Here Comes Peter Cotton-tail...

Oh my word...I really do love Easter. It's spring, the tulips in our yard are coming up, it's FINALLY getting warm outside, and yes, there is a LOT of candy to be had (by me). I went through about 3 bags of Cadbury Mini Eggs, and about 6 boxes of girl scout cookies this spring so far. **eh hem** I know, I know....I have a small sweet tooth lately. I tend to rationalize the fact that I'm pregnant, and I haven't gained THAT much so far..... let's move on, shall we??

Here are our kids Saturday morning before all the Easter Egg hunts began. We woke them up extra early to get them all ready, and Chance hid Easter eggs out in our front yard for a "practice run". This is to guarantee that our kids will optimize their candy/egg intake during the crazy Easter Hunt. I crack up every time Crede pulls this particular face. I say, "Crede! Look at Mom!" He'll just stick his chin up in the air and look at me down his nose. This is what I got in this first set of photo's. Chance is holding Crede's Easter basket and showing him how to put eggs inside and keep running. (Silly Dad). The group photo is of Morgan, Grace and Crede with their cousins, Aspen, Tucker, Tatem and Hadlee before the Clinton City Easter Hunt began.




Now THESE photo's need a little 'splainin'. First off, the bottom pics are after the Easter Hunt...Grace eating candy already (and drooling it all down her face), Crede chasing down the Easter bunny to give him hugs (he took a liking to that guy), and our cute little kids in front of the Easter Bunny. (Morgan made sure to inform me that it wasn't the "real" Easter Bunny, because she saw his head inside that mask. Thanks bug....I was a little concerned.)

Have you ever eaten an "airhead"? Well Grace had one Saturday evening and it turned her tongue completely blue. I was cracking up. Oh, and to top it off, she still sucks her thumb, and it turned THAT blue as well. Nice. We made sure to brush their teeth extra well that night. The last few pictures are on Easter morning as the kids realized the Easter Bunny came. Hooray!! (The Easter bunny almost forgot to get the baskets out, but shhhhhhh.....you don't have to say a word.)

Here's my 3 little kids before leaving for Church. It was our Stake Conference and we had to leave extra early that morning. I'm tellin' ya....I am SOOOOOO not a morning person, and the last 2 days about killed me. Don't they look cute in their Easter best?

Grace, I need to formally apologize to you for a minute. See, you get all of Morgan's "hand-me-downs." That's not a bad thing, HOWEVER, you are not as small as Morgan was at your age, and so I put on all these "cute" clothes that I think will look wonderful on you, and they're just a TAD small. (including this year's Easter Dress). I'm sorry little Racie Roo. You're a cute little girl, and one day I'll figure out how to dress ya'.

Okay so after Stake Conference, we raced home, put the kids to bed for naps, (the song "These are a few of my Favorite things" comes to mind during this time of day) and started getting geared up for the Bailey family party at the "Grand-Bailey's" house. I had to make a salad and pack up for what seemed like an entire weekend in order to "be prepared" for any type of incident. Poopie pants? check. Not in time for the potty? check. Cold weather all of a sudden? check. Mosquito's? check. UVA and UVB rays? check. Dinner spilled all over the front of you? check. You get the picture, right?

Well here's all the pictures of the grand-kids at the Bailey's before they were unleashed for the big Easter Egg hunt. (There are 14 1/2 grand kids so far. WOW!) I was laughing at Grace and Crede...they feed off of each other and decided that Grace's basked would make a nice hat for Crede. He's looking at her and thinking, "How do I look?" Morgan is coloring her princess picture that she got during the hunt. (I forgot, she lost another tooth. That makes 2 now. Yay Morgan!)

Well as you can see, our Easter is quite the ordeal. I love it SO MUCH, but I am completely pooped afterwards. Oh, and to top it off, Crede's birthday was actually on Easter this year. I didn't dare attempt anything more than what we were already doing, so this is why we celebrated it a day later. So tonight I sit here looking at our HUGE tupperware bowl FULL of candy and thinking that it should last us at least until Halloween.

Ahh...my little Crede. Happy Birthday!

Here's my very first train cake. I got this idea off of the Internet, and Crede absolutely adores trains, so - TA DA...here it is. Whenever we go over the train tracks in the car, if there is no train, Crede starts throwing a FIT, so we've had to start telling him the train is asleep...just a side note there.


Yep, here's a close-up of the "engine". How do ya' like the oreo headlight? The only thing I'd change...well I'm not going to say - it'll bug you too if I point it out (but if I DON'T point it out, you might think that I just didn't care.....oh never mind....just enjoy the cake ).

Grrrowwwer! That tiger cage sure is life-like. And the caboose? It only needs one axle to support itself. It's got amazing balancing ability.

After spending about the entire day frosting this dang thing, I had to run Morgan to her new gymnastics class, run home and try to shove dinner down my family's throats before the "partaaaay" started with the Bailey extended family. After eating our gourmet meal of Macaroni and Cheese (with a side of peaches or applesauce for that nutrition jazz) I had Crede sit next to his cake for a shot. Here's my cute little 2 year old looking at his CHOO CHOOOOOOO!

