Warm weather just makes the days seem easier. Loading the kids up in the van to go out and about doesn't seem like such a chore. And we are on-the-go much more than we are at home. The kids have been completely entertained by just being able to be outside and if I would remember to get some popsicles at the grocery store it would be a perfect supplement to the warm spring weather.

Nana joined the kids and I yesterday on a shopping trip and we stopped off at a park for a picnic lunch. We celebrated Nana's birthday a day early with a German Chocolate Cake. So glad that she loves chocolate as her cake was much more enjoyable than the pineapple upside down cake that Papa chose for his birthday last week. White cake with pineapples just doesn't compare to anyting chocolate.


Happy Birthday Nana! Thanks for spending the day with us.

At first I thought the Easter Bunny snuck in our car for a ride, but then remembered it was disguise day at preschool. Both Jaidyn and Addy were one of the Easter Bunny's sisters.








The 80 degree weather called for wearing shorts today. Putting this outfit on Levi brought back so many memories. This is the outfit that he was wearing when we met him for the first time and brought him with us. Both the shirt and the shorts have his name "Lee" that he went by at the Heart of Mary Villa written on the tag. He hasn't worn shorts since this past fall, so he keeps looking down at his legs today and pinching at them. The shorts do fit him much better now as they were more like baggy capri pants last summer.

(Today)

(Today)

(August 11, 2009, Gotcha Day)

(August 11, 2009, Gotcha Day)

Just the thought of rolling around raw meat in my hands makes me nauseated. Blech! Jaidyn begged her Daddy to let her help him make up the hamburger patties. She finished up making the small kid burgers...
Jaidyn: So do you think that I could probably get a job now?
Me: What kind of job do you want?
Jaidyn: You know, one of those kind that needs hamburgers made.
Glad she dreams big! Haha!

Levi's First Egg Hunt

Yesterday, Levi had his first Easter egg hunt with his sisters at our hometown park. Levi was in the "carry" 3 and under age group, so I would carry him to a spot and let him pick up several eggs before moving on to another spot. Addy was also in this age group, so I let Wes try and keep track of her running with a mass of other kids. I love this egg hunt as it doesn't matter how many eggs you pick up because the kids turn them all in and they all get the exact same prizes in that age group. Jaidyn could have been in the preschool age group, but she insisted that she wanted to go with the K-2 age group. She's so competitive...she ran right past the first bunch of eggs, where most of the kids stopped, to get to an area all her own.




Go Addy, Go!


Levi SLOWWWLLLYY placed his eggs in his basket. Poor guy, this egg hunt snuck up on me and I didn't have a boyish looking basket so this one with pink lining had to do for the day.






Levi is still mad that he had to empty his basket of eggs and trade them in for prizes.


The race to the eggs is on! Jaidyn's age group kept cheating up past the line and they kept having to scoot the kids back.




A windy day, but it was better than the rain that was forecasted for the afternoon.

We have several more egg hunts planned for the week, so the Easter Bunny is definitely going to have his work cut out for him. :)


I was sitting at my computer working and all of a sudden the water from my kitchen sink started running. Levi had scooted the stool to the sink and was playing in the water. He's always getting in to something!

~ A Visit From The Tooth Fairy ~

Jaidyn lost her very first tooth last night and excitedly asked to go to bed early in anticipation of the Tooth Fairy's arrival.

Me: Jaidyn, you better make sure you room is picked up so the Tooth Fairy doesn't get mad when she comes.
Jaidyn: Well, can't she just wave her magic wand when she gets here and clean it?
Me: Jaidyn, she's the Tooth Fairy, not a Cleaning Fairy (unfortunately, I am the Cleaning Fairy and having a magic wand would make my job so much easier).

Jaidyn was up before anyone this morning and came in to our room bearing a sweet little note and four shiny quarters from the tooth fairy. If only she would have saved her tooth and gave it to the Tooth Fairy that comes to her Uncle Bear's house. Rumor has it, that their tooth fairy gives $20 for the first lost tooth. :)


Her new grin!




