Easter Sunday

Happy Easter! This was my favorite picture of the kids today... they looked so sweet in their matching outfits. Thank you Grandma & Papa!

Here are more pictures I took to chronicle our Easter Sunday:

He's not too happy, but Benjamin was showing off his 3 (almost 4) teethies! He was strong enough to knock Ashlyn over backward a couple of times before I gave up taking their picture.

The sweet girls in their matching dresses.All the cousins right before the Easter Egg hunt

Ashlyn's findings

this is what Benjamin did while the rest of the kids hunted eggs... and he slept on Noel at church this morning too. Aunt Noel is GOOD!!

I wanted to end with our family's scripture reading for the week leading up to Easter, that thanks to Ashlyn I have read more times than I can count... she likes to say "Jesus is risen- hallelujah!" afterwards. She would have me read it at least 5 or 6 times in a row. How could I say no?

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” --Matthew 28:1-7 NIV

So many of you have asked...

I am sorry for being so rude and not yet replying to any of you who have been so sweet to ask about the status of our move. We are still in San Antonio right now, waiting (impatiently on my part), hoping, and praying for Paul's company to give us a moving package. Since Jan 1st Paul's been working in his new territory which stretches from New Braunfels to Waco (Austin is located right in the middle and has the largest concentration of Drs). The commute is hard since there always seems to be traffic- and being the worrier that I am it makes me sick that he is on I-35 so much. To make things a little easier on all of us, we have accompanied him up to Austin for the week on a few occassions. It is much more productive for him to be there. However, I am so thankful that he is willing and somewhat able to come back home- the times that he has stayed overnight without us are really difficult days for me. It has been hard on Paul having to wake up super early (sometimes as early as 4:30) and having to be in the car for such a long time everyday. Anyway, Last news I have from Paul is that his company should tell us in the next month if they will be moving us or not. I am trying to be open to whatever God has planned for us...

A Do-It-Yourself-er

So this week I took both children to get their hair cut by someone other than me. I don't know why I feel I have to chronicle this momentous-only-to-me event, but here it is: The initial plan was to get Benjamin's hair cut, but take Ashlyn along so that MAYBE she might decide she would allow her's to be cut as well. It did turn out that after she saw that you get to sit in a car and when you are finished you are rewarded with a lollipop- she was willing! (Prior to the trim)Benjamin's hair has been described by his sister as "crazy hair" and I was in agreement. I found that I always had to have a comb on me, and that every hour or so I was needing to fix it again.It was NOT laying down the longer it got, it was always kinda messy.

So this lady proceeded to cut and clipper away without much input sought from me (that bothers me) and when she was finished she got it to stay by using a fair amount of gel. It looked okay... I thought I might have to take the scissors to it a little bit once we were home.

I was surprised that Ashlyn agreed to cut her hair... ever since she cut it herself she has been adamant about not having it cut at all. But she did amazing, she followed directions, stayed still better than I have ever seen her. After she had 4 inches cut and had the lollipop in hand, she was happy.

So after paying too much for these mediocre cuts we did our other errands. Benjamin's hair started to bother me more and more as the day progressed. I thought I'd see how it looked after I bathed him in the evening before I got involved. However, after his mid-afternoon nap I just couldn't take it any more. His hair has a way of always falling forward just minutes after you comb it to the side- well it was all foward and it looked like someone had weed-wacked his hair. It just looked so silly and as if he was bald on the sides and had long bangs in the front. So, YES, I did it, I got out the clippers and cut it myself! I tried using scissors but couldn't get him to stay still, so I used the clippers on the longest setting, and after the first pass I thought- "what did I just do!?" Once I did his whole head, I wasn't so upset with myself.

I find myself liking it more and more... it was the very best I could do after the haircut I paid for. I know at least my mother-in-law may be dissappointed because it is so short. It looks a lot blonder at this length (the last picture without the flash is to show this), and I don't even have to brush it- you have no idea how thrilled I am about that!! Anyway, what's done is done.

Ashlyn & Payton's Birthday Party

The birthday boy & the birthday girl!Just like we did last year, we did a shared party for Ashlyn and her cousin Payton since they were born a month apart. We had it at Pump It Up- a place with inflatable slides, bouncers, obstacle courses. It was made for kids to enjoy, but there were plenty of adults who participated as well!

listening attentively to the safety video

The pictures from the play areas with the actual inflatables turned out terrible- I think it was my camera or the lighting or both... so essentially the whole fun part of the party has not been included.

the girl cousins Hannah, Ashlyn, and Kaylee

cake time!By the way, having the party at a place like this was the way to go! The kids had fun, and I very much enjoyed not having to set-up, oversee the activities, and especially CLEAN UP! 2 hours and it was over and done- it was awesome!

