Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful and busy Easter!  We got up early getting ready for church and the girls had to check out what the Easter Bunny had brought.   I had assured Cohen the night before that I had told the Easter Bunny to leave their baskets outside and we could bring them in.  She wanted no part of the Easter Bunny coming inside our house.  I think waking her up doesn't work for me any more because we get no reaction from her when she sees her basket.  I think I'll start getting her up and holding her in her room for a while.  She was more excited the next day about the goodies in the basket when she actually got to play with them.  The Easter Bunny was nice enough to leave Cohen a new pretty pink Bible purse book, a pink glove and baseball, hula hoop, a Kidz Bop cd and new puzzle.  Kate was thrilled to find a new teether toy, some Puffs to snack on and a floatie for the pool!

After going through the baskets and getting ready we headed off to church.  At church we got to have family fun time during the Sunday School hour which included the kids making cute flower pots  with prayer flowers in them.  It was nice to be able to do everything as a family.  After church was the egg hunt.  There were so many eggs to find and Cohen loaded down her basket!  We also took pictures at the cross which is always so beautiful!  Everyone brings flowers to decorate the cross and it is really a pretty sight to see.  I had spent a lot of time talking about the meaning of the cross and the colors of the cloth on the cross during the Easter season.  I think it is so important for Cohen to start understanding the real meaning behind Easter.

Making her flower pot

Aunt Sara, Kate and Addison

Mylie, Cohen, and Carley

CoCo and JoJo

After church we headed to Athens for lunch at Nana's.  It was such a nice day and I love being able to sit on Nana's porch when it is warm weather!  Cohen got to have an egg hunt at Nana's and she was the only one to find them there so she got to keep all the money inside.  Cohen usually gets help filling up her piggy bank with Easter egg hunts :)  I told her that next year she would have competition from Kate so she better enjoy this year with Kate being happy as can be having one egg to shake and play with.  I tried to take a lot of pictures everywhere we went.  I take pictures of the girls all the time but I feel like I need to do a better job of taking pictures of them with other family members and with us in them.  

Counting eggs with Sug

The best love there is!

Kate is trying to see what's going on

After we left Nana's we went to Suzy's house to celebrate with my family.  We had more delicious food and the desserts were the best!  Extra running this week :)  We had a great time like we always do.  I love holidays because I love getting together with family.  We ended the night with another egg hunt.  Cohen loaded up on more money for her piggy bank!  Once we got home we crashed!  It was a great way to spend a great day!

Egg Hunting with Bebe

Kate & Devin

The Great-Gran's!

Cohen & her 2 favorites...Jessica & Kate Kate

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One Eventful Saturday

We had a very busy day planned Saturday.  I had a morning picture session and after we left there we were taking the girls to see some baby chicks.  My Dad's best friends and neighbors, David and Robin, had told me we could bring the girls by their chicken houses to see their new baby chicks.  My Daddy had chicken houses and I always thought the brand new babies were so cute.  I have taken Cohen once before but that was about 2 years ago!  (time flies too fast)  On our way we passed our favorite strawberry farm and noticed they had their strawberry sign out!!  We had to turn around and go back to make our first visit to pick strawberries!  It turns out it was the first day they had let people come pick so we were very excited.  I know we will have several more trips.  Cohen really enjoyed looking at the plants to find the ripe berries and I did let her eat a couple :)  We filled our bucket in no time and then we headed to see the chicks.  Once we got there Robin met us and as we started to go in to see them Cohen had a meltdown about not wanting to go in because she was afraid it would smell bad.  Miss diva herself!  Robin was nice enough to bring one of the babies outside for the girls to hold.  Cohen did like holding it outside and I think Kate didn't really know what to think.  She did make her sweet smiling faces though.  I really appreciate Robin letting us come.  I know my girls would have loved making trips to see the chickens with my Daddy so this  is our next best thing.

Later that afternoon we had our neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  We only got to stay for the egg hunt but Cohen was excited to get to hunt eggs again.  Kate is always happy just to have one egg to shake around and play with.  Now that the weather is getting warmer we like to be outside and see all of our neighbors again!  We joke around that we all hibernate in the winter time :)  We truly love our neighborhood and all of our neighbors and like I always say we love living in a neighborhood where we are all close and enjoy getting together.  

Group shot before the egg hunt

Kate with her egg

We left the egg hunt and headed straight to Addison's 1st birthday!!  I can't believe a year has gone by already.  It was fun to celebrate the big birthday with the family.  I have to say Addison was quite a lady with her cake and ate it with her spoon most of the time :)  It was very cute.  Happy Birthday sweet girl!

