SiLLy GiRLs

Today we had some friends from Greenville stop by on their way home from Wilmington. It was so good to see my friend Dana and her sweet girls - Hayley(4) and Ella(2). We ate lunch and let the girls play for a little while. They had a great time together. I wish we got to see them more often.

AG waits patiently while Hayley finishes her lunch.


Two girls swinging on a tire swing.


Ella enjoyed swinging on a swing too.


AG and Hayley tried out every swing together.


More silly faces....


And then a sweet picture of them together. Hayley and AG enjoyed playing dress up. AG is still wearing her dress up. I guess it will be on the rest of the day today.


Thanks for coming to visit, Dana. We had a great time with you and the girls. The next time you visit, it will have to be longer! :)

A trip to the BEACH!

Anna Grace and I joined some friends at Holden beach this week. We met some of my good friends from high school - Sallie, Lauren and Ashley and their beautiful children for some fun in the sun. We relaxed, laughed, watched tv, ate, dyed Easter eggs, gave pedicures, ate, walked on the beach, went to the park, ate, gave the children pedicures, read magazines, talked, ate and laughed some more. We had a great time together and wish our time together had been LONGER!!

Bess, AG, Frank, Lilly and Ramsey enjoyed playing together.
One of the big hits was Lilly's special
Little Einstein toy rocket ship.


Lilly shares her rocket ship with AG and Bess


All of the children playing together


Time to dye eggs. Bess chose purple and AG chose pink!


Bess, AG and Lilly had so much fun dying eggs!


Mrs. Sallie helps Ramsey and Frank go down the slide at the park.


Cheese!


AG and Bess on the BIG yellow slide at the park!


Lilly and AG on the BIG yellow slide. Lilly loved this slide.


The girls were so excited about seeing the ocean! It was priceless to watch them hold hands and run together.


Look! Look! Let's take off our shoes and feel the sand between our toes.


Bess and AG on a mission to put their feet in the water.


Splashing in puddles and chasing shadows.


We had such a wonderful time with our special friends. Thank you, Bee, for inviting us to the beach. We had a special time with all of you.

Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:5-7
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

What a wonderful Easter Sunday we had. Thomas, AG and I had a wonderful Easter celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Anna Grace has had many wonderful questions and comments this year about the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Questions and comments like:
"Why did the Roman Soldiers put Jesus on the cross?"
"When Jesus came back to life, he was in a different form. He wasn't the same Jesus, was he mommy?"
"When Jesus came back to life, he ate fish with the disciples."
"Why did they put spices on Jesus' body?"

It has been a great privilege to share this amazing story with her. One of the greatest privileges of being a parent is telling Anna Grace about Jesus and His great love for her.

We didn't talk much about the Easter bunny this year because we wanted to stay focused on the true meaning of this holiday. But when I put AG down to bed on the night before Easter, I asked Anna Grace what the Easter bunny was going to bring her and she replied, "A Chocolate Bunny."

The Easter bunny came. It looks like there is a Chocolate Bunny!


Anna Grace looking at her Easter basket.


Look Mommmy! The Easter bunny brought me the new Gigi video!


Mommy! Mommy! It's what I always wanted!! The Giselle video!



Then we got dressed and went to church. We had the Byerly family over for a wonderful Easter lunch after church. We ate ham, green beans, hashbrown casserole, sausage and cheese dip, pineapple casserole and rolls. It was a wonderful Easter meal. The children all played very well together while the adults relaxed and talked. It was such a nice Easter Sunday.

Mommy, I really want to watch my new Giselle video.


Daddy and Anna Grace after church on Sunday.


Mommy and Anna Grace


Anna Grace and the cat


Then AG went to the neighbors house for an egg hunt.


There's an egg!

Easter cookies

Thomas, Anna Grace and I started a new Easter tradition this year. We made Resurrection cookies. The cookies have a few ingredients - pecans, vinegar, egg whites, salt and sugar. As the child adds each ingredient, a scripture is read and part of the crucifixion and resurrection is demonstrated.

Preheat oven to 300 F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with
the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after
Jesus was arrested the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.


Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into
mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given
vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that
Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John
10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste
it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this
represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the
bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is
that Jesus died because He loves us.
He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John
3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until
stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents
the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed
by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered
cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb
where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the
oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 7:65-66.


GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the
cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair
when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are
hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find
the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9

Cinderella

Anna Grace and I went and saw a cute Cinderella play today at the Florence Little Theater. The picture above is Anna Grace with Cinderella and the Prince. The Prince is the youth pastor at our church and his wife was Cinderella.
We met some friends there and had a great time. Anna Grace and her friend Maddie sat together. They were both very into the play. They enjoyed it so much.

Here are some fun pictures of Anna Grace with some of the cast members after the show.

Anna Grace and her cubbie leader, Mrs. Lari,
who played a guest at the royal ball.


Anna Grace and Hazel with the drama director
of our church, Scarlett Knight -
who directed the Cinderella play,
and the wicked stepmother.


Anna Grace with the fairy godmother and
one of Cinderella's stepsisters.



Then we met some of our friends at Slice It pizza
for lunch and ice cream.
Maddie, AG, Hazel, Olivia, Caleb, Madison and Lucy


AG, Olivia and Lauren dance while Hazel and Maddie pick some tunes to play on the juke box.


The girls continue to dance to the juke box tunes and play ring around the rosie.


Then Hazel came home with us and played for the afternoon. We had a great day!
AG and Hazel played outside. Hazel likes to push AG in the swing. Such a good friend!


After gymnastics, the girls enjoyed watching a movie together.

A ponytail, an Easter Egg Hunt and a kitty cat...all in one day!

Today was an exciting day. As I brushed Anna Grace's hair, I realized it was long enough to put in a ponytail! I told her that, and she insisted her hair needed to be in a ponytail today. She was so excited and exclaimed, "I can't wait for my friends to see my hair in a ponytail!"

Anna Grace all ready for school - with her new ponytail.


A view of her ponytail from the back.


Today her class had an Easter Egg hunt and an Easter party.
Here come the kids. AG was the line leader today.


Hunting for Easter Eggs. Each child was allowed to find 6 eggs.


Hunting Eggs is so much fun!


Anna Grace and her school friends pose for a picture.


Anna Grace enjoys tasty treats at the party.


What would an Easter party be without a foos ball table??


And lastly, "our" cat. This really isn't our cat, but Anna Grace wishes it were. It is the neighborhood cat. AG gets so excited when it comes into our yard and she can play with it for a little while. When we came home from school today, the cat was waiting for us. She jumped out of the car and ran to "hold" him. The cat is sweet and I think it likes AG.


Mommy, can we PLEASE have this kitty?


AG watching the kitty walk away and wishing it would stay.