YMCA Easter Egg Hunt

The weekend before Easter, Payton got to participate in her first ever Easter Egg Hunt!  It was held at the YMCA, and the staff put together a "mini" carnival with a petting zoo, bouncey houses, face painting, and of course, pictures with the bunny!  Payton had a pretty good time, and loved that her good friend Addy was there as well.  We did however, have one meltdown during the event.  All Payton kept requesting was that she get a chocolate kiss in one of her Easter eggs.  After going through all of the eggs that she managed to collect, she found that 1 egg did in fact have a chocolate kiss.  I will say, the only downfall to having warm weather during Easter festivities is not accounting for all of the chocolate that could possibly melt in the hidden eggs.  When Payton discovered that her 1 chocolate kiss had melted, she had a slight come apart.  Haha!  Luckily, the staff had put together additional treat bags for the kids which contained chocolate kisses, so we recovered quickly! ;) Gotta love the "dramatic three's!" lol!

Rainbow!

Payton got to see her first rainbow on Wednesday.  It was nice, because it gave us a chance to talk about Noah and God's promise.  So glad we were able to hurry and get a picture before it faded. :)

Zoo Trip

We had our first of many zoo trips this past week.  My mom came over Tuesday evening to watch the girls while Ryan and I went to a concert.  It was nice to have a date night, and of course, the girls loved every second of being with their grandma.  Mom stayed the night, and we ended up taking the girls to the zoo the next day.  It was Elin's first trip, and I didn't get a whole lot of pictures, because the weather wasn't cooperating the greatest.  However, it was a great couple of days!

Pretty girl at the zoo!

 

Laughing at the monkeys!

Enjoying some sister time! Elin is wearing the same outfit Payton wore to her first trip to the zoo.

Date night for mommy and daddy!

Kid's Night!

So, we have kind of made it a weekly tradition to eat dinner at Chic-fil-a every Monday night during their Kid's Night.  It all started when Elin was a newborn, and I was too busy to cook dinner every night.  It's worked out nicely, because kids eat free, and they always have some sort of activity for them to do while they are there.  Payton also loves the food, so that's a plus.  This past Monday, they had fireman and policeman there and were doing a "safety" theme.  Payton really enjoyed it and we got some cute pictures. 

Sweet Big Sister

Payton is really starting to become more involved when it comes to taking care of her little sister.  She loves to help me change her diapers, make her bottles, and rock her in her rock and play sleeper.  The other morning, I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast when Payton came in and told me, "Mommy, sissy was fussing, so I gave her some toys." When I went in the living room to find her, this is what I saw.  So cute!

Our Little Elin Cole!

Little Miss Elin is getting to be just so darn cute!  lol! We are finally liking the bathtub some...as long as I don't keep her in there too long.  Like I mentioned before, we have quite the little eater on our hands, and I love it, especially after already having 1 picky eater.  Elin is also starting to be a bit more vocal.  All of her coos and giggles are just so precious.  She still hasn't cut a tooth, but the symptoms are there, so I keep waiting for one to pop up.  I can't believe she will be 6 months at the end of this month. Crazy!

Sweet Smile!

Finally, a good bathtub picture!

Loving her green beans!

Wonderful Spring Day!

Today has been such a great day!  The girls have been super good, the weather is awesome, and I feel fairly caught up on housework and laundry, which enables me to enjoy relaxing and just playing with the girls.  Payton has Tinley over to play today too, and it's been so much fun watching them play together.  It's funny because I tell Ryan, some days I feel like I can hardly catch a break. It seems like every second I turn around, someone needs something, I barely have time to run to the bathroom, let alone catch a shower, and no matter how much I try, the sink stays full of dishes, and the floor full of toys.  And then...there are days like today, where everything seems so easy.  The girls are happy and content, I'm able to enjoy some "me time" thanks to everyone deciding to nap at the same time, and my laundry pile and dirty dishes pile stay minimal.  However, I am SO thankful that God has blessed my life in this way.  Others have said it, but it is so true...the toys, laundry, and dishes are a great reminder that I have a family to love and care for everyday.  The challenging days also make me more thankful for days like today. The "easier," (for lack of a better word) days give me a chance to breathe a little, a chance to really reflect and thank God for all that He's given us, and a chance to simply marvel at who He is!! Feeling so thankful for today! :)