Easter 2008

This year, lots of childhood Easter memories came flooding back for Beth and I! The traditional letter from the Easter Bunny telling everyone their color assignments and reminding everyone not to forget why we celebrate Easter was on the table when we got home from church.

.

It was an awfully long wait for Anela to wake up before we got to read the letter and go find things that had the right colored dot sticker on them! But while we waited, it was fun preparing the big, delicious dinner we were to have after the big hunt!

The kids were thrilled that they each got to fill their bags with 19 treats with their sticker on them that were hidden in the backyard.







We ended our wonderful Easter with a nice walk together. It was easy to be reminded of Jesus after all the candy filled eggs while we enjoyed the beautiful scenery here in our neighborhood.

Welcome, Spring!

The Big One-One

Aubrey gets to celebrate her birthday with the first day of Spring. She loves it! It's perfect for her, as her personality seems to bring the sunshine anyway.

The birthday couch never disappoints - it's so much fun to lay in bed and hear the crinkling of her favorite treats being placed on the couch ever so carefully to make it such a fun surprise in the morning!


The body pillow was the "biggie" on the couch this year - it was covered with favorites like hot Cheetos, Funions, beef jerky, and dark chocolate!

Her cake couldn't cool fast enough for her to decorate herself!

Aubrey is so lucky to have three wonderful friends who all have so much fun together! The night of her birthday, they had a blast at the Round Table buffet, and ice skating. The Zamboni driver got word that it was Aubrey's birthday so he invited her to ride it with him for everyone to see! She did the "princess wave" every time she passed with a smile from ear to ear. That was the highlight of a wonderful eleventh birthday.

Aubrey keeps all of our abs strong by making us laugh all the time. She is fun and playful and a joy to be around. She is a fantastic sister and shows lots of love for her family.

We love you Aubrey!

Twelve Plus One

Thirteen. Chip refuses to say it when talking about how old Taylor is today.

So, today, Taylor is 12 + 1. Don't know if I have yet swallowed the fact that I am now the mother of a teenager. I mean, how can that be?!

Was it really 13 years ago that Chip was in Thailand on pins and needles waiting for our baby to be born (who was a week late!!) and to receive the news that he was a daddy?

Incredible how much things have changed. We had no cell phones, no e-mail. We were so far away from each other, without communication. Having to have an unexpected C-section, nobody had a chance to try and get in touch with Chip yet.

Well, not able to wait much longer, Chip finally got permission to make a phone call home to see what was happening. My step-dad, Dave answered the phone, and not knowing that Chip didn't know anything said "Hey dad!" How awesome that was. He told Chip I was in the hospital holding our little Taylor.

Six weeks later, Chip held his first child for the first time. It was unforgettable.


This picture speaks a thousand words.

Friday night, Chip and I, and Beth and Fo'ou took Taylor and her three favorite friends out for her birthday. Taylor's favorite food in the world is steak - so we took her to our favorite steakhouse - Texas Roadhouse! The girls got their own table - which they loved. The best thing about this restaurant is the fact that the floor is covered with peanut shells. People are encouraged to eat the peanuts from the buckets on the tables, and then throw the shells on the floor. It's a crack up.

After that, we surprised them with a fun time at Fast Lane - the girls had a blast racing each other!



Happy birthday Taylor. You are a joy in our lives, and the lives of others. We love you very much!

By the way.... did the leprechauns do this to anybody else's milk this morning?!?!

Rachel's Challenge

One of my New Year's resolutions was to serve others more, to touch people's lives. It is March. I haven't done much of anything.

I just got back from a presentation called "Rachel's Challenge" given by Rachel Scott's uncle. Rachel was the first person who was killed at Columbine.

She traced her hands on the back of her dresser when she was just 13 years old with these words written in them.

"These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch millions of people's hearts."

She has done just that, and still is.

I have accepted Rachel's challenge. It consists of 5 things.


1. Eliminate Prejudice - by looking for the best in others.

2. Dare to Dream - set goals, keep a journal.

3. Choose your influences - Input determines output.

4. Kind words - small acts of kindness = huge difference.

5. Start a chain reaction with family and friends.

What a wonderful evening. On each side of me were two of my very best friends. I am so glad I went.

I have been inspired to re-resolve to positively influence others.

Rachel was an amazing girl. See for yourself!

Rachel's Challenge