Easter Picnic

Sunday afternoon was our church's easter picnic and Liv's first easter egg hunt. It is at a park near our church and it is mostly open fields. In one little area of trees they drop a bunch of eggs and let the kids pick them up and then the kids exchange them for a bag of candy. Ella and Liv loved the open space to run around.  

She paused for a quick picture - Hurry mom I gotta go! 

At first Ella's feelings got hurt by another little girl so she didn't want to hunt but then I went with her and she had fun. See all the kids dashing off to get their eggs. 

Did I mention Liv loves the wide open spaces? 

The next picture is of Kevin chasing her down for the 100th time :)

And the picture after that is Kevin saying, "okay mommy, its your turn"

She loved her easter basket. She thought it was a new purse! 

She took her own time picking out what color egg to put in her basket. The more I coached her the more time she took! Once she found one she liked she put it in her basket and walked a few steps and took it out and set it back on the ground and kept walking. Didn't really get it.

No Pain, No Gain

That is the title of the series Kevin and others have been speaking on the last few weeks at middle school. Yesterday Kevin spoke and it was really good! He talked about how it is not enough to look at ourself in the mirror and know what needs corrected (inside or out) and to immediately walk away and forget what we saw. We have to do something about it. 

So for the past few months I have been working out 3 times a week at the gym with my friend Michelle. Not because I have discipline and devotion but because she does. Seriously, she is amazing. I am the queen of excuses and I can find one for anything I don't really want to do. But she has listened to me whine and put up with me. Until now... she can't workout every other day like she used to actually it is hit and miss so whenever she can't go I gladly set out but today was different. I went to the gym and did the workout as though she was there with me making me. 

I know this is really pathetic but she counts the laps and reps and pushes me every time. Mostly I am whining and trying to quit but she keeps me going. But not today. I decided to make some changes and I know that it has to start with me. 

Kevin says it is really hard to get queso out of his beard and that if he did get queso in his beard it takes like 2 or 3 washes to get it completely out. I know that is really gross but anyway he said its like if he looks in the mirror and sees queso and says, "ok, great. I saw it now I am done" but does nothing about it - he will be walking around with old gross queso on his face.

I know that is how we are on the inside and outside a lot of the time. I know that I should be doing a lot more than I am on the outside and inside. When that comes up in a conversation I conveniently say, "Yes, I know I should eat better, or I know I should spend more time with God". And its like that's it. Because I know I get the golden pass to exit the conversation. But I know that I walk away and immediately forget what I look like and what needs to be changed. 

Like GI Joe says, "knowing is half the battle" well I have been half way there all along. 

So, if this makes you think and do something please let me know.  I am really trying to challenge myself to keep my commitments to change! 

Gymnastics

After missing 2 gymnastics classes Ella is finding her way again. 

She definitely is a hands on learner. She doesn't like to go first. She likes to watch a few kids try something out before she is ready to give it a try. 

She couldn't wait to get back on the beam. She is like her daddy and not scared of heights a bit! 

She loves swinging on the rings! 

Ella really wanted to do the front flip off the bars but it felt so awkward to her. She tried to make her body do it but nothing was natural about it. We'll be working on that one.

She was putting way to much thought into this move. 

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Happy Birthday Kevin!!!

We love you so much! You are such a good husband and great dad! 

Thank you for all you do for us! You da best!!!!

Kevin's Birthday Week!

So tomorrow is Kevin's Birthday he will be 29 years old! So everybody call/text him if you can. This week we have been trying to give him special treatment and do nice things for him. I made him his favorite smoothie for breakfast and his favorite sandwich for lunch and tonight his favorite dinner...catfish and of course his favorite desert APPLE PIE and chocolate chip cookies! 

His favorite smoothie:

8 oz milk

6 whole frozen strawberries

1/2 peeled apple

1/2 banana

3 seconds of drizzling honey

His favorite sandwich: 

2 slices of bread

little miracle whip on each slice

turkey on one side 

extra sharp cheddar cheese on the other

bacon (crispy only)

very thinly sliced purple onion

very thinly sliced tomato

little bit of lettuce 

light pepper

mustard in the center 

His favorite Dinner: 

fried catfish

fresh squeezed lemons

mashed potatoes

caesar salad

Papa's Girls

So oddly enough we only got to see my mom (the girls call her mimi) for 2 days since she had a trip planned the same dates as ours to London and Paris. She had a great time with my Aunt Sheryl, Sister Janette and Niece Samantha. So the girls spent some time with Papa and they loved it. They are already missing our family and Ella just says I miss Papa and Mimi but since liv can't talk yet here's how I know what she is saying: 

My dad always has a roll of fruit flavored certs in his pocket. The kids love them and even before they have teeth he holds it out for them to lick. Ella asks for a cert constantly and liv automatically gets one if Ella does. Well at the airport when we were saying goodbye dad gave me the rest of his roll of certs to give to the girls. I stuck them in the side of my purse. Well, today Liv spotted them. I pulled them out and gave each of the girls one. Ella quickly ate hers but Liv took her cert to the door and started pointing to go out there and then pointed at the cert. TRANSLATION: Take me to papa!

Our last few day's of vacation

So here are a few more pictures from our vacation and our trip home. 

This is Sarah my niece and Ella. 

So Sarah says, "liv's hands are dirty" and I said, "she loves to wash her hands so can you help her wash them?" then a few minutes later ella comes running the living room saying, "mom, livia is in her diaper in mimi's sink and she is all wet. come and see" She was having the time of her life and did end up with clean hands thanks to Sarah!

This is us traveling through the airport. Ella loves the escalators but I can't take the stroller on them so we race to the elevator. 

Ella loves the train at the airport. 

This is daddy getting it done!!! He got both the girls to sleep the whole flight! 

On Saturday it snowed a few inches! Ella loved it. It was the best kind of snow. You know the one that makes a great snowman. 

Ella and Karianne playing in the backyard. 

Here is the snowman

Liv didn't feel very good so she had to watch from inside. 

My friend gave Ella this Ariel costume. She loved it and looked amazing too!