Take 7...

 How many attempts does it take to get a family picture with most everyone smiling and looking at the camera?

 

The Sounds of Bedtime

Here is what "bedtime" sounds like at our house...

A couple of disclaimers:
1. There is no video, only audio. I was trying to be sneaky so I couldn't use a light.
2. The later it gets and the more tired Claire gets, the less sense she makes and the more words she makes up.
3. Normally, the lyrics that she sings for "The Wheels on the Bus" include: "The wheels on the bus go round and round...The wheels on the babies go waah waah waah...The wheels on the mommies go shhh shhh shhh..." However, refer to #2.
4. I don't understand half of what she is saying here, but it makes me laugh anyway. Refer to #2.

Celebrating Easter

 

We had lots of reasons to celebrate this Easter!

A risen, victorious Savior...2 beautiful, healthy girls...

Claire and I talked about the Passion week a lot the week before Easter. I tried to tell her a different story each day, but her favorite by far was the triumphal entry. All week she would say, "Mommy, tell me the story and they say Hosanna! Hosanna! and the big leaves and be quiet and Jesus say No! and the rocks sing!" It does my heart good to retell these stories so I can rewrite them on my own heart!

 Here are our 2 prissy girls before church on Sunday morning...

After a wonderful time of worship with God's people on Sunday morning, we had a quick lunch at home and then headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather. Spencer took the girls on a walk...

 

...While I hopped on the bike and "hit the trails" for the first time in almost a year! It feels so good not to be pregnant :)

Spencer couldn't help hopping on the bike before we put it back on the car...torn meniscus and all...

When we got back home Claire enjoyed some playtime with her neighbor-friend...

And Averi Kate enjoyed a nap!

 

Look at how this precious girl is growing! Here she is at 6 weeks!

A Good Day

 We had a good day today. After a quiet morning of cleaning the house, we got our supplies together and did our spring planting. We are planting everything in pots this year since we don't have our own yard, but I am excited to see how everything turns out. We are going to try to grow some cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, lettuce, basil, and oregano. Also, Claire picked out petunias to grow. Here is the action on the back porch this afternoon...

After the planting, Claire and I set out to make cookies to give to our neighbors for Easter. We made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies.

 We prayed for our neighbors and put an Easter greeting on each bag before delivering them.

And finally, what better way to end a good day than with a little break-dancing?

Cuteness

 Just some cuteness that is happening at our house...

After bathtime...

Oh my loves...

Sweet girls...

I think Averi Kate looks like a baby doll here...

 Please tell me that you love this face as much as I do...

 ...and this is typically how the love ends up...

In other news, I went to the doctor for my postpartum followup and I am officially released to exercise again! Yay!!! So here are the girls on their first jog together!  It went well...I think we ran about 2 1/2 miles or a little more, but I quickly realized that I am definitely going to have to work on my forearm strength to push this thing!

Easter Hunts Galore

 So,,,between Friday and Tuesday, Claire had 3 Easter egg hunts. That is like, an Easter egg hunt every day and a half. In other words, that is entirely too much candy. However, it was so much fun to watch Claire really enjoy hunting eggs this year.

The first hunt was on Friday with our MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group. We had the hunt at a good friend's house. It was perfect...there were chickens, bunnies, and a dog and cat all running around. And of course, tones of kids. I did not get any pictures of Averi Kate at this hunt because she was strapped to me in the baby carrier the whole time, but here is our oldest girl, ready to get some eggs...

 Claire throwing an egg at a poor, defenseless chicken...

And the hunt is on...

And then Claire saw the train. And the hunt was over.

If I could choose one picture to summarize Claire's childhood so far, this would be it.

The second hunt was on Monday, at Claire's playschool. She has just recently started going to a mother's morning out program, just once a week, and she loves it. Unfortunately I did not have my camera on this day, but she had a great time.

Then on Tuesday we had our final egg hunt at the library.

There was a sweet lady dressed as the Easter bunny. I made Claire take a picture with her. Later I found out that she did not like it at all.

The look on her face here should have been a clue.

And here she is eating the vegan cupcakes that we made and brought to the party. Claire's allergies have certainly made me a more creative cook!