Happy Easter 2013

Happy Easter!  Christ the Lord has risen today, Alleluia!  We celebrated Easter with family and friends this year.  Here are Kate and Jill at Kate's kindergarten egg hunt.

We also participated in a neighborhood egg hunt...Anderson Mill is such a great place to live.  They always have fun, free activities.

Face painting!

Family pics in the park.

We dyed real eggs, which the girls always enjoy.  (Jill ate two of them immediately.)

Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Casey & Aunt Sherrill came over for an Easter meal on Saturday, and the kids had another egg hunt, this time in our backyard.

Sunday morning brought Easter treats and smiles.

And then on to church...the flower girl dresses pulled double duty as Easter dresses this year.

Sunday evening, our small group met for dinner and fellowship...and yet another egg hunt!

 And last but not least, here's a video of Kate and Jill singing about the reason we celebrate Resurrection Sunday.  Enjoy!
 

Flower Girls!

Finally, and after much practice, Kate and Jill were able to fulfill their flower girl duties in Uncle Casey and Aunt Sherrill's wedding on February 17 at Nottoway Plantation, near Baton Rouge.  The day was lovely, and the girls were perfect.  Had it not been for such a breathtakingly beautiful bride, they might just have stolen the show.

After the wedding, we danced the night away. Jill trademarked her own style...sort of a shimmy-shimmy-kick.  I have awesome video of Kate doing her "Barbie Princess & the Popstar" choreography, but I think I'll save that for blackmail when she's 16.  The girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were completely exhausted by the time they got to bed.

Congratulations, Sherrill and Casey.  We are so very happy for you!  Thank you for including our girls in your special day.

Happy 3rd Birthday Princess Jill!

On January 12, we celebrated Jill's third birthday with family and friends.  She of course requested a princess theme.  We invited her friends to come dressed as royalty.  The played princess bingo and Beauty & The Beast freeze dance, and then all enjoyed pizza and cupcakes.  Our Jillian is funny, loving, playful, and also strong-willed and independent.  She is growing up and not letting us forget it. :)  We love her so much and look forward to seeing what this year brings.  Happy Birthday Jilly Billy!

 

Christmas Memories 2012

We had a busy but wonderful time this holiday season.  Early in December, we traveled to Elkhart for a Crisp/Hernandez family gathering, and also a family wedding shower in honor of Sherrill.  We enjoyed unseasonably warm weather, and we ate our early-Christmas dinner on my parents' back porch, which was lovely.  The week of Christmas, we gathered again in Elkhart to spend time with my parents, my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, and the Ralph extended family.  It is always wonderful to spend time with cousins that we don't get to see very regularly.  These pics highlight our time and travels.

Crisp family meal on my mom & dad's porch.

The Crisp/Hernandez families.

 

Jill and Granny

Kate and Granny

The soon-to-be flower girls received a special book and necklaces from Uncle Casey and Sherrill.

Jill's new scooter from us was a hit.

I think Kate's favorite present was a handmade doll and clothes from her grandma and grandpa. 

Kate got a big-girl bike from us.

Relaxing with my sweetie.  I can't get over how old she looks in this photo.

We spent some time fishing in my folks' pond.  I really like to fish, and Jill seems to have inherited my interest.

Jill's first fish out of Grandma & Grandpa's pond! A good-sized catfish.

The Ralph clan at Aunt Linda & Uncle Ricky's home.

Kate and cousin Addison.  

Petting the horses is always a treat.

We drove home to have Christmas Eve & Morning in our own house.  Kate and Jill woke up to a  few gifts from Santa Claus.  Requested and received were a "wedding doll" (for Kate) and "Princess & the Pop Star" Barbies (for Jill.)

Fun, fun fun!

 

Merry Christmas!  We hope you had a joyful holiday celebrating Emmanuel, God With Us!