Josh's Birthday

Josh turned 29 on April 9th.  He is not big on birthday's and the big one is really next year so it was really low key.  Lincoln picked out a balloon, cupcake and candles for him.  He also sang Happy Birthday to him which I'm pretty sure was the best thing Josh has ever gotten for his birthday to date!  We had take out Chinese food for din din and relaxed. 

The last birthday Josh's grandma was able to celebrate with him she bought him a mini rhododendron.  I love watching it bloom around the time of both of their birthday's.  It is a beautiful reminder of her and I was just thinking the other day how much she would have loved to have met and spoiled both Lincoln and Brooklyn. 

Josh,

Your perfect children adore you and you are a wonderful father.  We all love you soooo much and are blessed to have you in our lives :-)  I am looking forward to celebrating at least 40 more birthdays with you. 

Love, 

Me

Easter

He is risen!  Those three words saved my life and are the reason I am who and where I am today.  Thank you God for sending your Son to die for me.  As a child I grew up believing those three words, as a teenager I bought into what it meant, as an adult the overwhelming knowledge of all I'd been saved from grew, but it wasn't until I became a parent that I really feel I can even grasp a wisp of what it might have been like for God to watch His only Son die on the cross.  The thought brings me to tears.  Thank goodness He is risen!!! 

We started the Easter celebration with the tradition of coloring eggs at my moms house with my aunt and cousin.  Over the years we have tested all sorts of egg coloring techniques, the traditional dip and dye, splatter paint, crayons, oil based egg color, blow your brains out stained glass eggs, stickers, really the list goes on and on!  This year we stuck to the traditional method and Lincoln had fun dunking and checking them!  Brooklyn just chilled and was loved on :-)

On Easter morning we dressed the kids up and headed to church.  I must say I am looking forward to many an Easter dress for Miss Brooklyn!  It is so much fun dressing and accessorizing little girls!

After church we headed home so Lincoln could get a short nap in before heading to my grandmas for dinner and an Easter egg hunt.  This year was so much fun!  Lincoln understood that he needed to find the eggs in the yard and it was even sunny and beautiful outside!  We sat in the yard "guiding" Lincoln in the right direction, visiting, and reminiscing upon many an Easter egg hunt at grandma and grandpas house.  I remember the year we had to hide eggs in the basement because of the torrential downpour outside and then the panic that followed when the eggs were not all accounted for...  Aaron and I actually hunted at my grandparents up until a few years ago!  It was perfect.  Right now Lincoln doesn't have any competition, but in a few years he had better have at least one cousin to compete with along with Brooklyn.  I was thinking it would be fun to do a big egg hunt every year in our back yard with all of our friends' kids.  Maybe next year...  

   

She Did It!

Well, she finally did it!  Brooklyn rolled over this morning for the first time all by herself.  Brother has assisted her many a time, but today she did it solo!  She has been trying so hard for the last three weeks and she figured it out today.  She beat her brother to this milestone as he was just over 4 months old when he rolled over :-)  I am so excited that I was able to catch her doing it on video as well.  Not the first roll, but this shot is so precious because Lincoln gives her some encouragement in the end!  I LOVE THESE KIDS!!!!  Daily I reminded of singing, "You Are My Sunshine" to Lincoln when he was in-utero and when he was born.  As I still sing it to them both, it is so fitting; Josh, Lincoln, and now Brooklyn truly are my  daily "sunshine" and in the craziness of life these are the cherished moments that I never want to forget.