Precious memories

I found a very cute dress at Winners last week, and it had a matching doll dress. Nat and her doll dressed up for church on Sunday. Nat took her doll everywhere and wouldn't let it leave her sight. I think she knew that the two of them were special.

Fun memories

With the drastic changes in a little toddler, we try our hardest to capture the moments that bring us smiles. After her bath we put on a bath robe Nat hadn't gotten a chance to wear much. Who puts a bath robe on a baby anyway. Well, needless to say, it was a little short. She was reaching up to grab her blanket off the top of the couch, and you could see her little cheeks. It was funny.

Another thing Nat has decided to love is pillows. If she doesn't get them ALL, she screams for them. You can completely cover her, and she's having a great time.

Natalie discovered the dirt in the garden. She was covered in it, taking it out of the garden and putting it all over herself. She gets several more baths these days.

Chelsea and Nat were in the backyard. Chelsea is doing a great job with her artistic skills these days, drawing a very cute frog on the cement. And Nat discovered that the rocks under the trampoline are fun too, so she heads for the rock pit as soon as she escapes out the back door. I think we really need to get a sandbox.

Easter

Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. I was a little saddened to hear others talk of the Easter bunny, and if your kids 'believe'. Seriously, who believes that there is a big Easter bunny that brings chocolate. No wonder our society is so overweight and hopeless.

What a hope that we have in Christ Jesus. Easter is such a celebration of his gift of salvation to us. Although we take time out to remember his death on Good Friday, and the horrid sacrifice that he paid, his sacrifice was such a gift to us, his children. It was because of that sacrifice that I am a child of God.

But it is not a solemn holiday, it is followed with such rejoicing. Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!!! We have hope in a living God, because death could not get a grip on Christ. Wow, that is why I love Easter.

Now, that all said, we still love chocolate, and Easter eggs, but our hope is not in the bunny, it is in so much more.

This was the first year we attempted to color easter eggs, which was surprisingly easy, except for blowing out the eggs. We didn't do anything fancy, just dipped the eggs in the color. Maybe next year we'll get fancy. Natalie loves to be where her big sister is, so we're left trying to make sure she doesn't pull everything off the table.

And I think she has a thing for the boys, already!!! Nat seems to love boys. She doesn't get to see Graham often, but has a blast hanging out with him. And the infamous Uncle Walter, Natalie screems when she sees him, so precious.

I didn't get any pics of the easter egg hunt, as we were stuck in doors with the torrential rains outside. But we always have a blast just hanging out at holiday time.

School Play

Chelsea participated in the school play this year, which was Beauty & the Beast. Auditions took place last fall, practices started in December, and the show was in April. It took a lot of work to get to the final product, and the kids did amazing.

This is Chelsea and her stage makeup. She looks too grown up with makeup on, but boy she's a beauty.
Chelsea was a villager in the play. Love the get-up. My favorite part of the play was the scene where the dishes and cutlery were chasing the villagers. Cheslea was galloping away from a fork (or knife, can't remember) across the stage. It was a good laugh.

There is the entire crew. The stage backdrops (hand painted by a mom), props and costumes were 1st class.