Getting Ready for Easter

We've really been enjoying our time with Brian home. Lots of fun memories! He taught the kids how to play Old Maid.Our cute little guy. We were able to have a few hours by ourselves one day for some shopping, lunch and mini-golf!

Easter preparations: our Easter Tree.

Making Peanut Butter Eggs. You know how we (okay, Brian) love all things PB and chocolate around here! :)

Resurrection Rolls. They've definitely become a tradition. Click the link for directions on how to make them and pics of us doing it last year. This year we dipped in melted butter before the cinnamon sugar and while they tasted good, it was much messier to make than without.

Quick recap: you dip a marshmallow in cinnamon sugar (melted butter first if you want) and then wrap in a crescent roll (or other dough.) Bake and the marshmallow will melt created a hollow roll when you bite into it.

It's an empty tomb! Jesus is alive!

Natalie said, "So Jesus is the marshmallow?"

Coloring Eggs:

Wow... Look at all the pretty colors!

I didn't get a picture of it but we have Resurrection Eggs (each plastic egg has an item inside to tell the Easter story) and the kids have really gotten into them this year. Fun to see them act it out--I love to watch their little hearts and minds in action. We'll be celebrating Easter together with some friends on Sunday. Hope you have a wonderful day with your family and friends. He is Risen!

Family Hike

Bradley is 2 months already! Growing so big... and he's gotten less fussy and is sleeping a little more at night so that's been great. He's smiling and cooing and loves bath time.

What a great big sister.

Since we moved here, Blake's been saying, "When can we go up in those mountains?" With the deployment, winter and new baby, it took awhile but we finally were able to go on a picnic/hike as a family this week.

We drove up to Cheyenne Canyon Park.

Such beautiful views!

We had a picnic and the kids ran around the woods.

Bradley was there too. :)

Then we put Evan in the backpack and Bradley in the Baby Bjorn for a little hike.

Natalie and Blake were such troopers. We were impressed!

On top of the falls.. a lot more to go!

We made it! So pretty up there.

Blake asked when we could do it again as soon as we started walking back down. Guess he's our mountain man!

Family shot... thanks to the camera timer. :)

We're looking forward to doing another one this week. Love being out in God's beautiful creation!

Quote Time!

Here's a sampling of the latest quotables from our kiddos and a few extra pictures:

Blake: "Is that a step on your shoe, Mom?" (I was wearing high heeled sandals.) Natalie: "I'm going to be a school teacher and a church teacher and a ballerina teacher when I grow up."

Blake: "I'm going to a pirate... and a dad... and an Army man."

Blake: "Hola Kelly, I need a box of nails and some wood."

Natalie: "Sure Handy Manny! Brian: "Why are you taking your stuffed animals outside?"

Natalie: "We need more kids for our pretend CDC."

Blake: "I can't find my my shoes anywhere!"

Brian: "Maybe they walked away."

Blake: "Dad, they don't have feet!"

Natalie: (praying at night)-"I like my bed but I think I'll really like it when I get up there to You." Followed by a conversation about whether there would be donuts and stores in heaven. And then she said she'd see a lot of old people there because you "don't die until you're old. It'll be a long time until I die but not that long for you and Daddy!"

Natalie: (watching a commercial for Crayola Glowing Sand) "Mom, can we please get that? It says it's easy to clean up!"

Markers and Picnics

All three came up from the basement one day... Natalie said, "Doesn't he look like a cool dude?" Check out the video for a full look at the damage!

Picnic and playdate at the park with some MOPS moms. We were welcomed to the Unit at a Hail and Farewell last week. Got this pretty rose. We've been having some beautiful weather lately... don't have our patio stuff out yet but that hasn't stopped us from having picnic lunches outside!

Look who fell asleep during a few minutes of "tummy time"

So hot out one day... we had to find some shade... ...still yummy though! We had a family movie night... Cars+pizza+popcorn. :) Adam had a BBQ at his house... a lot of fun except that it had been 75 the day before and actually snowed and hailed that afternoon!! Ashley playing Zingo with Natalie. The four guys were playing a serious game of Risk.

It was both Matt and Siobhan's birthdays that week.

Adam let the kids play with his guitar, they loved it!

Brian is off for the next two weeks... we can't wait!!