Easter '15

I was hoping for a great Easter like last years was but I was forgetting one thing. Last year Scarlett was a cute little 4 month old who was just content to be held, this year she runs around and gets into mischief. It was still good, just a bit more stressful.

Saturday evening we dyed Easter eggs. Miller was so excited and got really into it. We all wore our bunny ears except Scarlett. They were off as soon as they pictures were taken.

Every egg Scarlett got her hands on went into the blue.

This is about as perfect as you can get for a family picture with these two. I really love it!

Two days before Easter, we were over at Luke's house and Miller figured this out. For the whole day, this was his spot in the jeep. No other could would attempt it. I am really worried that this is foreshadowing out future in 14 years.

This picture started with only Isla and I was pregnant with Miller. We have 7 kiddos now and will be adding more to this crew next year.

I am so glad we take this big group shot, and this was such a good one. (Please notice Miller peeking over my head on the bottom right. He was making a different face in every picture we took.)

Easter '14

Easter is such an odd holiday for me. I never grew up with any big traditions so I am never sure what we have to do. We have started a few over the last few years but as Miller gets older, I feel the need to incorporate more.

 Of course this year has been crummy for holidays and we have done the bare minimum, which I hate because I love doing fun things for holidays. Halloween we were just getting back from Disney World. Thanksgiving we had a stomach bug and I was 38 weeks pregnant. Christmas we had just had Scarlett. New Years/ my birthday is always jumbled up in the post holiday slump. Valentine's Day we had our plans get all messed up because of a snow storm. St. Patrick's Day we were just getting back from a week in TN. Now Easter and we had just moved into the new house a week earlier. 

On Saturday we decorated eggs. Since our first Easter, Ben and I have worn our bunny ears to dye eggs. I was a bad mommy and forgot to find Scarlett some until it was too late so she wore mommy's this year. Remind me next year to find purple ones early in the season. 

 

 Miller kept taking his off but I finally got him to wear them for a picture. Then he forgot and kept them on the rest of the time and insisted on having them on after we were done. 

 

 Miller was more involved this year which just meant more mess. 

The ears came off and just went into the mouth.  

 He had no patience for letting the colors sit so we went through them pretty quickly. I just grabbed a paint brush and let him paint the mats we were using. 

  

The Easter bunny brought the kids some presents. I said I was not going to go overboard and only get each kid one thing but of course I got a few more things than that but I did not spend a ton of money.

The Easter Bunny also hid some eggs that Miller got hunt.

Scarlett just hung out.

We went to church and then went home to cook our food. After we ran a few house related errands, we went to Lindsey's house for our annual Easter brunch with our friends. I managed to get a few family pictures while we were all dressed up.

Miller became a pro at hunting for eggs. Every time he would find one, he had to open it up. He was not looking for anything, it was just part of his process.

Here is our babies this year (all but Sadie).

This is a comparison shot from last year. Look how they have grown. This is the first year that no one was pregnant (unless someone is keeping a secret or does not know yet).

It was a great Easter! The weather was perfect, the kids were great and their were minimal Miller incidents. It was amazing to wake up in our own house to start traditions where the kids will be growing up. It makes this mommy so happy.

Easter 2013

Easter is such an interesting holiday. My family has traditions for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas but none for Easter. We were thinking back on years past and we used to go to church then brunch with my cousins Megan, one year we went home to Knoxville. Our first Easter together we went to Memphis. The past two years, we went to church and then brunch at Cheesecake Factory with our friends. The first year we went, we had 7 adults and 1 baby. Last year we had 7 adults and 2 babies. This year we would have 7 adults, 5 babies plus my mom and Ally. We decided that would be chaos to go out to eat so we had a potluck brunch at our house.

We went to Easter Mass and Miller did so good. We came home and got some family pictures outside. It really isn't the best picture of any of us but it is all we have. 

The crew this year. 

The Easter Bunny visited us after everyone left. Ally and Miller's Easter baskets. 

Here is Miller's basket.

Miller ran straight to his board to look at his letters on the back. Glossed right past his basket.

Here is Ally's basket.

He went straight for the Peeps. Just like his daddy.

 

Mom and Ally left soon after and Miller napped. That afternoon we went on walk since it was nice outside. Overall, a pretty good Easter.

Pre- Easter Festivities

A few days before Easter, mom and Ally came down for a visit. Thursday evening we went on a walk and played at our neighborhoods playground. Friday, we went to the mall and then I had a friends newborn baby pics during Miller's naptime. That afternoon we went on a different walk and to a different playground and Mom and Ally babysat while Ben and I went out to dinner with some friends.

Saturday we all slept in until 10:30 (so nice!) and then went to Marietta to walk around the square and check out the shops.

I know he looks kind of angry here (he was just tired) but isn't he beautiful? I always tell him that he is my favorite craft.

Ally doing bunny ears on Miller. Her signature move. 

That evening I baked some cookies and we decorated eggs. We started with Miller sitting in his high chair playing with all the stickers and crap they put in those boxes. 

All in our traditional bunny ears. 

Miller liked the part where he got to draw on the eggs. 

 

After this picture, he kept wanting to stick his fingers in the dyes. 

I always love the look of our decorated eggs together.