Beauty Queen

Can you guess what I found Lily with?

and she knows where it goes!!

Rides

We bought Peter a bike the week before Easter.  I feel like I have been behind on this sorta thing.  I always tend to be conservative and cheap and think my kids don't always need the latest and greatest and so I tend to be behind on the appropriate "toy" curve.  We recently realized that Peter should start working on bike skills... and it would be a great way to build his leg muscles for PT. After a couple looks on craigslist, we just bought him one from Target that was on sale for Easter.  :) Theoretically he was excited about it.  But we haven't quite gotten that to carry over to real life (yet!). 

It was a hot and sunny Easter afternoon so we headed out for some rides.  Lily Bug enjoyed ME pulling her around on Pete's scooter.  ;)  She comes by it honestly, I can't blame her!  And look at that cuteness, who could resist!

Meanwhile, Mike was still trying to convince Peter to come ride his bike!

 Lily decided to scooter herself around.  :)

 Then decided to play in the rocks.  I think it is the cutest thing when toddlers squat like this!

 Mike finally did convince Peter to ride it over to me (for a milkshake!).

I tried to video it, while Lily ran out in front of Peter, Mike ran to grab Lily so let go of Peter, I tried to help Peter as I was in the middle of videoing and pretty much just made him crash :(... not a good start.  We felt so bad b/c he was doing great and then we totally gave him a bad reinforcement for trying to be brave!  :( 

We'll keep working on it!

Easter 2011

We woke up singing this... 

“Christ the Lord is risen today,” Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say; Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high; Alleluia!

Sing ye heavens, and earth, reply. Alleluia!

The P and A kids after church... (plus an A on the way :)

peter, luke, micah, lily

Mike taught SS so stayed for the second service and didn't make it in our pics.  :(

 as always, oh how I love these babes & cherish them... this year more than ever!

 After church, we headed to Mike's grandparents house for the annual Easter Egg Hunt & brunch.

Mostly pictures from behind (they were running!), but their backsides are cute too.

We tried for a family pic but this is all we got.  I think they are beautiful!

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,...

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows...

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

...each of us has turned to his own way;

the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(from Isaiah 53)

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
   "Death is swallowed up in victory." 

(from 1 Cor 15)

Easter Egg Hunt

Our dear friends had their annual Easter egg hunt on Sunday.  Its become such a fun tradition.  It was a perfect afternoon for it and there were lots of friends there... for the kids and us!

Lily got some play time with her friend Natalie!

 Mike has quite the reputation  in our small group with both the kids and the adults.  He's fondly referred to as "Mr. Mike" and often (read: "usually") has all of the kids around him.  He just gives off sweet vibes!!  I know b/c I live with him.  :)  Sunday was no exception!  He teaches Sunday School for some of the kids too so they think someone famous is at the egg hunt!  You can't tell it in these pics but he had a butterfly that had landed on his shoulder.  It would fly away, then land again, fly away and land.  The kids were fascinated!

 Lily got some time with her "bestest", Ruby!  Ruby is one of the "triplets" from our small group.  Fieldsy is the third love in the picture above on the far right.

Such a fun outdoor spring afternoon!

Waffles!

Peter helped me to make waffles after church on Sunday.  His "cheese" looks more like a growl.

Lily took care of her "baby"

 Time to eat!

 Lily's little toes (and their smiles!) are TOO sweet and precious!

Love my babes!

Flowers!

Someone left these beautiful flowers on my door step last Thursday afternoon without a note.  I still don't know who they are from so if you read this, THANK YOU!  That same night, someone brought us dinner.  Such sweet reminder that the Lord sees, knows, and loves us.

"You hem me in behind and before, 

   and you lay your hand upon me."  

Psalm 139:5

 And these daffodils are coming up "late" all in our yard!  My dad planted the bulbs for us in Feb when they were here for Peter's surgery.  We didn't think they would come up this year... but they have and they are such a treat & feel symbolic of the work God has done in our lives!

Classy Friday Fun

The obsession with buses continues (for at least 3 people in our family).

Friday night was a big "rite of passage" for Lily... she took the bus with Peter and Mike (this may have been her second ride but the first one captured in pictures).  

I LOVE this first pic.  I made it big so hopefully you can see Mike holding Lily and his big GRIN, thinking how funny our entertainment is!  I showed it to Mike and he said that Peter had just handed the bus driver a PENNY for his fare!  Love that boy.

 They arrived at the mall!

 I love the hand holding.  Its our new method of keeping them together & with us.  

They are really into it and its adorable!

 We had dinner then rode on the "rides".

Fun times!!

Bundle of Joy

Our first sweet niece arrived on 4/13/11

Audrey Ruth

We love her already!!!

family weekend

It was Paw's birthday last weekend so we drove down to see him.  We bought him some balloons and took them to his office... suprise!  We love you a lot, Paw!

 We had a yummy birthday dinner that night with NeeNee and Robbie.

 His birthday gift request was that the kids could spend the night with him... OK!

After our great excitement over Peter's good report on Friday, it was hard to leave them.

Peter got to spend some time with his best dog friend.

 After we met to pick them up, we went to visit Mike's sweet grandparents.

 silly lily!