A quickie...

Can I just say that I am so thankful for my husband? This has been an interesting year...to say the least. But, Nate and I have always been very solid. From day one, we've been blessed to have very few struggles. Having said that, I can't express enough how much more I love him. He is such a constant in my life. I never question his loyalty, his faith, or his devotion to our sweet family. He does what's necessary for our family, and then does more, to ensure we are all spoiled with unnecessary wants!!!I love him for his patience. I love him for his friendship. I love the times we laugh. I love his hair in the sink(not really....but I'd miss it if I didn't have him!) I love where we are. We have a blessed life. I realize that not all is perfect in our lives. But I am endlessly thankful for the gospel. Knowing it comes first in both our lives makes our marriage so much stronger. He puts so much energy into every aspect of his life, and I love him for that. I have enjoyed watching him fall in love with each of his young men at church, and its painful for him to see them grow up and move on!

He's working ridiculous hours at work right now because he's short handed. We've really missed having him home for lunch, and missed the 'fun dad' that comes home with energy to play! But it too makes me so grateful for what I know as 'normal'. I am so thankful for Nate!

The big show

Peek a boo-

And there she is! Can't ever get a good pic of eveyone...but here we are!

My brother Jon was trying to force a 'smile' out of Avery for a pic with the flowers he and Jen had brought the girls. Of course, Avery thought I'd left her again when it was done because due to the sheer mass of people, it takes time to get backstage. So, she was in tears, AGAIN, and didn't feel real celebatory afterwards! What a goof. Seriously, I don't understand her phobia of me leaving her lately. I just don't get it!

Congrats after the big dance with grandma Pitcher.

Jen and Kenna! What a beautiful pic of two beautiful ladies! I love my sister Jen so much....and appreciate that she goes out of her way to make Kenna feel fabulous!

Auntie Jen makes the day! When Kenna saw Auntie Jen coming down the hall she bolted and gave her the hugest hug! Kenna has always been SUPER fond of Jen...they've got this 'girlfriend' thing going, and I LOVE IT!!! Thanks Jen for making her feel so special and loved! Jen brought the most beautiful flowers, which are now the most beautiful bouquet on my table! Should be nice next week when it SNOWS the WHOLE next week!

Dang it, didn't notice Lindsey's eyes until posting this either! Huge thanks to these guys! Kenna and Avery thought it was so fun that so many people came to watch. They felt pretty important! I love Lins and Syd....its been fun to see them grow up, as they were WAY smaller than my girls when I first started babysitting my little cousins!

This is my dad, his brother Terrell, his wife Nancy, and my mom. The other little girl is my sister Cami's oldest, Raygon. We turned in quite a showing last night. My uncle Tom and his wife Gaye, my two cousins Lyns and Syd, my brother Jon and his wife, my sister Cami, her 4 daughters and her friend Jessie, and Kenna's two little friends Taylor and Brianna, and Nate's parents, filled two entire rows of the auditorium to watch the big event!

Agghghghhhh! I didn't notice Avery's face til posting this! Oh well...These are Nate's parents. They decided to make the trip for the big night after all! We were so excited, because the girls were beside themselves when they thought that they couldn't make it! Thanks for the effort!!!

I know I'm prejudiced, but these girls are absolutely beauitiful! Its fun to see them grow up and change, from one year to the next. Their personalities are night and day, but each are tender in their own way. I love my two angels!

Whewwwww......as much as I love seeing this big performance, can I just say I'm so stinking glad its done? The girls did great-Avery's class gets all the 'oooh's and ahhhh's' because they are all tiny and darling. Kenna's class got lots of laugh and applause when they shook their bums to 'aye carumba'! Yeah....another year has come, and gone. That's a little sad when I put it that way...

MORE Eli....

Nate didn't open the store today because he had to close it...so we were lazily snuggling in bed this morning with Eli and he's incredibly ticklish. Nate was tracing his back and just rubbed right along the line of his jammie pants. Eli said(you'll have to insert your own attitude here, and if you've spent 4 minutes with him, it won't be hard) "DAD, get yo HAnds off my bAcK!" I started laughing and he said, "I serious.....its D'GusTing!" I couldn't stop laughing...what does he know about disgusting!

Then he says, 'hey mom....want to hear my evil yaugh?' Sure...lets hear it...so he bellows back and does the most hilarious, 'WAAA WAAA WAAA......WAAA WAAA WAA!" Okay, I have no idea where he gets this. I vaguely remember a movie having something to do with evil laugh...scary what they pull from things.

Glitter and lipstick...and LOTS of bobbypins

Miss Avery singing to 'because I love you!'

Shaking the booty...she's so darn cute! I love her all dolled up-but she looks so much older with no bangs and mascara!

Waiting for pictures with her little friends.

Trying to avoid a picture...

Her teacher warned me this week that she was 'really good' and what do you know? She IS~~

This was my favorite part of the whole thing! She strikes a pose right at the beginning of her jazz routine, and holds it while the rest of the girls do their thing! She loves it!!!

Totally had to get the bum-her skirt is on backwards, apparently, because her toosh showed and no one else's did!

Two of her beautiful little friends...Gwen and Peyton. Miss Peyton is the FAB b-ball player that motivated Kenna to want to be just like her this year. What a super fun group of girls!

Kenna was ridiculously onery about giving me a decent pic of her and Avery. Don't know why, will get a better one tomorrow. But she's still cute, and so is Miss Avery!

I love this costume SO much. Its the cutest...well worth the pricetag(ssshhh......$65)

HOw can you NOT love this little pink girl? She's just kissable!!!

