easter 2009

Easter morning - here are some cute girls hanging out together! (Yes, we're still wearing flannel pjs!)
This year, we hid Easter baskets. A couple of weeks ago, Anna Kate announced at dinner, "We should hide Easter baskets this year." After a fun conversation about the various places Dave and I had to find baskets when we were children, we decided it was time for the change! Lucy's was between the couch and the radiator. She had no trouble finding it!

Samantha's basket was around the corner and in the office. I think Daddy helped a little, but she found it right away! Anna Kate's basket was the most difficult to find . . . 
I was so ready for Easter - cinnamon rolls in the fridge, which I made on Saturday - until the oven wouldn't heat beyond 100. uh-oh. We improvised and had waffles with warm fruit. And everyone seemed just as pleased. Well, we had to still bake those rolls! So, we packed them up - along with lots of other things - and planned to bake them at Peter and Myra's house for an afternoon snack! We had Easter dinner at their house after church. It was lovely.
There's Daddy cooking those improvised waffles!
Samantha had been quietly in this area of the kitchen, which we can not see unless we walk around the end of the bar. Yep, she had been having a pre-breakfast treat of Easter candy! Good thing there wasn't too much in her basket!
Here are my two "big" girls - dressed alike in the most beautiful princess dresses! 

I tried to get a pic of all three girls together, but alas! Samantha would have very little to do with it. So, this is the best we did. 
While snacking and finishing up the prep for Easter dinner, Samantha quietly helped herself to a wonderfully delicious Lindt chocolate chick - carefully unwrapping it and showing me before she ate it up! 
"Alleluia, Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, Alleluia." I just have to say, we are big fans of Resurrection Eggs in our house! There are a dozen eggs, each containing something that helps tell the Easter story. So, on the Thursday before Easter, when Anna Kate wanted to take them to gymnastics for show and tell, I was not surprised. I didn't realize she was planning on opening each egg and telling the story to her class! It just seemed so natural to her. I was so proud of her!

a visit to el paso

We enjoyed a long weekend in El Paso. We participated in a fabulous missions weekend at a local church, and the girls had lots of cousin/aunts and uncles time! We couldn't get enough of "the cooler weather" - in the 60s and 70s! This car actually belongs to Hillery's neighbors, but Samantha quickly decided it was hers! She even climbed in and out of the window "Dukes of Hazards" style.The girls love, love, love the swing set in Hillery's and Rick's backyard. By the end of the weekend, even Samantha was climbing up the ladder all by herself! Oh my!
Good thing there are 4 swings! We fill them up with girls, and, still, not everyone has a swing! It's so fun! (Aren't those mountains incredible? Oh, we miss them, too!)
Anna Kate and Emmy, who had a soccer game Saturday morning! We loved watching her play soccer! We don't have pictures from William's afternoon basketball game, which we also really loved watching!!
On Friday night, all the girls + Aunt Hillery stayed at Aunt Heather's house, without us. Decker and his girlfriend, Lucero, helped Aunt Hillery and Aunt Heather with the rucus. (Isn't she sweet and pretty?) And, just a note, William had a friend's birthday party that night. Sleeping? Aunt Heather and Anna Kate in her bed and Samantha in the pack-n-play in with them. Aunt Hillery and Emmy in Decker's bed, with Lucy and Madeline in the air mattress. Decker got the guest room all to himself!
Look at Samantha when we arrived back Saturday morning. Aunt Emilie was already there! Yay! And Samantha wanted a bow when Aunt Heather was doing Emmy and Anna Kate's hair. Of course, she also wanted her boots on with her jammies. And the microphone? Well, maybe there's a future American Idol star in there! 

the basketball hall of fame

We had a great visit with Aunt Heather, Decker and William. We ate our favorite pizza and wings from the neighborhood Fountain restaurant (best pizza in Albany!). One day Heather took the boys to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Amherst, MA. Not far from us at all. Anna Kate went along and had a fabulous time! She brought presents for everyone . . . Here are some pics Aunt Heather took while they were at the Hall of Fame.  

Anna Kate and Aunt Heather together . . .

Anna Kate and William . . . 

Decker, William and Anna Kate in front of the Basketball Hall of Fame!

Great-Grandmother Smith's

My sister, Heather, and her son, Decker, along with our nephew William (Hillery's oldest) came for a spring break visit in Albany! They arrived Thursday night and on Friday morning we were on our way to my Grandmother's house . . . We had a great visit in Bear Lake, PA, with cousins, aunts, uncles and Gramma! 
Here's Gramma and Aunt Gwen with the kids, except Samantha.
I wanted all our girls in this picture with Gramma, so I jumped in, too!
We had such a great time, and it was fantastic to see everyone. Here's William at Gramma's.  

Emilie and I braved the cold weather to take Anna Kate to swimming lessons on Monday night. 

out and about with Auntie Emilie

Of course, we had to ride the carousel at the museum with Aunt Emilie! Especially after being sick on Friday! That's right, Emilie arrived late Tuesday night. We had great days on Wednesday and Thursday (gymnastics on Thursday), and then, Anna Kate and Emilie woke up sick! What a gift, right? 

There's little Samantha, with her beads and favorite hat, walking in and out of the subway car. Look at that tummy! I'm so glad she is so visibly healthy after her health issues early in life! I look at her tummy, and I just thank God for modern medicine and her little life!

Aunt Emilie steals a snuggle with Lucy on the subway car.
Anna Kate loves to hang on the handles. She was even dressed as a UTEP cheerleader for these stunts . . . 
Aunt Emilie got to hold Samantha! It takes Samantha a couple of days, but when she warms up, she is all there!

Isn't it beautiful? We rode twice! 

One time, Emilie stood between the big girls. (Their rules, not ours!)
And I rode with Samantha. She has ridden before but not in a while. She was not so sure this was a good idea. 

Lucy still loves stripe tights! (me, too) Seriously, she wears them a few days a week, at least.

Aunt Emilie comes to visit!

"Good Morning, Aunt Emilie!" Aunt Emilie arrived late, so the girls had to wait until the morning to see her. Anna Kate asked me, when I put her to bed, if I would ask Aunt Emilie if they could wake her up in the morning. Aunt Emilie said yes, and this became a daily routine. 


I was delighted when Aunt Emilie was available and willing to come to Albany for a week, while Dave was in the southwest working on our support. What a way to make it through that week without him! 


Samantha is still in the "beads" phase. She wears LOTS of them - as many as she can find - all the time, everywhere. People must think I'm nuts. At least they know the truth now. 

We had to have a tea party, since Aunt Emilie was in town and Daddy was out of town. A house of girls! Tea parties are our favorite way of "coping" when Daddy is gone at dinner time. They elevate a boring, easy meal to "fun!" The girls and Emilie decided our tea cozy, which is covering our tea pot and keeping it hot, needed a name. So, she is now called, "Marigold."