Getting Closer

   I feel like I don't have much to blog about this week.  We are continuing to enjoy the warm weather.  Our tulips have bloomed and we are loving them!  I love the way spring feels and the feeling of energy it provides.  Joey and I are spending this weekend getting the house ready to put on the market.   I want this house to show really well, so there is a never ending list of things we need to do.  I am hoping to at least make a dent in it this weekend. 

     The kids and I are anxiously anticipating summer and all that it brings.  We are looking forward to all the freedom and fun we will have.  I only have 4 more weeks of school.  Ashlyn will not be going to school this summer.  However, she will be returning to the same class in the fall.  I'm trying to come up with lots to keep us busy.  I think Ashlyn is going to start soccer.  I also plan on doing a lot of school work with her over the summer.  We also want to do lots of fun crafts.  We can't wait to head to the cabin for some great times there.  Maybe I will have more excitement next week!

Ashlyn continues to love Lalaloopsy.  She has 3 of the dolls that she likes to sleep with.  Here she was before bed one night.

Love our tulips

Such a beautiful little girl

This is my favorite

Our attempt at getting both the kids in the shot.

Today Ashlyn went on her weekly play date to Joshua's.  Since the weather was beautiful, I went with Brooke and the kids to the zoo.  As usual, we had a wonderful time!

They love the play area

Like usual, he went right over to the slide.

Crawling through the tunnels

Such a big boy!

All the kids.

They are all actually looking at the camera.  (Excuse Dawson's drool. )

Trampoline Fun

   This past weekend, Ashlyn got to go to her best friend Josh's birthday party.  She was so excited to see that it would be at a trampoline place that she had never been to before.  I was not able to go to the party because I had prior plans, but Joey took her and Dawson.  They said they had an amazing time.  Joey said Ashlyn loved jumping, running, and climbing.  Dawson also had a great time.  They had a slide there that he loved going up and down.  Joey said he must have gone 30 times.  Ashlyn had such a great time that she asked to have her birthday party there.  I am thinking we might do just that.  They also have open gym times where kids can go and play and that is definitely on our list for this summer.  Here are some pictures:

This contraption allowed them to hang in the air and do tricks.  Ashlyn did backflips like crazy!  Joey got some good videos of it.

Dawson and his slide

A climbing wall over a foam pit. 

Playing with Josh

Easter 2012

     We couldn't have asked for a better Easter this year.  Ashlyn was so incredibly excited for Easter.  I think the day after Christmas, she started asking when Easter was.  There had been much build up and anticipation for the event in our house.  We have started reading Ashlyn's children's bible with her every night before bed.  She really gets into it and enjoys the stories.  We tried to teach her the concept of Easter, but at this age it was still a little over her head. 

     Ashlyn and Dawson were up bright and early and were over the moon when they saw all the Easter bunny had left.  He left a ton of eggs and they had a blast gathering all of them.  I didn't think Dawson would get into it much at 14 months, but he surprised me.  He did a great job of collecting Easter eggs too.  After the egg hunt and Easter baskets, we had a delicious breakfast of our family's favorite whole wheat banana pancakes.  We relaxed around the house for a bit, and then headed to my Grandma's for Easter dinner.  She did a terrific job on the food and everything was wonderful.  We stuffed ourselves silly!  The kids enjoyed playing in my Grandma's backyard while we were there. 

     After my Grandma's house, we headed to Katy's house so Ashlyn could look for a few eggs over there.  Katy explained to Ashlyn that the Easter bunny had left some eggs where Ella couldn't reach them and they needed her help.  Ashlyn was more than happy to oblige.  After Katy's house, we headed over to my brother's house to find some eggs.  Ashlyn's uncle explained to her that the Easter bunny thought she was there, and left some eggs in his backyard.  Ashlyn had a great time at both houses hunting for more eggs.  My brother's house backs to an elementary school with a great playground.  We took advantage of the perfect weather and played there for a bit.  It was the perfect ending to such a wonderful day!

The Easter baskets before the kids went to bed.

The Easter baskets in the morning.  Ashlyn has really been wanting this Lalaloopsy doll and she was thrilled to see the Easter bunny brought it.

Ashlyn insisted on leaving carrots out for the Easter bunny.  He left this Hop figurine by the carrots.

The hunt begins

Ashlyn checking out her basket for the first time.

I think this is a great action shot of Ashlyn running around looking for eggs.

Dawson gathering eggs

Putting them in the bag

Ashlyn checking out what she got in her basket

Dawson checking out his sister's book

This is the alligator toy Dawson got.  He really liked it.

Joey lived in Italy for several years when he was growing up.  Every Easter, they always got these Italian chocolate eggs that came with a special toy.  We were so excited to see the Easter bunny carry on the tradition at our house and bring an Italian egg for Ashlyn.  We let her try one bite.

Dawson playing with the truck he got.

Beautiful Ashlyn in her Easter dress.

The best shot we could get of the two kids

Ashlyn playing bubbles

Ashlyn and her Papa

Dawson was not liking his sister holding him that day for some reason.

Best cousins in the whole wide world

Ashlyn loves her Ella  so much

Slide fun

We went down the slide dozens of times

My babies and me

Egg Fun

    We had a great time dyeing Easter eggs this year.  Ashlyn was so excited to do it.  She really got good at it this year.  We bought a tie dye kit that required dropping drops of dye into a bag and then rolling an egg around in the bag.  She really liked making those and love sprinkling glitter on the eggs when she was done.  The eggs were almost too pretty to eat, but they did make some wonderful deviled eggs.  

Ashlyn and Dawson ready to start

Rolling the egg in the dye.

Dad helped Ashlyn with the hard parts.

Dawson wanting to help.

Some of Ashlyn's finished eggs.

Joey made an egg for Ashlyn.

Ashlyn dipping an egg into the dye.

Dawson's egg

Since Dawson is too young to dye eggs, he got to play with some plastic eggs. 

He really liked those eggs.