Easter Basket from Grandma and Grandpa and the Easter Bunny

On Easter morning Sofia awoke to a great surprise! The Easter Bunny had visited our house and left her a giant egg filled with goodies. Also, she was finally able to open the large box from Grandma and Grandpa! Their box arrived a few days before Easter and Sofia was beside herself to open it, but we decided to wait until Easter until she could. I finally had to hide it in the closet so she would stop asking about it!

The large Easter egg had some of Sofia's favorites: bubbles, a little bunny, stickers, Peeps, little toys and her two favorite - lip balm in a ladybug container and Easter socks! She loved it!

Finally she could open her box from Grandma and Grandpa! Inside was a huge basket filled with all sorts of goodies including a beautiful hair bow, a book, a Thomas Train coloring book (her favorite), little goodies and some candy. She was in Heaven! She played with all of her new toys (and wanted to eat the candy) before we got ready for Meeting.


The Easter Bunny was here!


Opening her egg


Showing off one of her new goodies.


Finally! Opening the box from Grandpa and Grandma!


Checking out her new goodies - with her hair bow in place!


Papa reads her new book to her....


and her Thomas Train coloring book!

Easter Day

After Sofia sifted through her Easter basket from Grandma and Grandpa and the Easter bunny egg, we got ready for Meeting. We had invited two other couples with kids to come over after Meeting for lunch, mini Easter cake decorating, and an Easter egg hunt. We kept lunch relatively simple with a Honey Baked ham, homemade biscuits, glazed baby carrots, mashed potatoes, a spinach salad and a fruit salad. It was all delicious and a fun way to spend an afternoon with friends. Between us, there were five kids under 12 and a 5-month old. After our meal, the kids decorated mini Easter cakes with icing, sprinkles, and all sorts of candy. They had just as much fun decorating as they did eating them!

After their bellies were full of lunch and too many mini Easter cakes, the kids were directed to our backyard for a massive Easter egg hunt (I think there were 150 eggs total and the dads did a great job of hiding them). Every kid had an overflowing basket of plastic eggs by the time they were done searching and it was fun to watch them look around and miss obvious ones. Sofia had a blast! Last year, she needed a lot of cajoling to keep searching for additional eggs after she found her first, but this year she was in full speed as she raced from one egg to the next. It was funny to see the difference in her attitude and she had so much fun looking for eggs in every possible location. She ran all over the yard in search of her next egg!

After all the eggs (hopefully) were collected, we said goodbye to our guests after a very fun afternoon together.

Mommy, Sofia and Papa


Decorating the mini Easter cakes


Tasting the frosting....


Sofia in Easter egg hunt mode!


Look at all those eggs!!


Looking everywhere for plastic eggs


Searching low for eggs


All finished!!

Dying Easter Eggs

After our guests went home, Sofia begged to dye the 18 Easter eggs we boiled the day before. We'd suggested it while our guests were visiting, but since all the kids were wearing their nice clothes, the other Moms opted out of dying eggs. So, as soon as everyone headed home, we put an old t-shirt over Sofia's clothes and got the colors ready. We decided to move the event outside since we figured it would be a fairly messy time. Last year, she was sure to submerge each egg into every color (along with her hands) so that each looked sort of brown and took forever to finish. This year, Sofia was decidedly quick about the process and just quickly dipped each egg in one, or maybe two, colors before moving onto her next egg. She was done in no time, which was surprising....until she made it clear what she really wanted to do - Hide them! So, we pretended to hide them and I pretended to find them. I guess she enjoyed the hiding/finding much more than the actual dying in the long run. Luckily, she loves eating hard boiled eggs as a snack as we were able to go through most of what she dyed.

Getting started. I'm not sure why she wanted to wear her swim goggles, but she's been wearing them around the house like glasses lately.


A blue egg in one hand and another egg ready to dye in the other.....


Trying to use that metal egg dipper..that quickly fell by the way side and she went back to using her hands.


Pink....


Green.....


Drawing on the egg with the wax crayon


Her hands - MUCH cleaner than last year!!

