All Things Easter

Isn't my assistant chef adorable?

All of the kids on our block are ready to hunt eggs!  (Sophie and Abbie are on the far right hand side).

Abbie was excited about something that the Easter bunny brought!

Paula and the girls after church on Easter Sunday.

our family after church

Nana and Sophie

Matt and the girls

We had a very nice Easter!  The day before, we had an Easter egg hunt in our neighborhood, Abbie had a soccer game and we dyed Easter eggs.  It was very cold on Saturday morning when the kids had their egg hunt and for most of that day.  On Sunday morning, we went to church and then came home and enjoyed ham rolls, macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs and some other yummy things for lunch.  It was chilly on Sunday morning too but it warmed up.  Nana and Paw-paw joined us for lunch.  We had thought that Matt's mom, Teresa, might be coming down for Easter but she decided to wait and come a few weeks later.  It was a little bit unusual that we didn't get together with more extended family but that's just how it worked out this year.  

On Good Friday, we were able to meet up with the Wells at the Resurrection Trail that a local church holds every year.  They tell the story of Jesus life, death and resurrection as you go through different little stations.  Sophie enjoyed doing this with her friend, Allie.  Abbie enjoyed it too.  They had thought that it might rain on Friday so they did all of the stations indoors.  Kids can try things first hand like seeing what vinegar is like that Jesus would have tasted, seeing what it's like to hammer a nail in a cross, etc.  People dress up in period outfits and act out parts of the story.  I think this made a big impact on the girls.  

Abbie's field trip to Gentry Farm

Abbie and her classmates enjoyed hunting for bugs at Gentry's Farm and doing a scavenger hunt.

Abbie and one of her friends on the wagon ride.

A baby calf nursing.

The kids learned about how things grow on a farm and how that relates to what we eat.

Abbie's class

We were able to see several spring baby animals such as chickens, goats, bunnies, calves, etc.

me and Abbie

At the beginning of April, I was able to go to Gentry's Farm with Abbie's school on a field trip.  They had planned to have the field trip a couple of weeks before but it was too rainy in March.  It was a beautiful day in April when we went.  Several parents in Abbie's class were able to go so I was only responsible for 2 kids which made it an easy job.  The kids had a great time seeing all of the animals, going through a fun maze, learning new facts about insects, plants and animals, going on a scavenger hunt, etc.  We also had a picnic lunch there.

Easter egg hunt at Brentwood Hills

Anne and I were being silly!

Abbie's hunting for eggs.

Abbie likes this Easter bunny-Mr. Andy where she can see his face!

Taylor, Easter bunny, Sophie, Anaiah and Abby Whitman

Mary Kate, Sophie, Anna Lea, Savannah and Abbie

Lance and Henley High

We had an Easter egg hunt at church the weekend before Easter.  It was a fairly windy day.  The girls had a great time hunting eggs but their egg hunts were at the same time this year  (they normally have 2 hunts going on at the same time for different age groups).  They had popcorn, cotton candy and lemonade that people could enjoy.  Lance told us that Henley only wanted to hunt for eggs that were pink!  The girls had a great time hanging out with their friends.  Matt made sure that he took some pictures of Sophie and her friends because this will probably be their last year to hunt eggs at the church egg hunt.  

Daddy/Daughter Dance

We're ready for a night out on the town!

Sophie and Abbie with their daddy

Originally, the Daddy/Daughter dance at school was scheduled for the 1st weekend in March but we had snow this year so the girls were out of school a lot this winter.  They rescheduled the dance for the week after Spring Break.  Matt and the girls met our friends, Dave, Abby and Sophie Clark, at Carabba's for dinner and then they went to the dance.  They had a great time!  It was a little bit chilly still.  Sophie had planned to wear a different dress but since the dance was rescheduled and it was held after Aunt Leia's wedding, Sophie decided to wear her junior bridesmaid dress one more time.  =)  It's hard to believe how grown up they are becoming!

Leia and Rahul's Wedding

Leia and Rahul at the rehearsal.

