Easter Festivities

We had a fun and busy Easter weekend!  Saturday morning we went to an egg hunt at Noble Creek park and met up with some friends.  I love all the things living in a small town has to offer!  This one has become a tradition for us!

Walking in with Dada

Easter buckets, ready for the hunt! 

Silly Samuel and Reed! 

Scott and Justin were so funny giving the kids a strategy to get the eggs! 

 I didn't take pics during the egg hunt because it was madness and I didn't want to lose a kid! 

Paigey and Samuel with their eggs. 

There was an Easter bunny, booths, jumpers and a petting zoo but all these three wanted to do was climb some rocks! 

Reed did want to check out the fire truck on our way out - of course! 

Next we went to my parents house for our Schipul celebration.  The weather was hot so the kids went swimming!  After we had been in a while Felicity said "I don't think I got a hug from you Paigey."  Sweet cousins! 

Then Paigey told Chloe she needed a hug from her too!  LOVE! 

Reed always takes a while to get in the pool.  At first he said he didn't want to go in but after an hour in the sun, he changed his mind! 

The three girls. 

He's in! 

While we were outside I painted Paigey's toes to match mine so we'd match on Easter. :) 

Their older cousins Christian and Cianah are so good with them and they love to play with their big cousins!  They were playing catch with one in the water and one out. 

Time for another egg hunt with some help from Grandma and Grandpa. 

Cousins Paigey, Chloe, Felicity and Reed 

All the cousins!  Cianah holding Tiffany, Christian, Paige, Chloe, Felicity and Reed. 

Reed holding baby Tiffany (and no, this does not make me want another one! :))

Paigey and Tiff 

Easter morning the Easter bunny brought Reed a Cars 2 basket and Paige a Hello Kitty basket. 

Eating chocholate bunnies for breakfast has become an Easter tradition in my house! 

Paige's Easter dress 

Paige kept sticking out her tongue while I was trying to take pictures!  Naughty! 

I told them both to make silly faces since Paige was doing it already! 

Love this one!  Looks like they're dancing. 

My handsome little man! 

Oh the naughtyness! 

Paige and Papa 

Paige and Nana 

Papa, Reed and Paige 

Two days of Easter festivities with no naps and Paige crashed on the floor at 5pm!  I put her to bed and she was up at 4:30 am the next day ready to start her day! 

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter!

Mini Me

Today we went for a family hike behind the park by our house.  There is a wash with lots of rocks and dirt to play in!  We call these "Treasure Hunts" so whenever the kids pick something up we say "trash or treasure?"  Ninety five percent of the time it's trash but it's amazing what kids decide is a treasure! 

To me the treasure is of course, spending time with my whole family enjoying the California sunshine together!  Today was just a little bit hotter than comfortable and we were all sweating within five minutes of starting.  We went extra far and walked in the wash all the way up to Brookside Ave which was a decent hike, especially with two toddlers and the sun beating down!

I noticed while we were walking that Reed was very cautious and always took the safest path, using his hands to balance himself.  Paige on the other hand, always takes the road less traveled!  She would go over rocks when she didn't need to and say things like "Mama, I'm gonna climb up the side of that cliff!"  And that she did!  She slipped and fell flat on her face no less than ten times!  Only once did she actually cry and that was a pretty good hit! She also attempted to climb a barbed wire fence and was swinging around boards with nails from a construction site.  The girl has no fear!

At the end of our hike we had to climb up a bunch of boulders to get out of the wash up to the street.  Once again, Reed was talking the safest way possible and Paige was scaling huge rocks when she could have simply gone around.  Reminded me of a time I went hiking in Zion National Park and came out in a medivac helicopter!

It's funny how both my kids have gotten different parts of me but they are complete opposites of each other.  I am cautious like Reed in certain areas like finances, health, major decisions etc.  But when it comes to the outdoors and an adventurous spirit, I'm all about taking the risks just like Paige! 

I love watching my kids grow and develop their completely seperate personalities and yet I see some of me in each of them!  They are each amazing in their own right and I am blessed to have the priviledge of being their mom!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.  Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!  He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."  Psalm 127:  3-5

Breaking, Errrrr, Decorating, Easter Eggs!

Every year we decorate Easter Eggs as one of our traditions and every year as they break every one, I wonder why I continue the tradition!  But the kids LOVE doing it and breaking them has become part of the tradition!  I love making these memories with my kids!  I long ago put away my ideas of how things "should" turn out and just let them happen!  It's so much more fun that way!

Reed coloring eggs

Paigey doing her eggs 

Paige likes to put everything up to her face right now!  Sweet faced girl! 



Showing me her egg 

Paige's eggs all colored and ready for decorating! 

Reeds eggs

Time to decorate them!  Reed chose Cars 2 and Paige chose Hello Kitty - coincidentally the same theme as their Easter Baskets this year!!

Dipping the wrapped eggs in the water.  These wrappers never stick for me!  Oh well, it's the trying part that's fun! 

Reed is always so focused and concentrated on whatever he is doing.  I love his little serious expressions! 

All done! 

Paige's were a little easier because they were just stickers and a couple of Hello Kitty masks. So cute! 

Paige dropped an egg on the floor which was the first to break!  Reed got it for her and they thought it was so funny that it was broken!  This began the unfortunate end of the eggs as they began breaking some intentionally! 

Cracking an egg on the table.  Naughty! 

Hello Kitty! 

Cars 2! 

Reeds kit came with 3D glasses for the wrappers! 

Paige was very into her stickers! :) 

Completed basket.  Right after this picture she dropped the whole basket and broke all the ones that were still ok!  I got that one on video! ;) 

Reeds completed basket 

I try not to spoil my kids but holidays are always an exception!  I love doing all of these holiday traditions with them!  Tomorrow we have two Easter egg hunts and Sunday they will get their Easter baskets.  Then we will celebrate the true meaning of Easter and celebrate our Savior at church!  Happy Easter!