Easter Time!!

I love Easter. I think it's a wonderful time of year and I love that it means Spring is here! This year we got to celebrate several times. We went on three different Easter egg hunts and dyed eggs twice and just enjoyed every minute. We spent Friday and Saturday of Easter weekend at my parents house because we threw my dad a surprise retirement party as he retired on March 29th. We had a nice weekend and I am so grateful that we have Easter to celebrate and that Christ lives and is risen and I am grateful for the role he plays in my life!

First we went to our community Easter Egg hunt at the Eagle Springs Complex and Cavin and Ella had their friends Sunny and Macey in their age group ready to find eggs!

And they're off! As you can tell Cavin is in his #8 jersey as we rushed to a soccer game after the hunting!

We dyed Easter eggs with my parents...twice....once at their house and once at ours! This picture is miraculous because Channing has always been so scared of my dad....of pretty much any man but Ragnar...and she was gladly letting him help her AND even gave him a hug goodbye!

And I didn't get pictures of the Flashlight Easter Egg hunt that our friends put on every year that the kids love or the one from my parents community....but we have lots of eggs!

Then it was Easter morning...the kids are getting so big! Cavin has almost officially caught Ella in height and weight!

Firestation Fun!!

Last week we were invited to join our friends pre-school and go on a fieldtrip to the Atascocita Firestation! They had a great time and it was pretty educational, so it was good for us both!

Fireman Cody got in his suit for us to show the kids what firemen look like...Channing was a little scared but the other kids thought it was fun.

Trying on the gear and touring the locker room!

Then they each got a turn "driving" the truck!

Even Channing wanted "a turn"

Here are the kiddos, it was a fun trip. Thanks for letting us join!

The End Is Only A New Beginning!

So on Friday, March 29, 2013 my dad retired from Exxon Mobil. He has worked for the company since before I was born. He has always been a wonderful example to me of someone who puts his all into everything and who works incredibly hard. I am so grateful for his example and for his efforts that allowed me to do so many things. I could not have accomplished many things or lived the life I have had without his hard work...goodness I wouldn't even have a college degree without him! I am grateful that his desire to provide for our family allowed my mother to spend her time and energy mainly on raising us. Last week we went to his office to bring lunch and visit him one more time. Cavin is so excited to have grandpa around more, and even Channing could feel his seniority and finally gave him a hug!! It only took almost 2 years! Congrats dad....here's to the new adventure retirement brings!

Can I really be 30???!!!

So I have been dreading the big 3-0 for a LONG time....several years.... and this month the dreaded birthday came. I'm not sure why I had been dreading it so much, I just feel like 30 is so old!! I still see myself right out of college and young and active, and then I remember that I am 30 and I have an almost 7 year old and I don't feel so young anymore! I think that I also felt that by 30 years of age I would feel so accomplished and yet it gave me a complex thinking about what have I really done in the 30 years of my existence? Oh well....I am happy and healthy and have a wonderful family and for the most part I try and remember that that is all I need to worry about. 
Since I had been dreading the big day, Ragnar worked hard at trying to make it special. It was a nice day. I woke up and got to go running with my friends, I got donuts, I went shopping, and then Ella and I got a pedicure...

It was her first one and she loved it. Afterward my parents and sister Natalie came over to join me in a party Ragnar had put together with some of my friends and their families. It was very nice of him to try and get something together. We played minute to win it games since I LOVE games and had pizza and cake and icecream. Here are some of the shots of us in action....(Thanks to Emily who helped Ragnar with the games and pictures)

 Here are the girls playing the cookie to the face game..first the girls...then the guys

 And then stacking cans on a plate in floating water

 Next the marshmallow toss into the bowl through the hoop

 and of course bubbles :) how many bubbles can you get through the hoop? It's hard

 Then we had to knock the cups off the table with the air from our balloons!

 It ended up being a great day and I was so grateful for my friends who came out to celebrate finishing another decade of my life! (I wish I would have remembered to get everyone in a photo.) Happy Birthday to me!