After she had opened her presents and everyone was eating cake and talking, I look over and Kate has decided to check out her new toy and crawled right up on the box to do it.  Like I've said, this baby is a climber and luckily the box is already close to the ground.  She did take a tumble off once but that sure didn't slow her down and she was right back on it.  

Little monkey

Cohen's Easter Party

Friday I told Cohen that she could have an Easter party playdate with a couple of her friends.  Since we were out on spring break all week I knew this would be a fun way for them to get together and play.  She actually had a great break playing with friends!  On Monday she went to Brooke's house and they even swam in her pool!  Thursday after her gymnastics class she went to spend the night with Josie and Friday she had her friends over for her Easter party.  The sound of little girls laughing and playing is priceless.  I had bought sun catchers for them to paint and they did start painting but after a little while they lost interest and wanted to go play.  Us Moms quickly ran outside to hide the eggs for the egg hunt.  Friday was much cooler than the rest of the week had been so we did hide as quickly as we could :)  The kids weren't phased by the cooler weather at all and they ran off to find all the eggs.  I snapped a quick picture and then it was inside to sort through all the candy inside the eggs!  After a yummy snack it was time to clean up.  I think they all had a blast and Kate and Addison were as good as gold watching all the big girls.  The babies tend to get lots of attention too which I'm sure they love. Kate has loved playing with Easter eggs and is quite content to just have one to play with.  Cohen has to enjoy that this year because I know it won't be that way next year!!

Off to find more eggs

A quick group picture

Sorting through their candy

The baby girls got in on the egg sorting too

Josie & Kate

Love from the big girls

Snack time!

Kate Daniels-10 months

My little sweet pea is now 10 months old!  Could someone please slow these months down.  They are passing way too fast.  Sweet Kate was 10 months old yesterday.  Over this past month she has hit a milestone which is cutting teeth!  We were wondering how long it might be until she cut her first tooth but one (I think, actually 2) have broke through on the bottom.  I really love her big smile with nothing but gums shining, but I knew it was coming when the teeth would break through.   We are thankful that she seems to be taking it like a trooper.  I really would not have known the teeth were coming in other than the massive amount of drool.  Cohen was this way and she did very well with teething.
Kate continues to be our little busy bee and into everything.  You cannot turn your back for a second.  She is a very fast crawler and she is starting to straighten her legs in the crawl position like she wants to try to stand up.  I do hope that she holds off on that for a little bit longer.  She has such a cute personality though and I love watching it come out.  When someone new comes into the house, room or we go in somewhere she will put her arm straight out like she is wanting to wave or just touch them to acknowledge their presence.  Its so cute!  She still loves to hold onto me too which I love and hope that continues at least a little longer.  The older she gets though the harder it is just to hold her or rock her.  We can pretty much only rock her while she takes a bottle and maybe falls asleep.  Its also a lot harder to get pictures of her, she doesn't sit still very long and is constantly in motion!   It is so true that you have to treasure each moment because they pass way too fast!

At 10 months:

• Kate is cutting 2 teeth!
• weighs 18 lbs 3 oz (as of last week)
• wears 9-12 mos or 6-12 mos.
• shoe size is a 2
• Loves to climb or crawl under things
• Loves balls and will throw them with you
• is a speed crawler and will get into everything!  Her favorites are the fireplace, under the foyer table, going to Dooley's dog dish, or my plants.
• Has a cute little wave she does for people
• Sleeps through the night on most nights, she still wakes up sometimes for a bottle but goes right back to sleep
• eats 3 meals a day and 2 bottles
• Loves to ride in her wagon 
• Her favorite toys are balls, the kitchen set and food and her grocery cart

She loves her big sister!

Cohen doing her best to hold Kate still

Mommy's little precious!

Cohen's Preschool Easter Party

Friday was our last day of school before spring break and it was also our Easter Party and egg hunt!  It was a fun filled day at school for sure.  We started it off by dying all the Easter eggs.  Every child had brought 6 eggs to dye.  Several of the parents hid all of the eggs outside for the egg hunt.  After passing out the Easter baskets I had all the kids line up at the fence and then opened the gate and away they went!  I wish we had a timer on how quickly the eggs get gone.  I did happen to spot one egg after we thought they were all found and it was great watching all the kids flock together to find the one egg.  After the hunt we went inside for our Easter party snack and then it was time to play outside.  It was such a fun day and even better knowing we have a whole week of spring break!  We are already enjoying our break with this great weather!

Dying Easter Eggs

Everyone trying to find the last egg

Cohen  & her friend Rylie