The family finally showed up, we finally lit the 2 little candles on the top, and we finally sang "Happy Birthday" to Crede. He was just a-grinnin' during our song, and he blew out the candles on the FIRST blow. No spit or ANYTHING. Yep, he's talented. So talented in fact, I should just stop there so that I don't sound like a biased parent. Morgan is in the background doing an "empathy blow" (you know....like when you're watching TV and you find yourself smiling....and you're a little embarrassed because you're by yourself, and you didn't realize that you were enjoying that commercial so much) , and Aspen (Crede and Morgan's cousin) is leaning in for the front-row view.

From this last picture, you can probably guess what one of his presents is. Yep, you might guess a ball, but you'd be wrong. He got some matchbox cars from his Grandma Angell. He was carting those around ALL day. His favorite place to play with them? In the windowsill. Morgan and Grace even snagged some to play "house" with. Grace's rendition consisted of a lot of yelling and phrases like, "NO! You go potty!" Morgan's was a little more laid back with phrases like, "let's go play over here away from those boys.." yadda yadda - you get the drift.

One little funny thing that Crede's doing right now is the fact that he ALWAYS has to have a ball. Let me specify....a bouncy ball. They fit perfectly into his little sweaty palm, and he seriously carries them EVERYWHERE. Sometimes he'll have 2 - one in each hand. Once I put him down for a nap with one, and when I went in to check on him, that ball was still in his clutches....sound asleep and all. Oh, how I love my little boy.

Okay, and I'll quick fill you in on what he got for his birthday. Matchbox cars, a big bouncy ball, a big dump truck, some way cute flip-flops and shorts, and a lawn-mower (which is nice because our old one lost a wheel last summer and I wasn't sure how that was going to work this year).

Crede, we love you SO much. I am so happy to have a son. You are MY little boy, and I love the fact that you are a "Momma's Boy". Dad, on the other hand, is glad that you are growing out of that stage. You are my only child with MY color of eyes, and you are the smartest 2 year old in the world. We love you! Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Grace!

Well here's our birthday #3 in the last month. Grace turned 3 on the 30th, and she had a very fun birthday. Here's my attempt at some flip-flops. Grace was pretty excited about them, and they tasted o' so-yummy! I like making cakes for kids who don't really care what their cake is. Morgan these days is so picky, it's crazy! Grace was just lovin' the M&M's on the side and all the FROSTING!!!

And here's our birthday girl cheesin' it up with her cake.

We technically didn't celebrate her birthday until a day later because that was the only time we could have her family birthday party. When you're 3, you don't really know the difference, so - sorry Grace! She got to go to the Doctor earlier that day (which is always such a treat), the Doctor said she was perfect and healthy, and she didn't even need any shots. YAY! I have a question though. Who likes trying to help their 3 or 4 or even 5 year old pee into a cup?? That HAS to be my least favorite thing about going to the Doctor these days. EW! We got the root-beer sucker as requested and after Grace gave the nurse a hug (her own idea I'll have you know) we left to go home.

Grace was DYING to unwrap her huge present that I wrapped earlier that day (in Santa wrapping paper) and put in the front room - she would NOT leave the thing alone. Crede even walked into the kitchen with a big strip of ripped wrapping paper that he tore off the package, little bugger. After policing the finished birthday cake and wrapped present, it was time for her Partaaaayyy!

For her birthday she received, (1) big purple ball that you sit on and bounce (it has the Disney Princesses on it - so Grace LOOOOOVES it), (1) Kitchenaid-looking mixer and cookie cutters and measuring spoons to use in our "kitchen" downstairs, (1) pair of barbie princess slippers, (1) Elmo book that makes sounds (which Crede has commandeered), (1) "Bolt" movie (which Morgan has commandeered), and OUR present that we gave her which was a big wooden dollhouse.

Here's Grace while singing "Happy Birthday", all ready to blow out her candles. During Morgan's birthday, I about turfed it with her cake in hand, and you know something? I about turfed it with THIS cake as well. Chance kept calling me a spaz. At least I didn't completely drop the thing, right? I just chalk it up to being pregnant and off-balance. It seems as though more accidents happen to me while pregnant. Anyone else have these issues??!

Well we partied it up last night with the Bailey's, and then when everyone left, picked up all the toys that the 10 kids played with, yelled at OUR kids to get in their pajama's, (wait, not yelled...we asked in a gentle, calming voice), and collapsed onto the couch to watch a PBS "Frontline" special on how the health care system in this country is very screwed up. What a finish to an exciting day.

This morning I spent a little bit of time trying to put together Grace's big Doll-House that we gave her. Here's her playing with it in her room. I don't think she's even gotten dressed yet today due to the fact that she's too busy playing with all her toys.

Now I realize those pajama's are a TAD small....but Grace refuses to wear anything different. They have Disney princesses on them, and so they are golden in her eyes. The shirt is a nice mid-riff, and would be totally in style during the early "Friends" episodes. Not so much now. And it's almost Spring, right? So capri's are all the rage again.

Well Grace, we sure love you, and love the fact that you are potty trained, that you actually talk now, and that you are turning into such a pretty little girl. We're SOOO blessed to have you in our family, and are grateful for each day we have with you. Happy Birthday little girl.