Look how much they have grown up. This is from last year when they were turning 2... I think this picture was in my very first post.

...back before she had any say in what she woreI thought she was SO BIG then!!

at her first birthday covered in cakeon her actual BIRTH day... check out the black hair!
I still just can't believe that it has been 3 years!!

Funny Little Valentines

This is as cooperative as the kids would be for pictures on Valentine's Day



I took these next ones long before Valentine's Day in an attempt to send out some sort of Valentine's photo card to some family members. It didn't turn out as cute as I had envisioned it could... my friend Sarah has influenced me to prefer taking outdoor pictures and this was around the time that it was always nasty weather outside.

she learned that from Paul's sisters!

Oh, I have been so excited- I got a pink ipod nano for Valentine's Day! Thank you Paul, I love you!!

Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Ashlyn is 3!

silly girl (with food in her teeth)

Ashlyn turned 3 last week! She would say "I am going to be 3, I can't believe it!" I think she may have heard others say that a few times. The whole day whenever anyone would ask her how old she was she would argue that she was still 2. We went to "PappasKitos" on her birthday for dinner. Right before we were seated at our table she said "my birthday is starting!!" On Saturday we drove up to Austin and had a family party that evening. The kids and I stayed until Tuesday since Paul went to Dallas for the beginning of the week.

at Pappasitos- it's her favorite restaurant, can you tell?

Party at my parent's house I think she had at least 2 of these yummy cupcakes!

...I just LOVE this kid, and I too cannot believe she is already 3! It is so cliche, but time has flown by. Happy Birthday my little Punkin!!!

Thought I would throw these pictures in too...

On most evenings we have been walking around the neighborhood and stopping at the playground- these kids love the swings!

Seriously out of touch

Okay... after all the chaos going on in my family, I have gotten so behind on my blogging that I don't even know where to begin. I never did share any Christmas or New Year's pictures; I guess I can start there:

Here are the kids in their matching monkey Christmas pj's on Christmas Eve. Ashlyn wanted to be in Benjamin's crib with him. I've been afraid that she will attempt joining Benjamin in his crib again, this time without my assistance, but she hasn't... yet. Anyway, Christmas was a blast! My camera was low on memory so I didn't get many good pictures- but we did take way too much video so at least we do have some 2007 Christmas memories documented. My big present from Paul was a double jogging stroller- YEA!! Too bad the weather has been so icky that I haven't used it very much, maybe today!

We had a fun New Year's too- Paul and I have a tradition to do something new and fun every New Year's Eve. In years past we forget to plan anything until Christmas is over, but this year Paul planned out our celebration way in advance! I was so proud of him, and a little surprised too. We stayed in a suite at the Hotel Contessa down on the Riverwalk. There was a little carnival down in La Villita where there was so much to do for fun. One of the vendor's booths had the BEST kettle corn I have ever tasted. After spending most of the afternoon there, we went back to the room to try to get the kids to take a nap (ha, ha). After it got dark (and really COLD!) we bundled the kiddos up and walked a few blocks to get some dinner down on the Riverwalk.

In the historic La Villita- before all the New Years crowds

On the riverwalk , the part right behind our hotel. It was so pretty outside. This is when it got freezing! But Benjamin always thinks its funny to put on his big coat with the hood.The best part were the fireworks that we watched from our room. It was awesome to be able to put the kids to bed at a decent hour and since we had a suite, Paul and I didn't have to go to bed early too!- this is something new to us can you tell? At midnight we woke Ashlyn up to watch the fireworks- she loved it of course. I think what she liked best was that she could watch and enjoy but not have to be scared by the loud booms since we were watching through a window.

This was the view... the fireworks were going off right above and around the Tower of the Americas.

All of those details to tell that we had such a fun New Year's- Welcome 2008! (Yes I know that we are already 22 days into it, I said I was seriously behind!)

In Benjamin news: My baby is really ALL OVER THE PLACE now, he mostly enjoys being under things. Under the chairs, tables, toys, any place he can crawl under, he will! I've been told that he is such a happy baby, and I do agree, but he also has a shy-side. When strangers come up to "goo-goo-ga-ga" at him, he hides his face on my shoulder. Quite different from his sister! He still is doing this silly inch-worm crawl with some real speed behind it, but most recently he has been pulling up to standing! He is so lightweight that this task is seemingly effortless for him even when he first started trying it. Oh, and thanks to Paul who has taught him to climb stairs too, so now he is super-mobile. I guess it is my job to have to teach him how to climb DOWN the stairs so he won't hurt himself! Thanks honey!

these are from when we were at the hotel in Austin with Paul a couple of weeks ago.