Neighborhood Egg Hunt

it was really sunny out hence the pirate eye

 tons of happy children - thanks dawn, jen, and susanne

 after hunting, eating, now it's time to play slide down the cellar door

Decorating Eggs

this requires some serious concentration.

 bella's egg was voted most creative and favorite egg. 

it's a bunny hopping through the grass with flowers and a blue sky. 

hoppy easter!

Egg-ercising

at the gym last week we did an egg hunt.  instead of the eggs being filled with candy, they were filled with papers with assorted tasks: 100 pushups, 50 lunges, 40 shoulder presses, etc...

 i liked the idea and brought it home and our kids did an egg hunt.  wyatt pumps out 20 situps.

 our family holds a plank for 30 seconds.

 bella had fabulous lunge form.

 we laughed all through and when asked at the end what they thought:  issac answered with this.

and the last egg they found was one to decorate and eat a egg shapped sugar cookie.  Balance!

Easter Festivities

He Came:

One Happy Groupie

Last Saturday was my Mom's birthday.  She came over for dinner and cake.  The kids wanted her to open her presents right away, but she wanted to wait until cake time.

 Then out came the presents.  She was thrilled before even knowing what it was. 

But I knew this one would blow her mind.

 My mom is perhaps the biggest Celtic Thunder Groupie.  All of my siblings and I went in to purchase her some tickets to their next concert tour.  Her trying to decipher what she got.

Realization has kicked in.  She is one happy groupie. 

She spent the rest of the night telling me about each member, the retirement of one member, the addition of another, their birth dates, birthplaces, and watching You Tube Video Clips.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Goal Not Needed

I call myself the Volunteer Whore.  Well I came up with the title for myself with the help of a friend and current live-in honorary family member late last night as I made sugar cookies to be used in today's school party.  As she's lived with me she mentioned that this was what she saw... 

• Monday I made dinner for a neighbor's family while she was in the hospital having surgery. 
• Tuesday I purchased, prepared, and delivered Easter dinner to 25 needing families in the Manheim area.  I chaired this event on behalf of Women's Club of Manheim. 
• Wednesday I helped lead a somewhat last minute choir rehearsal for women as part of my church service, I watched the neighbor's kids afters school, and played taxi driver later in the evening.  I planned, baked, bought, and orchestrated a class party for 23 little 1st graders for Spring/Earth Day as Wyatt's room mom. 
• Today I will spend the better part of the day running the party I planned and watching more kids. 

I realized I have service opportunities planned for pretty much everyday for the next two years as recently I became President Elect for both our elementary school's PTO and Women's Club of Manheim as well as serving in several voluntary capacities within my church.

Travis was the inspiration for me.  When we were dating I was often pleasantly surprised and occasionally annoyed when he would stop for every broken down car we passed, volunteer to help anyone with anything, and often sacrifice his personal interests in the pursuit of other's.  It was those acts of kindness though that made me realize this was the man I would convince to marry me.  His kindness and ability to help others superseded my highest expectations and in the following years I have tried to follow his example. 

This year one of my New Year's Resolutions was to serve 260 days this year.  That is everyday M-F all year long or five days a week.  But as I have easily plowed through this goal I realized that service has become a part of my life already.  I find real happiness when doing it and that is motivation you can't fake.  And for bonus snaps I can't help but think of this scripture:   Mosiah 2:17  "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

So you may see me running around like a crazy person, a bit frazzled around the edges, treading on the very slippery slope of insanity, but know this I am one happy girl.

What They Say

On the car ride home from Pre-K:
Issac:  Brianna is in love with me and I am in love with Brianna.
Me:  No you're not.  Where do you learn crap like that?
Issac:  Brianna told me, "I am in love with her and she is in love with me."
Nice work Brianna you have officially messed with my son's mind.

My kids are very sensitive and cry a lot when they are tired.
A very tired Wyatt:  Mom would you be sad if I died.
Me: Yes
Wyatt:  I don't think you would.  (Burst into more crying and running up to his room)

And in other news: now that the weather is warm we are spending lots of days at the park and mastering tons of new skills.  Issac attributes his rockin' skills to eating carrots, his new favorite food for strength training.

mastering the monkey bars

flipping over with a perfect dismount