Guess What Aubrey's Doing?

Pulling herself up!!! And she is very proud of herself!

Easter Morning 2011

The Bateman clan had a great Easter morning this year.

Katelynn was very excited about the Easter Bunny and Little Miss Aubrey was pretty darn happy to be getting a basket too!

Katelynn woke up super early but we had to put her back to bed so we could....., so the bunny could...., well she just had to go back to bed for a little bit! But when we finally "remembered" what day it was, Brian and I ran into her room and told her there was a surprise waiting for her in the living room.

She was super excited that she had a full basket. I mean she did make a point to leave the Easter Bunny carrots and some orange juice (her choice). She wasn't upset that the bunny had eaten some of the carrots but that girl still talks about how Santa ate her cookies!

The eggs that Katelynn had dyed were hidden around the living room. That silly bunny did a pretty good job of hiding those eggs. Luckily it was an even dozen, and we knew that.

AFter the egg hunt and some cinnamon toast, we decided it was time to get ready for church.

It was a rainy Easter Morning but definitely a rain that was needed. Katelynn said she had to wear her rain boots since it was raining, and I could not argue with that.

We went to Sunday School where our friend/teacher talked about his recent mission trip to India; went to a great service where we saw four baptisms; then had lunch with Brian's family and headed home to start making dinner with Nanaw and Aunt Angela.

It was an amazing Easter Sunday.

He is risen, indeed!!

Here are the girl's baskets. The Easter Bunny also brought them bouncy balls!!

Here's Miss Aubrey checkin' out the Puffs.

"There aren't any eggs under the bouncy seat!!"

Katelynn found all the eggs. There are 12 in there, right?

(OK, there are only 10 but that is because she found the other 2 and put them in A's basket. Sweet Big Sister, huh?)

Kiki in her rain boots!

I love this picture.

After church Katelynn wanted to paint the Tinkerbell wind chime that she had in her basket.

Well, she painted herself right to sleep. If it hadn't been so messy, I might try this technique more often.

Crimson and Clover

Uncle Mike has a lot of clover in his front yard and do you know what likes clover? I didn't, but we found out ladybugs LOVE clover.

We spent a good 30 minutes sitting on the ground and finding all the ladybugs that were hanging out in the clover. All the kids had a blast. We were putting ladybugs in hair, on fingers, on cheeks. Just another beautiful little miracle on this Easter weekend.

Egg Hunt

Saturday we all packed up the truck and headed out to Okarche for The Annual Baustert Easter Egg Hunt. It is always so much fun to go to Uncle Mike and Aunt Gina's and have a wonderful meal and great conversation with the family! But first we have The Hunt!!

We shuffle all the little ones to the back of the house, or if they aren't too excited, we can get them back into the garage. (we have to keep them away from the windows, NO PEEKING!!) Then the older boys take all the eggs and spread them all around Uncle Mike's yard. Not sure if they have fun doing this, but they do it for us every year. Some money might exchange hands, but I am not sure. They do a darn good job too.

When it is time, all the little ones pile up behind the front door, the door is opened and chaos commences!! This year Aunt Tami suggested that it should be "ladies first". So the four little girls headed out the door but were soon overtaken by the boys.

Katelynn was a bit shy at first, but once she realized what she was supposed to do there was no turning back! She took off after eggs and filled up her basket in a hurry.

Katelynn and Jake cleaning out the fire pit.

She spotted an egg in the distance.....

Filling her basket.

I love the wind whipping through her hair in this picture.

She was on a mission!!!

Aubrey wasn't old enough to participate this year. Aubrey and Daddy hung out and gave Miss K a few pointers here and there, but just wait until next year. Katelynn will know what needs to be done and we will be walking Aubrey around to get her eggs. So excited for that!!

After dinner, we headed back to the city to Lolli and Pops house to see some of the family and have another wonderful meal!

The Holidays are such an amazing time. Being able to spend these special days with our family and our little girls, it makes it so much sweeter.

Handy Helpers

This is the reason I had children, someone to help me dust!!

(Just Kidding!!)

