Easter

The big boys are finally at an age of truly understanding the meaning of Easter. With help from The Jesus Storybook Bible and a few other resources, Eric and I have been able to explain (in 4/5 year old terms) a bit about salvation. Here are some things I want to remember from conversations with the boys:

Hampton-"Jesus rode on a donkey"

Everett-"Jesus died on the cross for the bad things we do"

Hampton-"Jesus is God's son and heaven's angel" Ha!

Everett-"Jesus is ALIVE!"

Mommy-"What is Easter all about?"

Hampton-"Bunnies and eggs?"

Everett-"No! It's about Jesus!"

This is just a glimpse of all the mini conversations we have with them. I pray that one day all our children will come to know Him. I am so thankful that even at such a young age there can be such understanding!

We had a lovely Easter. A couple days ago we each took turns hiding eggs in the front yard. Then today the children got their Easter baskets. Some candy, a few games, Sofia the First toys for Ellie, stencils for Everett, puzzles, and coloring books. They were very well received!

We had a great morning at church. Everett and Hampton actually got to go to the same worship class. They were very excited about that. We had a laid back afternoon and then after naps went to the arboretum. We went on a nature trail and discovered a creek and a fun bridge. For Easter dinner tonight we had turkey meatloaf, peas, and oatmeal bread. And we had popcorn balls for dessert. They were yum! Overall we had a very celebratory day!

Everett's Easter basket

 Eleanor Jane's basket. They was a Sofia theme going on. 

 Hampton's basket. 

 The aforementioned yummy popcorn balls. 

  

Easter Crafting

Any time I can craft with my big boys, I am up for it. They love it. I love it. And we have cute things to show for it. I went on Pinterest last week and pinned a few fun Easter/Spring crafts. We made an afternoon of it and had a great time!

Our bunny car. 

 This was just as much fun to make as it was to eat!

 Bunny clay necklaces. 

 Painting. 

Everett's bunny necklace. 

 I thought their egg-shaped bunnies were so cute! Everett's is on the left. Hampton's is on the right.

 Hampton's bunny necklace. With glasses, of course. 

Spring Photo Shoot

Spring Weather

After just enjoying the fantastic Florida weather, I was kind of bummed to return to Asheville with it's still chilly temps. However, this afternoon it was 61 degrees with bright sunny skies. There was still a bit of chill in the air, but it did not stop me from taking my babies to the arboretum. Sure we had to wear long sleeves and light jackets, but we had a blast! Praying the temps will continue to rise soon! The boys have a dresser full of shorts and t-shirts and Eleanor has a closet full of cute Spring dresses I am dying to dress her in. Come on Spring!

Spring Vacation

Last week we travelled to Land O Lakes, FL for spring vacation. I do not think we realized how much we needed a vacation until we got away. Even though it was still a lot of work and very busy, we came back refreshed. It was wonderful. 

We stayed with our very good friends, the Claytons. Alicia and Russell moved to Florida last year and we have missed them dearly. It was so nice of them to host us (we are a wild bunch!) and we felt so taken care of!

We headed out around 7 am Sunday morning. It was a 10 hour drive and I must say the children did surprisingly well. Sure we may have watched way too many videos, but we survived! We arrived at our friends at about 5/5:30. We then had delicious home made pizza and got caught up. 

On Monday we decided just to stay in and relax. After that long drive, I think the children needed a "hang out" day. We took a long walk around the neighborhood, played with little Emily (our friend's little girl), watched some (more) television, played outside, and went to a playground. It was great. 

On Tuesday Eric and I and the big boys went to The Magic Kingdom. This day has a separate post (because my goodness does it deserve one!) 

On Wednesday we headed to Clearwater Beach. It is about an hour away from the Clayton's house and was beautiful! White, sandy beaches. Beautiful clear water. I loved it. And Alicia brought her tent so the babies could play. It was a great day. That evening Alicia and I headed to Chipotle for dinner and the guys had take out BBQ. 

We headed home on Thursday. We were all exhausted and sun kissed, but did not want to leave. It was such a great vacation. The ride home went well and the children were happy to see their beds. I am looking forward to another vacation next year!

This was a sign outside of the playground we visited in Land O Lakes. I thought it was pretty funny. Oh Florida. 

 He loved the swing!

 And my big boy is learning how to pump his legs to swing on his own. 

 Walking in the wonderful Florida crab grass.

 Emily and Ellie. 

 This was taken on the day Eric, the boys and I were at Disney. She had so much fun playing with Emily. 

 Russell taking the girls for a ride. 

 Dinner time!

 Walking in the sand. 

 The water was cold, but he loved it!

 And this girl is a BEACH BABY! She was busy, busy, busy the entire time we were at the beach. She threw a huge fit when we had to leave. She could have stayed all day. 

 Our very gracious hostess!

 Our family on the last day of vacay!