Do we have to link arms? (that was Luke and Sophie's reaction.)

Matt and Teresa (A.K.A. Mother of the Bride)

Leia was a beautiful bride.

Abbie and Aunt Leia

Paula and Mimi try to get some curls in Sophie's hair.

The reception was so pretty!

Here comes trouble!

Sophie, Luke, Abbie and Layton 

Rahul sees Leia coming down the aisle.

Matt and Paula at the reception.

Leia is ready to throw the bouquet.

I know that I am way behind on posting these pictures but here are some pictures from Leia and Rahul's wedding that was held over the girls Spring Break in March (March 21).  Leia and Rahul got engaged last March at Disney World.  They got married at the church that Matt's family has attended for many years in Richmond, VA.  It was a beautiful day for a wedding despite all of the cold weather and rain that came through a few days before the wedding.  Abbie was the flower girl and she carried Leia's Easter basket that she has always used.  Layton, Matt's cousin's little boy, was the ring bearer.  Sophie was the Junior bridesmaid and Luke (Layton's brother) was the Junior groomsmen.  Leia looked beautiful!!  It was very bittersweet seeing Matt escort Leia down the aisle since his dad passed away a few months ago. Matt's mom, Sophie and I all became a little emotional when Matt walked Leia down.  Then, Abbie saw that Sophie was crying and she teared up too.  

There were about 150 people at the wedding.  Several of Matt's aunts and uncles were able to come in from out of town so that was nice.  The reception was held at the church and they also had a tent there to provide some extra room.  It was funny during the reception because there was a Kentucky basketball game on.  A whole bunch of people from Matt's family were trying to watch the game on their phones, etc.  One of the deacons was able to put the game up on the screen in the auditorium and so people were in there watching the game.  The kids (especially Abbie and Layton) had a great time gathering up the silk flower petals in their baskets and then they would take turns dumping them on each other's heads.  One of the adults had a brilliant idea and she suggested that the kids could have a contest to see who could pick up the most flower petals.  The kids who won got a few dollars each.

Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum

a rare good shot of us taken by one of the girls

"Miss" Abbie before she took over the camera and began taking pictures of almost all of the planes!

The girls with the Discovery rocket.

Matt has really been hoping that we could take the girls to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum (I think that's what it is called) just outside D.C.  The girls were a little bored after a short time but they had an O.K. time.  Abbie really enjoyed taking pictures of all of the planes.  Paula had hoped that our family might be able to see one of her cousins that lives in the area but we were not able to get in touch with them.  We stayed with our friends, the McClure's the night before and had a wonderful visit!  We were able to meet up with our friend, Darla, and her daughter, Brooklyn for lunch.  They are temporarily living in the area.  After lunch, we drove back to Richmond, VA to spend time with Matt's mom, Teresa and his sister, Leia, and help prepare for Leia's wedding day!!

Day 2 in Washington

Abbie says, "Hello, welcome to my house."

Air & Space

It was windy at the Washington Monument

View from the top of the monument

Obama's back yard.

Cupcake break at Georgetwon Cupcake (As seen on TV-- DC Cupcakes)

The Potomac River in Georgetown with Watergate and the Kennedy Center in the background

On our second day in DC, we visited the Archives.  We enjoyed seeing the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.  We walked through a sculpture garden, and Abbie really liked the house sculpture in the first picture.  We visited the Air and Space Museum.  Abbie and Sophie were interested in seeing one of Amelia Earhart's planes, and the Wright Brothers' first plane.  Matt had acquired tickets for the observation center at the top of the Washington Monument, and we walked over there after lunch.  After visiting the Monument, we visited Georgetown for a cupcake break.  We waited in line for about 15 minutes before being able to order at the cupcake shop.  Everyone enjoyed trying the different flavored cupcakes.  It was a busy day and we were worn out.  Later that afternoon, we drove over to our friend's home, the McClure's.  Our girls enjoyed playing basketball and Legos with Nelson and Grant.  It was St. Patrick's Day.  Our family went with the McClure's to a local restaurant called Mike's Grill which was a real treat!