Traditions

Wednesday night Katelynn, Aubrey and I dyed easter Eggs!

Well, not so much Aubrey and really I wouldn't let Katelynn do as much as she wanted to do, but in my mind we all dyed Easter Eggs!

It was a time warp once I opened the Paas Egg Decorating Kit. It had everything!! The dye tablets, the stickers, the egg wraps, the egg stands, which I actually used. And that little wire "egg dipper" that worked oh so well.

I added the vinegar and heard the bubbling and fizzing coming out of the mugs,

**BAM**

I was 7 years old and at my Grandma Trudy's house dyeing Easter Eggs with my older brother Paul. He was probably cracking all my eggs while I was contaminating all the colors because I wasn't patient enough to clean off my "egg dipper". And Kris, no telling where he was.

That was when we hid our colored eggs for the Egg Hunt. They cracked and were covered in dirt by the end of the morning, but we had a good time. I think maybe a couple weren't found one year and we switched to the plastic ones. Although, we still dyed them every year and Grandma would use them for the deviled eggs at Easter Dinner.

My Mom was the one who kept buying the egg dyeing kits after we had made the switch to plastic. It was my Mom who turned off Fantasy Island or Love Boat (I'm aging myself here, aren't I?) and called us into the kitchen to sit around the table and dye the eggs. It was my Mom who continued with this tradition as long as she could, and now I know why.

I knew Katelynn would love this "adventure." She had fun dyeing the eggs. She would pick the colors and I would plop the eggs in the mug.

Then I started to let her plop the eggs and stir them around to make sure the color was evenly distributed. I even let her pull some of the finished eggs out of the color and try to balance them on the egg stands.

She did a pretty good job!

I enjoyed "tackling" this tradition with my firstborn. And I am looking forward to "tackling" it next year with two of them.

(Katelynn is trying to keep Aubrey's hands off "her" eggs!)

I was pretty pleased with the finished product and Katelynn was pretty excited about the entire ordeal. She wants to pull her eggs out of the fridge and look at them. Her favorite egg changes every time I ask her which is her favorite. (Mine would have to be either the teal eggs or the blue and white marbled one.)

Dyeing the eggs wasn't the easiest project that Katelynn and I have attempted. It was a bit stressful for me (the whole playing with permanent color thing was a little worrisome);

And Katelynn wasn't too sure of what we were really messing with (caught her sticking her finger in the dye and then licking it off, yuk!); but we will dye Easter Eggs again, and again, and again. It's a tradition. Not with just the girls and I but a tradition that includes memories of my mom and my brothers.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend. Enjoy the eggs, the chocolates and the pretty dresses but I hope you also remember the real reason for the celebration.

We were given a wonderful miracle, a gift. Remember that gift and remember the One who gave it to us.

Saturday Picasso

We are so in love with this Spring weather.

Spent Saturday outside and the girls had so much fun. I cannot wait for Aubrey to be able to run around with Katelynn. It will happen soon, I know and I will be wanting her to be a little baby again.

Oh, I am never satisfied. =)

Katelynn adding the finishing touches to my elephant. Hey, it was free-handed!

Brian and Aubrey.

A suspenseful game of Hang Man anyone?

I love this little Picasso!!

This CANNOT be My Child!!

When people see her, they say she looks just like me. (Although I see a lot of Brian in her.)

When she does something that is just incredibly cute or even wears on my last nerve, my Mom laughs and says "She is just like her mother."

Pics of her in her pigtails reminds me of pictures of me at her age.

Her love of books, definitely me.

But this, this I have no idea where she got this from!!

I am not a picky eater, but if I don't like something I will not eat it.

On that list there is onion, celery, water chestnuts, oh and TOMATOES!! I have tried them. Store bought, fresh picked from a garden, it doesn't matter, I do not care for them.

So how can this be my Mini Me?

By the way, she finished the ENTIRE thing!

**yuck**

Bright!!

I love Spring!

I love the weather, I love the smells and I especially love the colors!!

Katelynn's "new thing", not wanting her picture taken....

Trying to hide behind the couch arm cover.

Hello Aubrey!!