a party hat and some beads in his room the other day and this is what I found. He was doing puzzles like this....

Makenlee the Fashionista

Her little ruffly bum!!

Now we are posing.....

In yet another episode of her trying to dress herself.....She was adamant on wearing her swim diaper...At least we were just staying home....At least the shirt and baby legs match....

343

So you want to see the 343 pictures I have narrowed down from our CA trip. I did not think so. So I am trying to weed it down even more. To be cont......

R.I.P. PDA

So I have had a PDA for hmm, I think like over 10 years....and it died on Wednesday. I am still in the grieving process as it was my address book, calendar, to do list and note pad for more then a decade. I am almost on the verge of crying as a type this post about my trusty PDA. That thing was my BF. I could not do a thing w/o consulting it. It was my life. Now it is gone. I am lost w/o it...Jon at first laughed at me. But then he realized being married to a HYPER-planner/organizer it was bad thing. He then stopped laughing and gave me a hug and helped me remember the things I needed to do over the next couple weeks. I am clueless w/o it right now.
I had appts. that I forgot I had. I don't even have the number's to call (since they were in there)to find out when they are....I COULD SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, how did it die you may ask. Well, while in CA the battery died and in some freakish weird occurrence it wiped all data off and when I charged it and turned it on it acted like I was a new user. With a blank address book and calendar. Well, you may think. Don't you back it up. Well, I did but in another random occurrence. I was having virus problems with my computer so while in CA my Dad basically rebuilt my computer and alas losing the software for the Palm and the data....Double whammy. It is really no one's fault. Even the tech guy on the phone said it was a freak thing that happens....

So if you could email me your address, phone #'s, b-day, anniversary, and any important info you think I will need. It will help me as I have resorted to this lame-o paper calendar that I carry around in my purse that already looks horribly folded and scribbled.

I am trying to figure out what to do now. They have phones w/ PDA things on them and I have seen a few on craigslist that I may get. So then it is less to carry around. So we shall see....

Disneyland fun....

We went w/ Grammie and Grandpa to Disneyland. Here are a few pictures. The hotels "so called" high speed Internet is soooooo SLOW!!! So I only have the patience to upload a few....LOTS more to come....This is just a lil teaser.

In the Dumbo photo opp...

So happy to be at Disney and meeting her idol, Minnie!!! J/K!

Easton and Peter Pan....His idol. J/K!!

Who needs a Phil and Ted!!??!!??

We improvised at Disneyland. M just jumped in the basket at one
point and it became a double stroller......

T-ball started

Easton is playing t-ball this spring. We are so excited he gets to start the whole team sport thing and so is he. He was a few months too young for soccer (which Jon is not really into him playing anyway, but I am pushing for it) so T-ball is what it is this season. He had his first practice Saturday.

Running the bases

It was funny when he got home. He said to me, "Mommy my hands and shoes got really dirty." He is such a clean kid.

Playing Frisbee w/ Daddy-O

E has been playing Frisbee a lot w/ Jon the last few days. He loves it....

Minnie on the loose

Since our house is Disney obsessed these days. M wanted to wear her Minnie dress (which she has outgrown b/c now it is a shirt, ha!!!)

Waiting by the back door to go play...it was so beautiful outside....

Weird pic but thought it looked cool

A free Minnie, running up and down our hill.

This girl loves her guac

I had made guacamole to go with my quesdilla and Makenlee took a taste and started eating it right out of the bowl....

Everybody Loves a Bargain...E.L.F Cosmetics $1 each!

This is the real thing. I just placed an order myself. Thanks Sunny. ;)


Nordstrom is changing the logo on their makeup, so they're selling everything for $1!!! The make-up line e.l.f.(eyes-lips-face) has been bought out by Nordstrom and will be re-packaged with the Nordstrom name on it. They are getting rid of the entire make up in ELF packaging. They are selling everything for $1. You do have to pay shipping. They have everything - powder, mascara, lipstick, brushes & cases, nail polish, lotions, you name it -it's there.

The website is : > http://www.eyeslipsface.com/shop.asp

When you check out there is a space for a coupon code. Use CAROLINA and save an additional $7.50 if your order is over $15.00.