Easter fun

 We made some Easter goodies in preparation for the weekend. These little bird nests were so cute and easy to make. Ella and Cade had fun making them and Harper couldn't have been happier since she had an entire bag of jellybeans at her fingertips. Love her cheesy grin!

 On to the Easter eggs! We did glitter eggs this year which turned out so pretty.

I didn't take many pictures- all that glitter and dye in my kitchen required more than one-handed attention! Plus a certain little boy loves to make everything splash! ha!

I was surprised by how much Ella and Cade enjoyed eating those eggs the next day- they peeled and ate them for breakfast and lunch!

My birthday

We celebrated my 33rd (?!) birthday this week. 33 sounds so grown up and I do not feel that way! ha! It was a busy, busy day, but Chris and the kiddos still made it special for me. They gave me flowers, took me to dinner, and gave me some thoughtful gifts- including a new MK handbag Ella thought I needed (good thinking, El!). 

 So thankful for my sweet family that takes such good care of me.

I'm excited to see what 33 has in store!

My cup runneth over...

Just a girl and her babies

 My little gal sure loves her babies. I could sit and watch her play mommy all day.  

 ♥ ♥

She knows her babies need lots of kisses to grow and she likes to share the love. Whenever we see a baby out somewhere, she'll say, "Here, Baby! Kiss! Kiss!" and she'll smack those little lips. Too cute!

Happy birthday, Daddy!

Chris turned 34 at the beginning of March. Celebrating birthdays with these three kiddos is so much fun. They get so excited about giving their special cards and gifts. Ella helped me plan Chris's birthday dinner and she even rolled up her sleeves and helped me make the meatballs, making one extra large for her daddy. Once dishes were done, they couldn't wait for him to open his cards and presents! 

 Harper wanted to help...

 She gave Daddy a new watch!

 Ella picked him out a new Reds sweatshirt.

 ♥

 And Cade picked out some new tennis shoes. I love that little hand over his mouth- he was so excited about those shoes!

 My sweet boys

Dad and his buddies. God sure blessed these kiddos with a good one!

 Over the weekend, the Davidsons came up to celebrate with us. On Saturday night, we had dinner out at the Mellow Mushroom. It was yummy. Ella, Cade, and Payton had fun entertaining each other.  

 The Davidson boys

 Happy birthday, Daddy! We sure do love you!

Sass

For my own record, something has to be said about my adorable, sweet, innocent daughter that is not yet two years old...

She is such a SASS!

 This girl marches to the beat of her own drum and she just is NOT going to do anything that she doesn't want to do! If it's not her idea, forget it, and don't dare try to change her mind or you're going to hear about it! =) She is beautiful and fun and precious, of course, but the sassiness is enough to surprise me sometimes.

I told a friend last night that I have always thought our dramatic Ella would be the one to try us when she is older. However, I have decided Ella is the one who will ask to do something and if we tell her no, she will cry and scream and put on a show, but in the end, she will obey. Harper, on the other hand, may or may not ask, and even if we say no, she will do it anyways. I love her fiery, independent spirit, but I just have a feeling this girl is going to give us a run for our money!

Chicago

 Chris and I celebrated nine years of wedded bliss in February. We were hoping to celebrate by heading out of town for a couple nights, just the two of us, and then a friend of his from college invited us to meet them in Chicago for the weekend. Perfect timing! We had reservations at Chicago Cut for Saturday night. It was a great night. The conversation was entertaining. The steak was delicious. But the best part? Not having to settle arguments, pick food up off the floor, or apologize to other diners for a screaming baby. =) Just being able to sit and enjoy the good company= wonderful.

On Sunday morning, we decided on brunch at Yolk. The place was hopping and we waited for a table for over an hour, but since there were no fussy kids, it didn't matter! I ordered pumpkin roll french toast. It was amazing! And so pretty that I took a picture. Doesn't it make you hungry??

 Chris and his college roomie, Jason.

 Jason and Jenny headed back to Wisconsin that afternoon. Chris and I spent the day walking up and down Michigan Avenue. We shopped a little bit, drank coffee, stopped for treats. I loved this special time with my man.

 The city was beautiful as the sun started to set.

 Sunday night we found a small Italian place for dinner called Osteria Via Stato. They just kept bringing us all this wonderful Italian food- eight courses in all!- and then gave us free dessert. I felt bad because we had so much left over, but it was so fun!

We took our time heading south on Monday. I sure love my kiddos, but I miss time with my husband. I treasured these three days together, being able to talk, hold hands, and just be young, carefree, and in love. Cheers to 9 great years, Baby!