He is RISEN!

We had a wonderful Easter! We enjoyed celebrating Christ's death and resurrection! I hope you and your family did the same! Caden has been saying, "He is Risen" all week and I can't hear it enough! He's such a smart boy! We enjoyed lunch with the "herd" (that's what my Dad calls the whole group!)!!
The Easter bunny came to visit early Sunday morning before I had to leave for church. Our sweet little theif....ahem....I mean sweet little girl was more interested in holding her basket all while taking what her brother got! As you can see he was very concerned...he's never tried to stop her.....he may regret that later when he can't stop her. I'll let him figure that one out. Don't worry, we do correct that sweet girl! (For the record I think we have pictures of the doing the exact same thing to my sisters one Easter! I'm almost positive it's a sign of intelligence. She knows what's in her basket is hers...she has to move fast on what's his!)

Every good Harley owner keeps a clean bike. Our little biker is no exception! He worked hard on his bike for a good while!

Looks like our sweet little biker picked up a sweet little biker chick. She's a great passenger. The faster he goes the harder the laughs. If she falls off she cries but not because she's hurt but because she's no longer on the back! She also knows how to hold on tight.

Brian and I are having a blast watching Caden and Addison grow up together. They have truly become best friends! They laugh and play together all day long! She adores him as much as he adores her. They also think it's hilarious to do things that they know will get a laugh out of the other even if they know they'll be in trouble. There are times that Brian and I really can't hold back our laughter either. I hope they're always this good of friends!

(I promise Caden's birthday post is coming...Mary, I need those pictures!!!)

Whew!

We've been busy this week. Last Friday we left for Florida. We made a overnight stop in Savannah. We had a great time on our "family date". Caden talked me into the pop gun that you saw the last time I blogged. Really he didn't have to try that hard...he just said please!

While in Florida we stayed busy....really busy! We got to see Brian's sister Sara and our neice Abby! The kids had a great time together! I can't believe how big they've all gotten!

We celebrated birthdays! (Check back tomorrow for Caden's birthday post...where has 4 years gone?!?!?!)

Took family piggy back rides!

Loved on each other!

Enjoyed a morning at the zoo! We also went out on the boat one day! (That post will have to come another day! Lisa, will you please email me some pictures?)

Addison took her first carosel ride!

Mimi and Pop Pop went to the zoo with us on our way out of town! It was fun!

When we got home the kids shared with each other. Yes, we let Addison have some of the chocolate bunny! Yes, I know that at 19 months I would have never let Caden eat a chocolate bunny! Have you heard her scream when he has something she doesn't have? You'd give in too!

We enjoyed the day at the NC Zoo with some great friends! Addison and Miller (and Caden too!) were very well behaved. The babies were troppers! It was HOT and CROWDED! I'm sure that just about everyone in NC thought it would be a great day for the zoo today! We still had a blast!

Caden got to ride the tram with Bill and Elizabeth all by himself! What a treat! In the parking lot he spotted a toad and was such a sweet boy to make sure no one stepped on the toad and went so far as to direct traffic around the toad! My boy sure does love life!!

I can't believe that 4 years ago at this moment I was walking the halls of Women's waiting to meet me sweet boy! What a fun and crazy ride it's been! I love his spunky, fun loving, chatty, silly, energetic, cautious, and loving boy!

I gave in...

Potty Time

Yesterday Addison asked to sit on the potty! I of course let her. She sat and we sang and she sat some more with no luck! At least she's showing interest! I was shocked. Caden started showing interest around the same time! Maybe just maybe she'll potty train at around two as well!

Oh my!

Sunday during the night a stomach something hit our house! We're still unsure if it's food posioning or a stomach bug! Funny thing is I was just telling someone at church Sunday night that we're lucky Addison never catches the yuckies that go around. I shouldn't have said that...she got sick during the night but never cried so I didn't know until I went to wake her up Monday morning...poor baby! So Caden and I left this pair at home watching Elmo! At about 11:15 I got a call from Brian saying First Baptist had called and Caden was sick! So I left the church and went and got this sweet boy! So far so good for me! Either I'm lucky or they got food posioning Sunday night when they shared a meal at a local resturant!

They are all feeling much better today and I'm sure by tomorrow they'll all be 100%! Addison picked out her clothes this morning! She's so proud. I asked her who picked out her clothes and she pointed to herself and said, "Ad!" It all coordinates...right? She did pink with her shirt and babylegs and yellow with the shorts and boots! Jennifer and I told her as long as she's confident she can pull it off. Well...we're off to brave lunch with Mom...so I've got to go change Miss Independent! I'm not as confident in her outfit as she is!

I would never!

The other day I read this from Kelly, her blog is Kelly's Korner. If you don't read Kelly's blog you should! She's a Christian mom raised in a Christian home with a Pastor as a father. She keeps parenting and life real! She doesn't pretend that this "Mommy business" is easy! Anyways, in her blog entry she talked about what a "Great Mommy" she was before she was a Mommy! I was so guilty of taht too! You know I did have a degree in Human Development and Family Studies: birth-kindergarten...certainly I knew everything there was about raising a child...right? I mean it did take me 5 years...I feel sure in that "extra" time I aquired some extra knowledge! Within about 15 seconds of Caden being born I knew I had it all wrong! Before Caden was born I would see people in resturants with screaming children..."My children will NEVER act like that." While both Caden and Addison are both very well behaved most of the time...we have our moments. Surely if I heard that a Mom fed her children cinamon rolls for breakfast I would have had a cow...who would do that?!?!? Well today I did...I've never done it before but I figured we'd been in the house for far too long...we should live it up! You think she enjoyed? (She's learned to say cheese...it really is cute!) For the record I did not add the icing to hers! Did Caden have icing??

Well....he did saw please. As you can see he is feeling MUCH better today! We even braved Target! Well I'm off to supervise my children coloring with markers at the table! I'm not that crazy! I sure do love these sweet babies. They certainly keep me busy!

Oh...and the most important lesson I've learned so far as a Mommy is that everyone parents differently...and that's okay! (You know as long as they're not harming they're child. I do have to say I still judge people smoking while holding their baby!)

What a day!

This sweet Bible reading and sister teaching boy...came down with a fever yesterday morning....this morning it continued! So he stayed home with me...and it only went downhill! However, he seemed to be perfectly content eating chicken mini's in my bed with a nice cold Sprite this morning! I hope he doesn't think this will happen again anytime soon! Afterall...we don't eat upstairs much less in a bed in this home!

This sweet, bag toting, hairbow wearing but not so many clothes girl is feeling great so far!
However, that could all change! When I picked her up from school today I found out that one of her friends had just left with a stomch bug! I'm sure it's only a matter of time!

Update: I took Caden in this afternoon and he has strep throat!