She put the quarters straight in to her piggy bank and taped the letter on her bulletin board.

~ Happy Birthday! ~

Last night we celebrated Papa Dave's birthday with a fantastic dinner (courtesy of Nana) and a pineapple upside down cake. MMMmmm!




I think with these two hot air helpers, Papa could have blown out 59 candles.

Last week, Jaidyn had a playdate with several other friends, so the rest of us spent the afternoon at Bennett Springs State Park.











The kids all received a kite from the Library this week. Even though it wasn't windy enough to keep the kites in flight, the girls still enjoyed running with theirs trailing behind them in a parking lot. I am sure springtime will bring some perfect kite flying weather eventually. My camera battery went dead so I only had a chance to get pictures of Addy.









I was lucky to capture these few playful, smiley moments from Levi this morning as he hasn't been in the best of moods this week and getting a grin out of him has been far from plenty. Poor guy hasn't felt very good or eaten well and I think it is mainly due to him cutting his lower back molars on both sides.

~ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ~

It's just the kids and I today making the most of St. Patrick's Day at home. Outside it is misting rain, so we are stuck inside. We made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up some green jello and green food coloring so that we are able to festively color some foods.

Jaidyn and Addy helped me mix up some green applesauce and yogurt for lunch.

The icky green color didn't seem to bother Levi as he scraped his plate clean of yogurt and applesauce.

While Addy and Levi napped, Jaidyn helped whip up a green angel food cake and some green jello. It smells so good, but we haven't had a chance to try it yet. Since I didn't have the correct pan to bake it in, it may not have turned out, but it sure made the house smell yummy!


Addy thought that the Leprechaun in this picture was holding a basket of Easter Eggs, so he has multi-colored gold. :)



Hmmm, I think he maybe he should have napped longer. Jaidyn's look says it best...we really had no idea why he was crying.


Levi eventually gave in and helped Jaidyn color a picture.



I came back from my morning run to find my kitchen looking like this. The kids have really been in to making forts lately. All of the pillows from the beds and blankets from the closet are drug out almost everyday.


Jaidyn has a loose tooth so I thought I better get at least one more picture of her pretty smile before I start getting a toothless grin. Levi on the other hand, has been cutting his bottom molars. His poor gums have been swollen for the last week. They finally pushed their way through yesterday.


Jaidyn and her doll Kit.

Happy St. Pat's Day!

Shamrock Shuffle Run

Despite a gloomy, rainy, cold morning we ventured out to participate in the Shamrock Shuffle Run. The girls ran the Leprechaun Lap around the high school track and did a fantastic job as they both ran the entire way without stopping to walk. Four hundred meters is a long ways for short little legs. Last year, they both were in tears and stopped about half way around.

Wes and I ran on two different teams and both ran a 5k for our team.


All decked out in their festive green, shamrock attire and rockin out in their St. Pat's day glasses.


Tying the time tracker card to his tennis shoe.


All smiles before the race.




I'm so glad they let us register, stretch and stay inside up until race time. It was so cold and rainy outside. Levi hung out with the circle of Leprechaun Lap runners and watched them stretch.


Ready, Set, Go!!!



You are at the half-way point. Don't quit now!!!


Wes and his team of four. Three ran the 5k and 1 runner ran a 10k.


He still loves me, even though I crossed the finish line before him. I have been running more than he has the past 2 months, so I would have been extremely disappointed if he would have beat me. :)


1st Place Co-Ed team...I was the 4th overall 5K female runner, the other girl in my group clocked the fastest 5k time for a female and the two young guys had great times also.


Exhaustion set in and Addy fell asleep in the van only minutes after we left the run.


Born to Run! Addy and Jaidyn made the front page of the Sunday paper. What a nice surprise.

I think we are all going to participate in the Mercy Me hospital run fundraiser on Easter weekend. Hopefully, the sun will come out for a while and make for a more enjoyable race day.