Family Pictures...

Our Easter Family pictures...Love the way they turned out!
I think these are the first family pictures ever taken where Jon has actually been smiling! He not the sort of guy to show any emotion every easily! Maybe having a sweet little girl has softened him up a bit!

Jon and I both feel so incredibly blessed...we are at a very contented and peaceful place in our life...we are happy...we have love...what more can you want?

Just this past week Jon was told he is getting a promotion at work...he will now be a foreman! He is excited about this new challenge!Laughter...the best medicine of all!

The last one...I think the kids were getting tired of sitting and having their picture taken...and their bellies were getting hungry...

Sisters...

I am still posting pictures of Easter...and I still have a couple more post to do! Between my mom and I we took over 300 pictures in one day...Crazy! (feel free to check out my Mom's blog for more pictures!) Since we were all together and lookin' so spiffy my Mom did some sister's pictures...When Ana comes home in a few weeks we will have to get more sister shots since she is missing in these...

Marissa striking quite the pose! We were all being show-offs and doing very dramatic walking since we knew Mom had the camera...James...the only boy of the photo shoots! He has every single one of his aunties wrapped around his little finger...

The Little Aunties, Marissa and Emma...and Elsie and James. Marissa and Emma are the best aunties ever...Elsie and Emma are only 5 years apart and think of themselves more as sisters. I love the relationship between these 4...so special and unique...how many other little children get to have play dates with their aunties?

This is a special picture...I love it! Notice who is in the back...my Mom! My mom hates having her picture taken...so she normally hides behind the camera...but this time I insisted on taking the little gorilla-pod out with us to we could get one group picture...so glad we did!

All the sisters...such fun pictures! I really need to do a post about my sisters. We all have a very close and unique bond...we tell each other everything...we are all best of friends. Ceara lives out of town while she is finishing school...for Cosmetology...how fun! I cannot wait until she moves back to the area...and when she and Ted are married and starting a family. We will have so much fun together! Laura and Lisa are the ones I always run to when I need someone to go go shopping with me or want something to do...we always seem to have fun! Truly...what would I do without my sisters!? I would be very lonely for sure!

Laughter...our secret to making everyday a great one! Our family excels at laughter...sometimes all we have to do is look at each other and the deep belly laughs start! I think Ana and Ceara have a tie for the loudest, craziest laugh...sometimes I find myself simply laughing at their laugh!

A fine looking group of sisters...in my opinion anyhow!

I love that the one picture that Elsie is actually looking at the camera is the one where no one else is looking...go figure!

For our photo shoot we just went down to the little pile of wood stumps waiting to be chopped up for camp fire wood...it was perfect spot...the lighting was perfect...everyone looked great...the kids were in happy moods...the only problem were those darn 4-wheelers! The 4-wheeler trail when right through the background of our photo shoot...and those guys thought it was a good challenge for my Mom to photograph around them!And my husband, the wise guy...who took a long stick to tap the shoulders of the kids just to get them to turn around and not look at the camera. Love the expression on Laura's face...obviously things like this happen all the time around here!

Love this picture...the wind on Laura's hair is perfect! and look at the interesting face Marissa is making...

Elsie and her beloved Auntie Emma...such sweet little girls!

After we were done with the photo shoots Daddy took Elsie inside for a sweater...

After the sister shoot with me...my Mom went in to finish dinner and I took some shots of the "younger 6" as my mom kept saying...apparently when you have a large family you forget how to count! My mom has more pictures of the the girls on her blog...

As I was busy taking pictures of the girls...James was happy to sit in his stroller and watch. James was in a super good mood...probably a combination of being outside and taking a nice long nap in Daddy's arms during Church!

Embrace the Camera~ My Babies and Me...

Since everyone was all dressed up and looking spiffy in the new Easter clothes we thought we better do some quick pictures...My mom took these pictures of my children and I. I have so many more pictures to share from our quick little Easter photo shoot...here are my favorites...
Baby kisses...James loves it when I hold him...so he is always ready for his picture to be taken! Elsie on the other hand does not do so well with "formal" pictures...I have great spontaneous pictures of her...but she was less than willing to sit and smile for these...oh well!

My baby and me...

There was lots of activity going on...and 4-wheelers and dirt bikes zooming around...and it kept James occupied quite well!

This was the best we could get for a picture of both my babies and me! It still makes me smile...it is still special...even if a certain three year old was wanting things her way and would not sit next to me! I think we all have days or moments like that..."It has to be my way!" Love that stubborn and independent streak...Lord help me if both my children take after me!

Egg Hunt...

