easter.

phil came home yesterday a little after 8 in the morning.  he said it had been a particularly busy call night at the hospital and he’d been up the entire night.  he was tired.  but he still somehow managed to to stop in at walgreens to pick up these for the kiddos:

they’re pretty lucky kiddos.

“mama, are these for us?!”  note phil’s legs as this is just about the time he crashed on our bed and fell fast asleep.  and started snoring.

he really loves surprise easter baskets.

allie could hardly wait for lauren to finish her milk so that she could give lauren her very own basket, too.

phil stayed home to get some shuteye while the kids and i went to church.  it was crowded.  but still nice to be there and reflect on the beautiful truth of how Jesus rose again and how that changes everything for us.  how we the condemned are now set free.  how His grace covers our guilt.  how He willingly suffered in our place.  it brought me to tears and refreshed my soul.

we returned home for lunch and a quick afternoon nap.   then we all went over to our friends’ house to celebrate easter together.

allie just looooves these two girls.  and though they’re a good bit older than she is, they are so very nice to play with her.

on the hunt for easter eggs!

allie was much quicker to catch on this year about egg gathering.  but see that blue egg a foot or two in front of her?  you’d think she’d step on over and pick that one up too…

but suddenly her brother swooped in and scooped it right up!  she didn’t seem to mind all that much though.  it was a blue egg after all.  but watch out if it had been a pink or purple one!

and lauren managed to find quite a few eggs in her very first easter egg hunt.  with some help, of course.  🙂

“whoa, look how many eggs you have!”

“wanna see how many eggs i found?”

allie decided she didn’t want any blue or green eggs in her basket so she traded them for her brother’s pink ones.  she’s very color specific like that.

and look!  we even got a family pic, too!

after gorgefest 2010, er, i mean easter dinner, the kids all settled down to watch a movie.  when i said i wanted to watch too, the girl in the pink shirt (next to lauren) told me that i couldn’t because “the big kids have to stay in the kitchen and talk, talk talk.”  ha ha.

remember how i said if you make faces at my camera it’ll somehow end up on my blog?   : p

oh my.

aw, nice, sweet, calm girls.  i like those kind.

okay, okay, i like this kid too.  it’s a rare 7-year-old boy who will jump up to willingly volunteer to help pass out plates without being asked.  i saw him do it once and thought he was mighty cool ever since.

and okay, i like this one too.  because she’s giggly and goofy and really sweet to my girls.

and this one, oh boy.  he always busts out the best smiles.  and even helped allie put her shoes on once.  another little hero.  and one of mikey’s best buds.

but this one?  well, if i could box her up and bring her home, i’d do it yesterday.  the kindest, gentlest, patient-est, most thoughtful nine-year-old i’ve ever met.  she makes me smile.  and she’s way more mature than i am.  kinda sad for my kids, huh?

my girl loves coming to their house because they have the best princess dresses ever.  and two older girls who will help dress her, and do her hair, and do her makeup, and accessorize her.  wait, that’s why i love coming here cuz otherwise, it’s me having to do all that stuff in our house.

ah, to be so footloose and fancy-free!

stopping with a perfect princess pose.  my silly girl.

i didn’t see this little one much that day because there was a house full of grandparents (though not hers) and other folks who were only too happy to pick her up or play with her.  so she had a ball going from person to person to chat them up and see if she could get them to give her one of the cookies or chocolates that were laid out everywhere.  and i can safely say she succeeded on more than one occasion.

all in all, we had a great time with this dear family.

and a quick update– i haven’t posted much about phil’s post-residency plans, but will hopefully soon.  but for now, i will say that the kids and i dropped him off at the airport this morning to catch a flight to new mexico.  he texted just now to say that he’s landed.  stay tuned…