Aunt Becky and Cousin Megan Visit

On Wednesday before Easter, my sister Becky and 16-year old niece Megan arrived for a visit! I was so excited to have them visit for a few days, show them around, and just hang out and catch up! I didn't tell Sofia about their visit until a few hours before picking them up, because otherwise she questions when they are arriving every five minutes. She hadn't seen Becky and Megan since July, but remembered them really well and started telling stories of our time together at Knott's Berry Farm, etc. Of course, Sofia was completely taken with Megan and wanted to spend every waking moment playing with her and being with her. Every morning I'd have to convince her to wait until Megan came downstairs before she could "check on her" in her room. Aunt Becky was equally as fun and loved reading stories (Sofia's very favorite things to do), so she was in Heaven!

The first night they arrived we hung out at the house, ate dinner and got settled. Unfortunately the weather wasn't terrific while they visited, but we still made time to drive to Dallas and visit Dealey Plaza and walk around and also visited Ft Worth for a few hours before we took them to the airport. The best part of their visit though, was staying up late each night and just talking. It was fun to relive childhood memories, but also great to hear about stories of times when I was too young to completely remember events. It was such a great way to catch up and I'd love to visit them next year!

Megan and her shadow in Dallas, near Dealey Plaza


Horsing around with Megan


Saturday morning's feast! Becky made the most amazing sausage and gravy and I made homemade biscuits - they were delicious together (and very filling!!)


In Ft Worth


Two cowgirls!!

Easter Fun!

About a week before Easter, Sofia received several packages in the mail that were complete surprises and were all for her! Her first surprise came from my college friend Sian and her family who sent a package that included a coloring book, markers, Thomas train stickers (those went fast!), and an adorable frog hat! She was SO excited when I told her that the large envelope was for her and she tore into it as fast as she could. After taking everything out of the envelope, she immediately went through the stickers and added them to her arms (I guess as tattoos like at Day out with Thomas). Next she opened up the new coloring book and went to town. It was so thoughtful and Sofia spent every day working on a new drawing.

On Sunday April 17th we went to an Easter egg hunt put on by the Lion's Club that was held at a local winery. Unfortunately, we missed Sofia's age group egg hunt (which was a section of grass where literally hundreds of plastic Easter eggs were tossed and then different age groups could "hunt." However, after getting a free t-shirt and other goodies, the volunteers gave Sofia several handfuls of eggs! We immediately went to the grass and opened each one to discover a different candy. From there we went to visit the Easter Bunny, and as usual, Sofia ran to him and gave him a huge hug before sitting on his lap for a picture. She hasn't seen a large furry animal or character she doesn't love. We then went to the bounce house before getting a "ladybug" painted on her face. I think she really wanted her entire face painted as a lady bug, but instead got a little critter that sort of looked like a ladybug....

The next day, Sofia received a box from Kari and family - another huge surprise and she basically couldn't get it open fast enough! Inside was the cutest stacking rabbit boxes of candy. Sofia was so happy and took her time opening each of the three levels of goodies. On the first two were candies and cookies and the third included a little bucket and garden tools, which she still uses in the garden with me. She uses her bucket to collect rocks and carry them around. Of course, the candy she found quick use of too! The best part was that she slept with the bunny box for a few nights and carried him around the house playing with him. It was adorable and such a wonderful surprise.

Opening the package from Sian and going through her goodies


Thomas Train Stickers!!


At the Lion's Club Easter Egg hunt with Papa


Opening all of her Easter eggs.


With Mommy


With the Easter Bunny


Her new ladybug


Opening her package from Kari


So excited!


Her new bunny friend filled with goodies!

Baby Bump!

When I was pregnant with Sofia, we were rather lazy with taking pictures of me with my growing belly, which I regret now since I only have a few pictures from my pregnancy. So, I've sworn that this time around I'd be better at getting regular belly shots so I can remember what I looked like with a baby bump. So, when I was in Gulfport, MS for my gal's weekend I asked one of my friends to take a side photo to highlight my belly.

Another big difference between this pregnancy and Sofia's is that I slipped into pregnancy clothes much faster this time. With Sofia I think I was well into my fifth month before I really had to wear my "stretchy" pants, but this time around it was right around 3 months! I just couldn't button those pants, and let's admit it, pregnancy clothes are just comfortable. I feel great and actually forget that I'm pregnant each morning. When I walk by the mirror I initially think "WOW, my belly is really bloated..." before I remember. So, it's been a very easy pregnancy so far.

So, here I am at 18 weeks: