Easter 2016

Happy Easter! Easter is just the best of everything-Jesus, weather (if you have a perfectly spring day like we did this year), food, fun things for the kids and tradition. It has become my favorite season and I'm already looking forward to hosting Easter lunch and coordinate my babes in their Easter frocks next year.

On Good Friday the babes and I stayed home and since I was able to coordinate naps (yay!) I finished up Jack's birthday party invitations. It's going to be a little crazy leading up to his party since we will be at Disney the first week of April but since we are having it catered at the Moore-Kent House I have been relieved of a lot of party duties. I just love his invitations so much. Can't wait to celebrate our little Jack rabbit!

Saturday was our annual egg hunt at church. Jack boy was very proud of his sister's eggs. He found a few himself but did more of throwing them out of the basket than putting them in. He will be an egg hunting machine by next year.

It never fails that egg hunt day is a crazy one. I forgot my Canon and we were running late, I just never seem to have it all together but she will never remember those things. She was just happy to be there! It was a good reminder to focus on what's important and not seek perfection. I know Jesus appreciates our mess and I'm thankful I am made perfect through his sacrifice! Hallelujah!

We were practicing for next week! I'm probably crazy for taking an almost one year old to Disney World but he is such a mommy's boy, I couldn't leave him behind. We're working on making him a good little traveler.

And then I hopped on Instagram to find that Tiny Tags had reposted my photo and it made me happy because this necklace was a Mother's Day gift last year and Jack plays with it when he is sleepy. I pretty much wear it 24/7. If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift, this would be perfect.

We came home from the egg hunt and did some more hunting in the yard before Jack's nap time. Sibling pictures didn't work out, they always do better when Mommy is in them.

Saturday afternoon Aunt Shanna came to pick up Georgia Grace so she could help them plant their garden. She had a big time and has her very own baby cabbage patch :) Her favorite part of the whole experience was getting muddy!

The first thing we heard on the monitor Sunday morning was, "Mommy the Easter Bunny's been here!". She was so happy to see what he brought her. Her favorite thing was her Cinderella night gown and a kite. She has been talking about kites lately and the bunny must have heard her.

Jacky had a basket full of goodies too! His favorite was boat bath toys and a bat and ball.

Our first Easter for two bunny deliveries. So thankful.
 

We went to our church's Easter service and then back home for Easter lunch at our house. This was our first year ever hosting Easter and I think considering the craziness of our lives with two littles everything came together nicely!

My mamaw's brother, sister-in-law and friend came down from Indiana to celebrate with us. I love this picture of her and the babes. Jack has spotted the strawberries.

It's funny how even the years that Easter comes early, we still manage to throw my birthday in with it. We will be at Disney World on my birthday so I'm not complaining. It's the best holiday to share a birthday with! A friend on IG noted that I have a strawberry cake every year. I think my mom and mamaw think its a rite of passage. I'm not complaining about that either!!

My sister and brother-in-law came up to be with us too. Georgia just loves Aunt Paige's belly and touches and talks to it all the time. She is ready for her new role as a big cousin!

Easter 2016
The best one of who knows how many. I am a blessed wife and mama.

I tried sibling pictures and that was just a no go. Georgia's face HAHA! Totally done at this point.

Jack's first Easter and his last first holiday. I just can't believe his first year is almost over. It has been perfect in so many ways. We love you our spring chick-a-dee!

I'm thankful for our long weekend that was filled with family, food, yardwork, egg hunts and Jesus. The tomb is empty and He is risen!

Holy Week

There are few weeks that are as exciting to me as Holy Week. This week is filled with holy week services, easter egg hunts and other spring activities that lead up to the main event on Sunday.

We have tried really hard to teach Georgia Grace that Easter is about Jesus, not the Easter bunny. She seems to be at the perfect age where the bunny really entices her and we want to establish early that that is a fun detail of the holiday but we are really celebrating the resurrection of our savior, That is a hard concept when you're three. And we have been so aggravated at the commercials on TV advertising "Easter toys"?!? Since when do we give toys for Easter? I'm not sure but we are doing our part to keep Easter simple and about Jesus. That's really all that matters anyway!

Our Cats were sent home in the second round of the NCAA tournament but my boys still love to watch the ballgames. Don't let this fool you though, Jack sitting still and watching television lasted about 5 seconds.

Georgia was such a clean and neat eater. He is making up for having it so easy with her. All the foods that he LOVES are messy. This is a mixture of strawberries and blackberries. I am afraid he is going to be a stained burgundy color! He is earning a nightly bath these days immediately after supper.

It's time to apply the self tanner (found here) and wear the wedges, or strawberry sandals if you're Georgia Grace. We are not always this cheerful in the mornings so I thought we better document!

Sister helped me pick up sticks in the yard so Daddy could begin mowing season. Then we washed our hands and put on a tutu for ballet class. We are growing a well-rounded girl!

Thursday was the annual AKK easter egg hunt! Every preschooler brings in a dozen boiled eggs and they color the eggs during their morning work time. I LOVE that they use real eggs.

Well what do you know, she is coloring hers orange! :)

And then it's time to hunt them! Georgia won the 2-3 year old group with 18 eggs found. I'm so proud of her!

Every picture they sent us she is giving an ultimate serious face or looking down in a hard search. She meant serious egg hunting business.

Tomorrow for Good Friday we have a fun day at home planned coloring more eggs, doing some party planning for Jack's birthday, hopefully going for a stroller ride if the weather is nice and getting everything ready for Easter Sunday. We are hosting some of my family this year and we have a lot to do to get ready for it.

Enjoy the Easter weekend, He is risen!

Weekend Wrap Up

It is officially spring but we have a cold spell here in Kentucky after a week of 70 degree weather so it doesn't feel anything like spring. But next weekend for Easter it looks like we will be back in the 70's so I guess we can deal with this nonsense. I knew I put my coats up too early :)

The Easter pictures we had taken last weekend came back and they are precious. I don't have that many of Jack because he wasn't really feeling it but he will have one year pictures made soon.

I think she looks like a baby model in this one. It's perfect.

But I love the smiling ones the best! My happy baby girl!

Jack made a little appearance when the lamb came out. He left the scene when I told him he couldn't pull and bite his ears ;) Look at the hand holding!!

This will probably be framed and cherished forever. Thank you, Kasey Inman Photography!

Sunday we went to church and then to our friend Chloe's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. The last time I had been to CEC was when I was probably seven but I don't think one thing had changed ha! She had a blast of course. I had the purell out every 15 minutes.

Sweet girlfriends enjoying pizza and a Peppa Pig cake with the birthday girl.

BFFs Georgia and Callyn. They sure love each other!

After the party we went to Aldi for groceries but came out with a cart full of $5.99 hydrangeas and azaleas instead. No way I could pass that up. Sister girl helped me pick them out.

My beautiful bunnies. They were so fired up when I took this picture, they love playing on our bed. And I'm thinking Jack's hair is starting to look like a presidential candidate's ;)

What a difference one year makes. I love comparing pictures. There has been so much growth and maturity from 2015 to 2016.

And then I ended my weekend with this. Jack goes to bed early (6:30-7) if he doesn't have a pm nap so I asked Georgia if she wanted to help me give him his nightly bottle and put him to bed. She was so smitten. He stared at her the whole time. Their sibling bond is something so special that I am privileged to be able to watch grow. The sweet look on her face just says it all!

March Gladness

I'm punching out a blog post and heading to bed to rest up from a tiring but fun week. It always takes us about a week to recover from daylight savings, this year is no exception.

I have never been but have wanted to go for a long time. When I saw the fair was coming to Nashville, Rachel and I were all in! Ree Drummond was at the Atlanta Fair so I'm holding out hope Joanna Gaines might stop by :) #fixerupperfangirl

Porch days are here. An early spring is my jam! Also, those pear trees in the background. I LOVE when they are bloomed and wish the blooms would last longer. Our cherry trees started budding this week and it made me so excited. I can tell I am getting older when I get excited over my plants blooming ha!

Georgia Grace was hunting Easter eggs with Daddy and he helped himself to her rocking chair. I think we need to buy another one this spring.