This year we were very blessed with an almost-summer-ish kind of day for Easter! Although the temp was quite warm, the wind kept us just cool enough for a sweater. The kids spent plenty of time jumping on the trampoline...again! This is their favorite thing to do lately!
Since it was warm enough out the kids had a huge Egg Hunt again! I think over 100 plastic eggs were hidden all over in the yard and maybe beyond! Someone said they found one nestled by all the bee hives close to the woods...the wise children decided to make Uncle Colter get that one for them!

While the little girls ran all around the yard finding eggs James was happy to sit on the grass and play...

The "big Aunties", (as we fondly call them!) Grammie and myself enjoyed visiting while the kids kept busy...and the guys were off in the garage doing guy things...

I am not sure who hid the eggs...but something tells me it was probably Uncle Colter...It took Marissa a couple tries to get these eggs pryed off the nail that was holding them in place! Our family is notorious for a good practical joke...and what could be better than eggs out in the open that are nailed in place! Joke was on Colter because Marissa got the eggs off the nail!

Elsie and Auntie Emma were on a team...they held hands and shared a basket...so cute! And just for the record...I bought some cute pink leggings to go with Elsie's new Easter dress...but she insisted on her rainbow tights and cowboy boots...and she even went like that to church!

Finding Easter eggs by the Apple Trees...

An Egg must have been spied...off they go!Laura kept James happy with a ride on the tire swing...my children really are spoiled by such fun aunties! How many other aunties would volunteer to swing a baby...everyone truly argues over James!

Elsie and Emma found so many eggs...they had to come back and dump the eggs out so they could go find more...

See...Rainbow tights and cowboy boots with her good Easter dress...Love it!

Counting the Easter eggs...I am not sure if ever really discovered who the winner was...most of the eggs were found and the kids were all happy...nothing else matters much!

James was just happy to have all those eggs dumped out right next to him...I am pretty sure he chewed on everyone of them!

After the Egg hunt the guys and Laura all headed off to the gravel pit for some dirt bike fun...and Elsie and I tagged along to take a few (okay...maybe quite a few) pictures...someday I will get around to posting them! We had a great Easter celebration...

Easter Dinner...

We enjoyed a lovely Easter meal at my parents house again this year...It seems that all our Holidays are centered around Family and a good meal! This was the first Family holiday we have had since my family has become completely gluten and dairy free! It was so nice to not have worry about what my children and I could and couldn't eat, cross-contamination or bring our own "safe" dishes of food! Plus I made GF/CF rolls to share...everyone had no choice but to eat them and not complain! Usually when I bring food to share no one will eat it because GF/CF food has a tendency to not taste quite as good as the "normal"food.
I don't think there is anything we all enjoy more than a big family meal. There is something about everyone all being together and sharing a meal that warms my heart. Elsie loves eating with everyone also...she often begs to "Please have dinner with the aunties!" And a Holiday dinner is the very best kind of meal to enjoy together...because we get to pull out the fine china plates and crystal goblets!

One word describes this best...Yum! And because I was so thrilled I have to say it again...it was all "safe" for us to eat!

We always have the kitchen table filled with food...With so many people and little kids we find it easier to simply have the food at one table and eat at another...

James enjoying his First Easter meal...This boy loved the beans and the ham the best! He is quite a good little eater!

Family Meal...Love these pictures...these will someday bring back lots of great memories...

This picture is out-of-focus a bit...but still one of my favorites! It seems there is never a shortage of laughter around the table...The kids always find everything funny...which makes the adults laugh even harder! Good memories...

Easter...

The Easter bunny was busy at our house Saturday night...plastic Easter eggs were filled with jelly beans, little toys and trinkets were lovingly tucked in the paper Easter grass...then the baskets were hidden in the living room for a couple of little children to find on Easter morning...
We know how our children react to too much candy...so they just got a couple peeps, a couple suckers and some jelly beans...and some fun little trinkets! They also had 2 gift to open together...some bubble bath and a new water sprinkler!

James found his Easter basket hiding in the TV stand...what fun to find a basket of treasures in a place where you are normally told not to play!

Elsie found her basket hiding behind the end table! Elsie thought it was fun to have to find the basket rather than just have it sitting on the end table...a fun little family tradition...

James quickly put the sucker in his mouth...with the wrapper still on!

We did let him eat 2 bites of his Peep before we took it away...Normally we don't let him have candy...but since this was his 1st Easter we let him eat a couple bites!

Both the kids were more than happy with all the little treasures and the candy...nothing is better than just waking up, finding a basket full of candy and treasures...before breakfast even!

We had a full day of Celebrating Easter...Easter baskets, Church, dinner at my parents, Egg hunts, 4-wheeling, visiting...a good day...I have many, many more pictures to share...