Celebrating Easter

We love Easter! We do all kinds of things to helps us celebrate the awesome resurrection of Jesus. One of our favorites is doing the "Resurrection Eggs." We've been doing this with Hannah since she was two. Now that's she's five she really gets what it's all about, which has sparked so many wonderful conversations. Truly moments to treasure. I can't wait for Ava to be able to share in this tradition. This year she was more into the eggs than the Easter symbols inside them. Someday she too will grow to understand the incredible meaning of Easter.

We also enjoy making Resurrection rolls. Doug's sister gave us the recipe a few years ago so now we do that every year. They're super yummy and a symbolic reminder of what Easter's all about. Decorating Easter eggs is also a must-do tradition. It's something I've been doing since I was a child. This year, our friends Trish and Lia joined in on the fun. Afterwards, the girls had a mini Easter egg hunt. We also had a big Easter egg hunt at my parents' condo on Easter, after a delicious meal. Most of my family was there (we missed you, Dan, Angela and Andrew), including Mark's girlfriend and her daughter, Ajla (I-la). Ajla is almost the same age as Ava so it was so fun to watch the two of them in action. During the egg hunt Ajla really got into finding the eggs while Ava was more interested in the candy inside the egg. :-) Hannah of course had a blast finding all of the eggs the little ones missed.

We have always done an Easter basket for Hannah so it was fun to share that with Ava too. This year I gave clues and Hannah (and Doug) had to figure them out in order to find the Easter baskets. Ava just kind of went along for the ride, as Hannah helped her find her basket. :-) I always try to put practical things in it for spring or summer like sunglasses, pj's, beach toys, etc. This year Hannah was delighted to get (fake) birthstone jewelry. That was pure icing on the cake for her!

We hope you were also able to experience the wonderful blessings of Easter!

Good Times with Girlfriends

As winter has slowly dragged on and on, we have tried to keep busy. For Hannah that means doing crafts, baking, playing dress-up and restaurant, watching movies and playing games. But most importantly, it means getting together and playing with friends. Suddenly, my five year old has a social calendar that is far busier than mine. :-)

Hannah dancing with Lia - who needs a prince?

Your turn to lead

Hannah and Gwyneth - two lovely princesses

Hannah with Audrey and Julia - friends from preschool

Hannah decorating cookies

Julia adding sprinkles to her cookies

Audrey finishing her cookies

Grandparents are the Best!

Hannah and Ava love hanging out with their nana & papa and grandpa & grandma. That's why it's hard when they're gone. My folks were in Thailand for a few weeks visiting my aunt Jan and Uncle Rog. They had a wonderful time, but we were so glad when they came home again. :-) Both of the girls loved the special Thai things they brought for them. They're wearing beautiful Thai dresses in the photo below. Doug's folks have also been gone. They headed to Florida for a month. Hannah has enjoyed getting mail from Florida and loves chatting on the phone with them. We'll be glad when they're back home too. The Fleetwood Diner is ready and waiting.

The Many Smiles of Ava

We just can't get enough of Ava's smile, which is good since she loves to proudly display it. If we say, "Show me your teeth," she then gives a big cheesy, goofy smile. The best smiles are when her eyes crinkle up so much they disappear. Of course you'll also notice her crazy hair, especially in the last two photos. Recently, I started putting in a little pony tail (sprout) on top of Ava's head. Once she discovers it's there it is usually yanked out with a gleeful grin, but the hair still stands straight up. :-)

My Little Lovebugs

A Trip to the Beach

Yes, we went to the beach in February! :-) On Sunday we had dinner with Doug's family in Muskegon. It was such a beautiful sunny day that we decided to head to the beach in the afternoon. Doug and Hannah had a blast climbing and walking the "icebergs." It was pretty slippery so Ava and I stayed in the van for the most part but did venture out a bit. Hannah was amazed by what she saw but said she liked the regular beach better. Me too. Bring on summer! :-)

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Ava tries really hard to keep up with her big sister. She loves to imitate Hannah (good and bad) and usually Hannah enjoys the adoration and emulation. It is so fun to watch the two of them in action. I love the 2nd picture of the two of them hiding in the closet. Hannah made a little fort in Ava's closet and the two of them sit in there with a flashlight and pretend walkie talkie. Wish all their sisterly moments could be like that. :-)