BIG sinner with an even BIGGER savior....

dear God,

Thank You.

Love, Amy

yes readers, it has come to that....and all that talk of praying for specifics sometimes i just am too tired and just can say "THANK YOU" and i think He understands, don't you?  

did you have a good Easter? I know i did....Our celebrating of Jesus Christ started on Thursday....At some good friend's happy home....old friends and new friends alike and LOTS of precious children enjoying the 80 degrees and sunny.  Good Friday lent us goodness too.... Golf for my oldest baby and his daddy....And a fun extended family outing to our Mimi's house where we celebrated our aunt susu being present too.

a preschool Easter party is always a hit....the children have a BLAST at school and moms are all at home enjoying peace.....SIGN ME UP FOR ANOTHER PLEASE!!!

some being a little sad the candy was all gone....

oh and another photo shoot with the same sweet magazine lady....who knows which child, dog, or plastic toy made the shot?  

AND THIS DESErveS it OWn post but i am being lazy and throwing it into Easter.... My biggest baby is riding his bike NO TRAINING WHEELS.... My 4 year old is growing up WAY WAY too fast.....not to fret, when the sun goes down and all his buddies depart...He is not far from my lap, cuddling, and randomly telling me how much he loves me. he is sweet like that and loves his mama who loves him MORE....way more.....

  

he is even good when moving objects are coming at him....

you never cease to make us proud charlie.

we love you!

okay, back to playing at Mimi's house....for those of you devoted readers who are still with me.

and as my twin babies grow up.... one is showing more petite, girly ways, in which order really needs to be the way to go and couldn't talk or shall we say babble anymore while the one after my OWN heart is wild, lets herself be heard, and very much free spirit.... I couldn't love either one any MORE or more equally in a twin kinda way!

 

and only mimi could save this little lamb from the heat....

or was it pure exhaustion from climbing on patio chairs, falling through the crack, and then doing it all over and bajillion times. wait, just the mommy who was way OVER that game, shoot!  

while others hunted eggs and smashed flowers...

And then ALL God's babies seeked Mimi's praise afterwards and they LOVE to hear mimi tell them "they are the best egg hunters she knows and that each and everyone of them are the stars of the SHOW" her show that is!

And Saturday; as selfish as it sounds i really enjoyed the soft rain, we played in it for a couple hours, all 5 of us (daddyc doing more yardwork than playing) I was sad for the boys that the Easter Egg hunt was moved INSIDE but i think they too enjoyed a SLOW morning playing in the rain and watching cartoons.  We did go out for breakfast together and that was fun....AND our little hornet engulfed a donut in about 10 seconds, no more! Maybe he has been waiting on donuts to eat?? Hopefully since Easter has arrived and lent is behind us he will begin eating again.....i am not holding my breathe.

another put out princess was determined to hunt eggs and keep stinky boys OUT of her basket, i don't blame her! 

while others are just giddy at the idea of stealing HER eggs....

and YET ANOTHER princess joined us...or shall i say BEAUTY

if you know this angel you are laughing inside or OUT LOUD i hope...She is acting the part of sleeping beauty...it was truly GOOD FRIDAY for her, her mama let her watch sleeping beauty at rest time!  

and ONLY in a child's eyes are ugly weeds BEAUTIFUL FLOweRS which MUST be picked and given to ones they love!  we all could use a child's eye view every now and then...enjoy the weeds!! my child on the other side is picking up prickly gum balls and enjoying those?  thank you Sam, these will look GREAT in a vase with water. 

i think that baby's little brother really Did LOVE his flower. My littlest lamb just looks stressed that the grass is touching his feet and just disgusted that i even sat him down.  Cheer up cubby cherub!

AND...When good friends travel south from the BIG CITY, one must have them over and ask too many questions of the whos and whats in New York City and i find myself always asking "Do you L O V E living the city life?" 

as i always picture carrie bradshaw and her clan on sex in the city, endless amounts of fashion, chic dining options, shopping like no other, swanky hotels, walks in central park....don't you?  AND She always insist that life WITh A BABY and big dog in tow and non-stop working hubby in a small and VERY EXPENSIVE apartment is MUCH DIFFERENT, not quite as sex in the cityish as i thought????? a girl can dream.

Here HE is... My new york baby.  Don't you want to squeeze him and kiss those chubby cheeks..i know i do.

we hope to get them down south again soon.... And a newly engaged couple of friends HAD TO STOP by for drinks and a BIG CONGRATS as another friend and I couldn't beg them enough to let us throw a party for them soon....i think we almost had it planned. wink wink!!

And i couldn't go two days with out enjoying the baby's i claim as my own...

