Fill-You-In #11

It's been a whirlwind of a week. We've been busy every night this week with events and friends & family. Some of it has been hard work, but all of it has been fun.

The week kicked off with tumbling, a shopping trip to Springfield with my mom, and Book Bunch #2 at my house. We discussed Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. Not pictured are the lovely Linda and Annie.

Old man winter finally took the hint and got on his way. We can only hope it was for good! The girls and I got out to enjoy the sunshine and took several walks in our new double stroller. We also got a package from my dear friend, Lisa, from Wisconsin who happens to be Eve's godmother. She sent lots of goodies, including these adorable flower headbands.

The end of the week brought a torrent of Easter preparations. Due to church board obligations, it fell to my dad (read: his wife and daughter) to prepare and host a reception for those that were baptized/confirmed at the Easter vigil. We cleaned, crafted, decorated, shopped, and prepared food. It was late and we were tired, but it went off without a hitch.

I got home in time to stuff around 450 Easter eggs with Jon for the Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday, and to set out the girls' Easter baskets. This year, Eve wore Eleanor's first Easter dress, and Eleanor picked out her own dress. I will say that she chose a dress that I would not have, but it looked much better than I anticipated, and she was very proud of her fashion selection.

 

They look alike, right? Not exactly alike, but definitely like sisters. I know my mom will say Eve looks a lot like I did as a baby in that particular picture. She doesn't always, but she does there.

 I'm sure any mother of multiple children could have warned me that getting a pic of both girls would be difficult. Oh. my. goodness. This is one of about 50 pictures, 98% of which are unusable. Praise the Lord, we got one!

 

What a difference a year makes!

Thanks to my mom and dad for hiding all of the eggs! The Easter egg hunt was a success, and Eleanor dumped all of her eggs unopened back into the bin. Apparently, it wasn't about the candy. (Side story: We had a dramatic episode the night before Easter that ended with me telling Eleanor that Easter was one of those special days where she could eat ALL the candy she wanted. Unlimited candy. The freedom was fun for her, but she limited herself very well.)

 We had lunch at my parents. It was fast, because we were all beat. Eve looks like we all felt. Done.

At home we had a short rest and rallied for a great evening of bike riding, running, Easter egg coloring, coffee, working on some marketing things, and story time. We had a great day. I'm going to see if I can squeeze in a few minutes of reading Watership Down before I pass out.

Soccer starts this week and we get to celebrate Lindsey and her sweet baby at a baby shower. I hope to finish Watership Down as I'm on a TIGHT reading schedule through the end of April. I also have A LOT of work to get done. Thankfully, I spent some time today getting organized.

Thanks for sticking with me! Happy Easter! 

Birthday Weekend and Epiphany

Saturday, I celebrated my 28th birthday. Birthdays aren't a HUGE deal around here. We celebrate, we eat cake, but I've always thought that a mere 24 hours isn't enough time to celebrate a person. For several years I've declared my birthday to be at least 2 days long. When it falls on a weekend, it's a birthday weekend. My expectations are reasonable. I don't expect presents or special food all weekend long, but it's nice to be able to push my agenda in the name of my birthday. Everyone in the family gets the same privileges on their birthdays, so don't feel sorry for them.

I would guess I am 3 in this picture. Mom said I made that fancy hat and was quite proud of it.

Birthday festivities kicked off Friday night with dinner at my parents. I requested my all-time-favorite made-by-mom meal and dessert: beef bourguignon and coconut cream pie. It was soooo good. She let me take home the leftovers, and I've been gluttonous all. weekend. long. This picture might not do the pie justice, but it's blue ribbon worthy at any state fair. I dream about this pie.

The flower man knocked on my door with BEAUTIFUL flowers from my dear friend from Wisconsin (Lisa)! Jon, Eve and Eleanor showered me with love and added a charm to my charm bracelet, and others added to my personal fund for my next big adventure.

After a few temper tantrums (not thrown by me), we took a quick trip to the city to return a few Christmas gifts and have dinner with Jon's family. We tried a steakburger diner called Freddy's. Eleanor thought it was the best as I suspected she would. What 4-year-old doesn't like custardy milkshakes, bright lights, and bad-for-you food?

Today, we're celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany, or the three wisemen/kings/magi that sought and visited the newborn baby Jesus. You can read more about the Epiphany HERE. Epiphany marks the end of Christmastide/the 12 Day of Christmas in the Catholic Church. Christmas was especially memorable this year, because we were able to celebrate feast days and explain things to Eleanor, and we had our sweet little sister, Eve, to love on. Having a baby at Christmas time caused me to reflect not only on Jesus, but also on Mary, the blessed Mother. After this weekend, we return to "Ordinary Time" and all of the beautiful Christmas decs go into storage until December 2013.

Lately, I've been reminded that all things pass. These sweet moments with my family are fleeting and to be treasured. The days/months/years that are difficult will also pass. Life goes on as it's meant to. I hope I'm able to keep this perspective throughout my 28th year. We ended my birthday weekend and the Christmas season with a nap, and I'm hoping to read a few pages and watch a little tv with my Buddy (Jon).

Peace be with you!
Mari