Happy Easter 2013!

What a wonderful weekend of Easter celebrating we had! Started our festivities off on Saturday at the Kirk Crossing egg hunt.  

We got our hands painted

Dug for rocks (each one of these stations had a story behind it but honestly I can't remember them all. Sorry! =( ) 

Painted wooden eggs

And decorated cupcakes (I do know we made a tomb for Jesus with a marshmallow on top!)

Had a short, fun play at the park afterward. I can hardly stand their cuteness in these pictures! 

Easter morning. Not so sure about this shot but they were trying! 

Our efforts at family photos.  It's kind of become a family tradition to take it in this same spot every year. Everyone besides Kyla did awesome!. She however decided to get in crank mood right as we were ready to take these. Oh well! She still looks beautiful, even with tears!

And for the egg hunt...Kinsleigh decided we needed to hide them in the back AND front yard this year.  Yes, she knows that we actually hide the eggs and do the whole Easter basket, that sort of thing.  We don't do beliefs of Easter bunny here.  I can only handle so much make believe so Santa is it for us.  Plus, we try to keep the focus really where it needs to be, that Easter is about Jesus dying for our sins then rising from the dead.  Keepin it real! 

We had a little miss competitive here this year! 

Woah, bet you can figure out who won the hunt!

Happy Easter from our family to yours!  Hope it was filled with lots of special memories! 

Stay tuned and link up to my "Random Thoughts and Polka Dots" blog here

to see all the Easter activities we did throughout the week! 

Kyla's girl is 2!

So...it's been over 2 months since I last posted on here! 2 months! So what better way to get back to it than with some adorable memories of Kyla's 2nd Birthday celebrations this past weekend?! Yes, you heard me correctly.  My BABY girl is 2 years old!  Somebody please tell me how this is even possible.  

She got to start off her morning opening her special gift from sister and enjoy some birthday donuts (even though they are covered in green sprinkles because of St. Patricks Day). 

Then she headed to preschool and got to have a birthday celebration there with some fun Elmo cookies with all her little friends.  Aren't they all so cute?

This is my favorite photo of the day because it just wraps up her personality in a nutshell!

She (and big sister) adore the new ariel vanity from Mommy and Daddy. Flounder likes to kiss himself.  They even give eachother makeovers.  Having two girls is so much fun.

On Saturday, I was busy making her Elmo cupcakes for her Incredible Pizza birthday party with the family! They turned out pretty adorable if I do say so myself.

The girls have a new favorite hobby.

And this was the game winner for the evening. Punch out the duckies! =)

Who do you think is more excited to see what is inside?

Our newest member of the family, Lamby.

You're 2! Happy Birthday Kyla Hope!  Thank you for bringing smiles, cuddles and giggles into our lives each and every day.

                                                

Happy New Year!!!

2012 was a magnificent year!  We all grew in so many ways.  Kyla finally started talking more (yes, I promise it's true).  Kinsleigh has made huge strides in all aspects of her development.  Praise the Lord!  I believe I have learned to be a more patient mother and Sean's understanding of the gospel has become even greater. I'm not really one for resolutions (ok, to be honest I kind of think they are dumb) but my number one goal for this year is to be more intentional in my relationships with others.  Thank you to everyone who has supported/walked alongside us in our journey this past year! 

Happy New Year! 

  

A little reminiscing of 2012...

First on Ice Skates=Success

Last night was seriously one of the best nights I've had in the last 2 years.  Kinsleigh tried something brand new and LOVED it from the get go.  Wasn't nervous, didn't whine or panic about what was about to happen...nothing!  She told me she wanted to go ice skate and I of course said "Sure! Let's do it!" while in the back of my mind preparing myself for 1) All the hype to diffuse once she actually saw the skates 2) Wasting my money on yet another activity (although this last one I believe is what parenting is all about right?) ;) 

Boy was I mistaken.  We got all prepped and ready to go!

Yeah Mom, I love these things!

Clinging to the wall for the first round...all while breaking Mommies back...

 
"Look at me Daddy!"

 Kinsleigh takes after both her grandmas in the closing her eyes in pictures department. ;) But she's cute nonetheless.

By the end of the night she was walking all over the place in her skates.  Her Daddy can't even do that.

Getting better.

Yup, that's the face of determination right there.

And...NO MORE WALLS!  Remember this all occurred within the course of an hour!  So proud of my big girl! She has definitely found herself a new favorite activity!

365 Reasons

This past year (beginning Thanksgiving Day 2011)  I put together a journal of reasons I am thankful.  At the end of every single day, for an entire year, I wrote something down.  The main reason I wanted to do this was to make it a guarantee that at the end of all my days, no matter if they were good, bad, unbelievable, or stressful I would pull out something positive that I was thankful/grateful for.  It truly did give me a much more positive outlook on life and I would highly recommend trying it out or doing something similar.  I think this next year, I'm going to give it another round starting on New Years Day.  Some days I don't even remember specifically why I wrote what I did which makes it even more enjoyable to look back on.

Thought I would share a few of my thanks...



Day 6- I'm thankful for days that Sean and I work great together as a team


Day 11- Thankful for a loving church family who genuinely prays for my hurting family

Day 18- Thankful Kinsleigh will at least play in her room with her eyes open.  (I will never forget those hard days but glad I can look back now and see where I was positive).

Day 19- Thankful for the means to give to others

Day 28- Thankful for little kids BIG smiles

Day  52- Thankful for a husband who takes his daughter on "Daddy daughter dates".

Day 57- Grateful for generous people in the church who give us gift cards to places to eat we ourselves could never afford. =)

Day 68- Grateful for the endurance Christ gives me when all I want to do is give up.

Day 79- Thankful for irresistible, unhealthy breakfasts!

Day 96- Thankful for Oreos

Day 114- Thankful for endurance

Day 137- Days like today make this hard, but yet still thankful to the Lord for friends who do care and will lend a listening ear.

Day 152- Thankful for a great night with my cell group girls!

Day 179- So thankful for forgiveness from my heavenly Father when I am definitely NOT the best Mommy in the world!

Day 189- So blessed to have raised a polite child

Day 196- So blessed to have the opportunity to throw a baby shower for my best friend who's baby was dearly prayed for often and is finally growing healthy inside her beautiful body!

Day 211- Grateful for good moods despite bad naps

Day 220- Thankful Kinsleigh got brave enough to do sparklers! =)

Day 228- Grateful for yummy snow cones on hot summer days

Day 249- Thankful that I don't have to worry about standing firm in what I believe in!

Day 263- Thankful for BLAST games of hide and seek!

Day 279- Thankful for hospitality of friends

Day 286- Thankful for blowing bubbles with kiddos. It's so peaceful and fun!

Day 306- Thankful for a rockstar babysitter while we are at New Life Ranch! Huge blessing!

Day 308- Thankful for awesome Old Navy sales. (haha)

Day 318- Kinsleigh peed in the potty twice today! Hallelujah!

Day 322- Beautiful weather, beautiful babies! I'm blessed!

Day 337- Grateful some days we just get to stay in and do NOTHING

Day 356- Grateful to sometimes let loose and not care that I'm putting my girl to bed with a severe case of the giggles!

Some serious, some silly, but all so very true!  Now, when I read this I have to ask myself, why would I ever complain? ;) My life has been blessed beyond words!