 I just wish i would have snapped her hot pink glittery shoes she was sporting....adorable AND SO HER!!!

as daddyc and i enjoyed their mama and daddy, THEY were winding down and cuddling... Miss priss was cuddling too until i got there with camera. i don't blame her, it was late for photo shoots.

and last BUT NOT LEAST the holiday that saved us all.....EASTER Day!  I awoke first....always a good thing for me. I got my cooking done, my coffee most importantly, the bunny FILLED THE baskets; although it was used on repeat as bait to try and get the boys to act nice the day before.... All boys outfits hung out and ready to go.....if and only if every morning was so organized!!!! one day.  NOT today! 

we were all a little surprised he showed up! some LOVED the baskets...while other took to the yard and could have cared LESS..

look at my hornet's NEW smile....beee you tee FULL, isn't it? or pirate-ish. Either one.

call me crazy but when i dress the boys formally i don't like them to wear shoes?  i don't know or could not begin to explain? is it southern thing? or am i just crazy like that? i did however put our biggest baby in shoes, i figured at 4 1/2 it was time.

yes, we waited until last minute to shower this one and 

YES, this is a look of disappointment no dout... His daddy would NOT let him climb the brick retaining wall so of course he ask me (which he got in trouble for...when one says NO you don't ask the other parent)... While usually i will reason with daddyc like maybe "does it really matter if he climbs the wall and walks down it?" but on Easter i didn't go there and agreed with daddyc we had better move our feet as not to be LATE for sunday school.  

here is my first born... taking to an EAsTER tradition i hold very near to my heart. Placing his flower in the flower cross at church

and this is our most wonderful Sunday School class.. apparently my monkey had to go the little boys room?  

i really, really, really loved seeing the beautiful gowns the little girls were wearing so well.

Daddyc and i have befriended this angel's amazing parents and co-taught with them over the past year and they always seem to bring smiles and laughter to our sundays no matter what type of hurricane we had just experienced at home trying to get us there (to church that is!) and we think she just so stinkn' cute. Agree?

and this is one of my monkey's buddies who is also the oldest of THREE BOYS. 

i share my stress with his mama. wink wink.

then home again home again jiggity jog...to enjoy a very easy low key but nice lunch with family and we felt so blessed to have our aunt susu with us on Easter Day!

my eldest most precious niece

who the boys ADORE

these two sat at their kiddy table and we adults/babies sat in the dining room and enjoyed SHADE, not so much air conditioning seeing that our air conditioner was NOT WORKING.... 

next year we hope to have FOUR more kiddos at this table and eating ALONE, no mama's involved. 

this is as much of our middle baby as we saw.  He took to his bed for oh about 5 hours...i had to wake him up to roll to our lolly & big daddy's for more Easter fun.

and from one baby to the next, we kept our mimi's hands full at ALL TIMES and feel for sure she enjoyed a good nights rest and a glass of wine later on.

sometimes they wear their bows...and sometimes they don't.

and that too shall be PERFECt!!

And later that afternoon we couldn't wait to get to our lolly & big daddy's for even more Easter celebrating.... Our lolly is doing great!  We are never ceased to be AMAZED by her.  She did her chemo on Thursday and got a new medicine schedule that hopefully will keep her free from the hospital on a weekly basis.  We don't have long now and are pumped about the summer ahead with NO CHEMO in tack.  Say your prayers!  

yet another bouncing baby to bring me so much Easter joy and yet another reason to thank our Lord above that she is here with us.  and looking so sweet.

she is smiling, sleeping sometimes and laughing all the time and just being such a true blessing to us all.

while sam ran to his lolly's lap

my littlest lamb b-lined to his big daddy....nEVER to give him a break for the rest of the day! 

and just when you think or HOPE plastic Easter eggs have been put to rest and can't possibly hunt anymore... You have a devoted uncle chris who is ALWAYS up for playing anything and EVERYTHING and truly enjoying it.

and then when you think uncle chris is done..... he continues to set up Mouse Trap when NO ONE else will and he does it with much interest and loving energy.

THEN... when uncle chris bundles up our most precious smallest niece to take home my boys beg of him....
Uncle Chris, "can i come to your house soon, go to YOUR playground, camp out, & watch spider man with you?" and of course Uncle Chris says "YES, really really soon we will plan that"
Dear Uncle chris, 
i think we are in LOVE.
So my wish for you was that you had a most fabulous Easter weekend with your family....that you served our Lord as you should....that you searched for eggs (and that you had an Uncle Chris at the day's END when you were way over it)....that you got to see children's faces hunting eggs, seeing their Easter basket for the first time, running in their Easter frocks and new shoes to Sunday School.....Now go enjoy another manic monday!!