Thursday was St. Patrick's Day AKA the most fun day of the year at Grandmomma's house! Jack was the first victim of Leo the Leoprachaun. I think he liked it.

That picture made me think about this picture. I don't see how it's been three years. Baby girl wasn't as thrilled about the trick he did to her.

Both my babies came home with green goodies from the day. Georgia found four gold coins which is equivalent to pure gold in her eyes. So precious! They had green toilet water, green corn and green cornbread. I told you it was the most fun day! And like always, the leoprachaun got away again this year ;)

A close-up of my little leprechaun. Such a sweet, genuine smile on my beautiful girl. 

A few of our Easter pictures came back this week. This one just has me completely swooning. Georgia has been asking when we can go back to visit the lamb. Maybe it's time for farm life Daddy?!?

Little brother playing pat a cake. I see so much of my papaw in this picture <3

I don't post a video in a year and now I have posted three in a week! This boy is absolutely crazy about strawberries! I think he is trying to say strawberry in the video and I wish I had recorded his excitement when he saw the whole flat of strawberries I had bought! The boy loves to eat.

And the highlight reel of the week-Jack took his first steps!! I guess he decided it was time to put those long legs to good use (we hope we are growing a D1 athlete). He learned all on his own since his mommy refused to start this any earlier than we had to. Way to go Jack boy!

I love that he was taking steps and sticking his paci in his mouth at the same time ha! Sister was very proud of him but was ready for the attention to be back on her after this :) She is first born and I'm humble enough to admit she's just like her momma at her age.

What a fun, reviving and exciting week. The college basketball tournament started (and UK won), we had several 65-75 degree days, Jack hit a big milestone and two weeks until we are Disney bound! These are the best days.

Jack is 11 months old!

Jack-you are ELEVEN months old!

*We decided to wear our UK attire to represent the Cats winning the SEC championship last weekend!

Here is what you have been up to lately:

• You probably weigh 22 pounds, wear 12 month clothing (some 18 month footed sleepers), size 3 diapers, and size 3 shoes. You're our long and strong boy.
• You can say "momma", "dadda", "ball", "ba ba", and "bye bye". You jabber constantly! And you make the sweetest expressions on your face when you do it like you're really telling a story full of emotion. You love to play pat a cake.
• You really hate having your diaper changed. It's usually a traumatic experience. I'm crossing my fingers this means you will potty train easy and early like your sister did.
• Your diet consists of mostly transition formula, fruits (love strawberries), vegetables (orange ones), an egg every morning for breakfast and pretty much anything lightly seasoned from the table. You have almost given up baby food. You will still take the occasional bananas or sweet potatoes but it's mostly the real thing now.
• You have 6 teeth-4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. We can tell when you are teething because it makes you feel bad and you just want to be held 24/7.
• Your sleep schedule has been rocked due to springing forward but normally you take two naps a day (about 1 1/2 hours) and sleep 12 hours at night. You sleep through the night beautifully! You know the way to your mommy's heart ;)
• You will probably be walking any day now. If we worked with you at all you would be but we are not in any hurry. You are a speedy crawler and love to doddle around with us holding your fingers. I really cannot believe it's time for this step.
• As much as you and Georgia love each other, I'm already breaking up fights. Mostly over sharing toys. You haven't learned the concept and Georgia thinks it's high time you do ha! But y'all love each other something fierce. You look for her first thing in the mornings and she wants you to be included in everything we do. You hit the jackpot in the sister department.
• You love bath time, playing with sister, eating, rough housing on the couch or in mommy and daddy's bed, being outside and playing ball. I can already tell sports are going to be your thing.
• Your eyes still have a faint hint of blue but it looks like they will be brown like the rest of your family. Your hair is long and curly and too cute to cut right now :)
  
  
  

Both of my babies at the eleven month mark. Some identical features with completely different coloring. They are the best of us.

Your first birthday is right around the corner. I don't know how my baby turned into an almost one year old but I am so thankful I have been here every step to watch you grow and develop. You have been the perfect addition to our family. Thank you for being the perfect little boy for us.

I love you to the moon and back.

Love,

Mommy