Easter outfits and stuff

Just a few pics of the Easter outfits and stuff.... This one's just for memory's sake! I found this tonight and it made me laugh. He was such a chubbo baby! I think Nate was making faces at him and he puckered up! Completely makes me miss the baby phase!

He looks like a rat with his teeth! He's a goof....he has us constantly giggling, and freaked out! If we manage to contain this kid it will be a miracle. Thankfully he is super cute and packed with hilarious amounts of energy!

So much for being ready for Sunday. I didn't do laundry so her shirt was dirty, but oh well! I can't believe how long her hair is getting...she's getting so grown up. She is a peanut-a tiny little thing packed with personality and cuteness! Her costume for this weekend is super cute and I'm excited to see her dance!

Love my little lady. She tells me how to do her hair, which pretty much means its the opposite of whatever I had in mind. I am so excited to see her dance recital this week. She is so talented! Her teacher told me tonight she's 'really good, and that's why she is in the front row!' ...I can't wait to see it...she's been teaching Avery and Eli how to shake their booties, so it should be interesting!

Seriously, he is WAY to handsome, and he knows iT! He has had a rough couple of days with mom...we're working on the whole 'listen the first time' thing, and it's so hard to feel like you're riding him the whole time but I know it will be worth it! Yikes! He cracks me up and I know that he is meant to do something important, because he is so smart and sensitive, and mature. And, he loves pink!!!

Whoo hoooo!!! Sunshine!!! So bring out the bikes! Eli has been riding a bike of some shape/color for days now. He is a machine. His favorite is to ride the hot wheel like a scooter out on the driveway and spin out onto the street. He's a riot. The girls are in the background picking the first and only blooming flower so far. Sorry, it belonged to the neighbor!

Eli gives Nate the boot so we can 'nuddle' in bed. He loves the same books over and over again!!! I love his sweet little face!

Freedom...sweet freedom!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the freedom that comes with April 16th! I am a nut, who LOVES doing taxes, but this year was hard! My two little monkies were very vocal about missing mommy and hating daycare...which didn't make it less necessary for them to go, just harder. On the 13th, when the babysitter came, Eli asked, "mommy, where you going?" When I said to work, he made this terrible pouty face and said "NO!!! You leave me....lots....and lots(really he says 'yots') and lots!" Um...hmmmm....mommy knelt down and hugged him and we cried together! So, I've done a big fat NOTHING the last two days. We played, snuggled, watched a movie and rode bikes yesterday. And today, we went to the gymnastics center and lunch with my sister at McDonalds. Thank goodness for the thrill of laziness! I have some long days ahead of me in breaking some of Eli's new habits('stop talking to me mommy'...and other, even worse, things), but I love my job as a stay home mom. I've missed it more than I realized it....and the fact that my babies missed me so much must mean I'm not failing as much as it sometimes feels. That's what I'm reassuring myself with today anyways!

Easter weekend

For starters....isn't this awesome? This was the scene at mom and dad's all weekend. They are missing Cami's 4 little princesses, and Annie's little guy, but the rest of the terrors were wild on sugar highs and the thrill of playing with their best friends. Mom and dad seemed to really enjoy the madness, though they'll sleep well tonight!

I have to take a better pic of the outfits next week...they didn't come through so well outside. But here we are!!!

Oh my goodness, the Easter bunny DID come! Since he slept in(whoops) and the kids ran downstairs only to return a few seconds later asking 'why didn't the Easter bunny come?'...they were SO SO SO happy to realize he had come...outside(he snuck home from church and went to work). So, this was hunt number 2!

When I asked what he was hunting, Kolbe said 'Germans!'....Eli said, 'the Easter Bunny!'

My fierce hunters/ soldiers!!!

Jon's weimarainer pups! So cute...Avery thinks she'll buy one with the six quarters she got at the Easter egg hunt. Um...good luck. The going rate is $800 bucks! Maybe if she flashes this smile uncle JOn will go weak in the knees....

Eli also loved these pups! If they would stay this size...I could handle one. They're so cute...we loved watching them eat. Dad fills a cake pan with dry food and water...and they go at it. They litterally climb in the pan over and under each other, like a game of twister, to just hork down! They come out just covered in it, and stagger around like they're drunk. They kids laughed and laughed, and we had to go back for mulitple feedings!

Kolbe was too big to hunt this year, so he was left to beg goodies off the little kids. Apparently Tyson had a brief moment of generosity!

Run gorgeous, run! She was so cute to watch...she ended up with 4 dollars and some junk food! A real haul....she wants to hit the gas station tomorrow and buy hot chocolate(her big splurge!).

Little Miss getting some extra eggs from the bunny...she did pretty well, but you know, she's a tiny mite!

Bestest of friends! This is the unseparable pair...thankfully, no longer 'kissing cousins'!!!

Eli was very restrained....I expected crazy man to make an appearance, but he was so calm...and he would share the eggs with others...He didn't really understand it yet. This was hunt number 1!

Before the hunt....this is the crew! They were ready to run...Avery couldn't stop looking at eggs to even take a pic!

I had an amazing Easter weekend. But definitely the highlight was the impromtu family home evening on Saturday night. My parents are tending Jon/Jen's boys while they're in Mexico(yeah, feel sorry for them!) So, it was Nate and me and our kids, Jon's boys, mom and dad and Jerry. We started with dad's favorite scripture story...about Enos...and then each of the kids picked a song they wanted to sing...but they wouldn't be limited to one. And what started as a quick scripture and prayers before bed ended up being 45 minutes of the sweetest, most beautiful sound! My parents loved it...as did Nate and I! There are glimpses when life is perfect...all is well, that you see a glimpse of the eternal happiness that awaits us. And what a perfect holiday to have had that glimpse!

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