Mid April

Tuesday evening after a last minute trip to Chick-fil-A. It was supposed to be a run-in and run-out trip... The joke was on me!!
Wednesday there was a fire at the water pumping station knocking out the water to most of the county. Ellie's school closed at noon so I picked her up and we got some lunch and a bonus ice cream cone... It was 90 degrees that day!!
And look at that face... she LOVES it!!
Saturday morning Ellie and I took a trip to the Walter's Art Gallery.
We didn't get through the entire gallery but we did go through the Renaissance Gallery and the Asian Art Gallery before we made out way to the family area.
Ellie was telling me all about these paintings. She is quite observant!
Taking a little break.
You can almost hear the wheels in her head turning!
"Why does that person have too many arms?"
The activity in the family area was kite making.
Ellie painted and constructed her very own kite.
Ellie and her homemade kite outside of the Walter's.
After the art gallery we went to a fantastic pasta bar in Hampden. Ellie had plain penne and a sauce-less meatball. I had Penne Puttanesca. Both were very delicious and about 1/4 of the way trough my meal Ellie was dipping her noodles in my sauce. Yay kiddo!!
For dessert we shared a cannoli. She asked what it was and I told her it was a cookie tube filled with pudding and chocolate chips... She loved it!!
Sunday was another beautiful day and we hung out around the house for most of the day. Ellie even managed to sucker Margie into pushing her on the swing with all of her babies.
Then we worked on our garden. We cleaned out the beds and got all of our seeds started.
We planted broccoli, tomatoes, green beans, lima beans, peas, pumpkins, watermelons, and even sunflowers. I can hardly wait!!
What a fantastic weekend!

Easter Weekend

Friday...
Ellie had off school so in the morning she came in to work and was my little helper. She was great! She colored with Ms. Andrea, played computer games, and helped me pipette. We even had a little egg hunt for her. After work we ran some errands and then end the day at the playground. What a day!!
Ellie at the Oregon Ridge playground.
All smiles going down the slide.
Such good balance. I remember the days when she had trouble just standing on the beam and now she can walk all the way to the other side. She is growing up so fast!!
What a fun and beautiful Friday afternoon!
Saturday...
Dying eggs with the cousins...
Erica and Aunt Angela.
Maddie had more fun eating the eggs!
Andrew in deep concentration.
Robert was all smiles!
Next is the all cousins egg hunt...
Looks like Robert hit the jack pot!!
Erica figured out that there were TONS of eggs along the fence line... Smart girl!
Andrew scores another one!
Ellie is in hot pursuit of some more eggs.
THERE THEY ARE!!
Robert and Erica.
Maddie didn't get far but she had as much fun as anyone else!
Ellie and Erica give hugs!
More smiles from Robert!
The group shot. Robert, Maddie, Andrew, Erica, and Ellie.
It is amazing just how much they have changed. Here is last year's picture.
Group hug!!!
Ellie after the neighborhood egg hunt on Saturday...
If you are keeping track we had 5 egg hunts in 4 days! Thursday at school. Friday at work. Saturday, one with the cousins and one in the neighborhood. And last but not least, Sunday from the Easter bunny! Oh, and we can't forget the other neighborhood egg hunt last weekend too! That makes 6 total in 8 days, that is a lot of loot kiddo!!
Saturday night we left carrots out for the Easter bunny. Ellie said we couldn't leave them all because she likes to eat them too and she wanted to save some for herself.
Sunday...
Easter morning.
After tasting Pez and jelly beans "just to try them" she settled on eating her chocolate marshmallow egg first... YUM!
All dressed and ready for Mass.
Ellie and I just before Mass.
All smiles on a beautiful Easter Sunday!
After church with Emma. Two pretty, pretty girls!
They have grown up so much since last year too!! Emma, after looking at last year's photo, I think your bow grew faster than you!
The ladies enjoying the sun after church... Ellie, Margie, and Meme.
Getting ready for the hunt.
That little stinker kept looking out in the back yard all morning "scoping out" the eggs. I got questions like, "Can I go out and play? I promise I won't look for any eggs!" And two seconds later... "I see another one!!" No worries thought, the Easter bunny moves some things around while we were at church.
JACK POT!!!
The Easter barrel of cheese balls.
Last year's look was almost as good!
Searching for more.
This was a tricky Easter bunny... There were eggs all over the place!
Ellie and her loot... Eggs full of candy, cheese balls, and outdoor chalk. That is one lucky girl!!
Post egg hunt tallying up all of Ellie's loot!
Mmmm... Cheese balls!!
Story time with Meme... Fancy Nancy's Extraordinary Easter
We also celebrated Papoo's birthday on Easter (it was the day before) and Ellie helped blow out all of the candles.
By the end of the evening Ellie was flying high on sugar. At 7:30pm she wanted to dance and sing and here she said, "I'm gonna take a picture of the birthday boy!" It was about the funniest thing I had heard all day!