Easter Weekend

Being in Kentucky for Easter Weekend was jam packed with plenty of activities! We rolled in and stayed with my Sister, E Lee, Steveb, Benanin, and Baylen. That is how Harper refers to them:)

Basketball is clearly a priority in Kentucky, starting as soon as you can walk. Harper obviously has great mentors.

Coloring Easter eggs was always one of my favorite traditions at Easter. Not to mention hunting for them and trying to beat out the other 40 cousins I had. My Grandmother hosted an Easter Egg Hunt every year and with my Mom having 12 siblings, it made for a real competition to find the eggs. We reserved this year for a hands on attempt for Harper to see colors....she loved it!

Activity #15....E Lee painting Harper Elle's nails!!! Yes, it was as hysterical as it looks. I of course took off the polish on her thumb she sucks. How in the world did E Lee get her to sit still for POLISH....I have to pull out a SWAT team to wrangle her down to clip her nails! Such a girl!

Activity #123...just kidding really. It's just on the weekends sometimes you feel like an Activity Director on the Carnival Cruise Line. (Maybe I missed my calling?:))

After going out to the Amish to LOAD up on flowers, we came home for Lunch and a painting party. Each of us....Nana, E Lee, and Harper/Mommy combo..made a tiny birdhouse to put out in our yard to remember Easter 2011. They turned out great, unfortunately I didn't get the final product of E Lee's and Nana's. I was probably so distracted because my Mom decided to participate in an Adult Spelling Bee and kept barking out for us to give her words to spell. It's one of those "Bucket List" to do's. She finished 5th!

Easter Sunday!

Harper Elle adored the Easter Egg Hunt! She loved taking her "buckit" around and scooping up as many eggs as her little hands could get.

Now my Mom hosts an Easter Egg Hunt for her Grandchildren, probably for the last 15 years or so, and Harper fit right in. Not sure who found the "Golden Egg"....not Harper....but the prizes these days are MUCH larger than when I was little one. I sort of feel like E Lee and I should get to participate.

We came back to Tennessee after Easter Lunch and we gave Harper her Easter basket from the "Easter Bunny". She took her sweet little time and checked out all the goodies. She liked her basket most of all and carried it around all week! She would bring her "buckit" up to me and say "Ahggs Ahggs" and I finally realized what she was saying. Eggs! So sweet how they remember things.

Water Water Everywhere

Our first chance to get out in the Sun and have just a little Fun.....we took it. One afternoon it was a beautiful 75 degrees, on a Saturday after working all morning, I swung by Toys R Us and picked a bunch of summertime junk:) Harper and I came home and played all afternoon. It was her first sprinkler sighting and clearly she feel in love immediately.

Moss loved it too. My girls are the sweetest thangs, love them!

FINAL FOUR

During halftime of the Kentucky vs North Carolina game, Bob tells me he just bought 4 tickets to the Final Four....in Houston! Luckily, we won the game and we would be watching the CATS play in Houston. As ALL the details begin to swarm around in my head, I don't even realize how exciting this is. A spontaneous road trip, seeing the CATS play, and a vacation in March. This never happens! I suppose that's why I was trying to work out the logistics instead of jumping around like a school girl getting her very own Spring Break. It felt good.

We made a couple, desperate calls to Kentucky......seeking baby sitters, road warriors, and the biggest CATS fans we could find. The CATS fans would not be difficult but which ones do you choose?!! Baby sitters, ie E Lee (that's what Harper calls Auntie Lee Ann) and Nana did not hesitate to say YES. Finally, who would up for the 1600+ mile road trip to Houston? The winner is, Poppie (my Dad) and Benjamin (my 9 year old nephew and one of the biggest CATS fans I know).

The trip was well worth it. I had a chance to chill for many many hours in a car with plenty of magazines, new downloads on my Ipod, and the best part was hanging with my Dad, my Hubby, and my nephew. We played the old school/new and improved car games and realized most people, in the state of Texas, drive a really big truck! Also, there really isn't much or very many people between Arkansas and Houston. And we took plenty pictures for memories. Enjoy the photos I got, there are a few more to come...

Somewhere between Nashville and Arkansas we saw the most decorated road warrior!

I took out the camera somewhere in Arkansas and snapped a couple beautiful shots of the sky and scenery around. I really loved this simple peaceful shot.....that is sort of what it's like in nowhereland Arkansas.

We hit the streets and shopped around Houston to get game ready.

Heading into the game!

Watching Dad as he is in deep thought whether we are going to pull it off or not.

Benjamin's favorite food, sugar!

These two shots are taken from our seats. YES, we were up there!

This pic will capture our last smiles of the UK vs UConn game. Much to our dismay, we left with our hats in our hand. And one really really really long cab line. It was worse than waiting for a cab after Derby! I will give you one guess why....

Last stop of the trip was Bracket Town. A "Disneyland" if you will for sports fanatics!

Road Trip Birthday Party!

Harper and I went to Jake's 1st Birthday in Kentucky. Jake is the cutest little bugga of one college friend family, Whitney and Ryan Mardis. They celebrated at their home at the end of March with loads of kids, 18 to be exact, and delicious bites. I had a blast seeing all my girlfriends, which I feel like I never get to see enough. It so crazy with all the kids but so worth it. The kids really like to hang and get to know each other! It truly is the best stage of my life so far. I love seeing little clones of my friends running around.

William Barber, eating his birthday cupcake.

He is the oldest member of our kiddie crew, 5!

John Riley (Kaufman) loves Harper Elle.

Can you tell she loves him too?

Kate Mardis, Jake's big sister, and her cousin Cameron.

Sweet Jones Nodine.

The smallest and youngest member of our crew.

Harper found one of Kate's books laying around the house.

I suppose she is taking notes for what's to come:)

Jones and John Riley, both otherwise known as Jonesie!

That's right, same nickname, similar sweet blue eyes, and such good boys.

Harpie practicing as a big sis...do you think she needs to wait a little while?

As we all were sifting through pregnancy and baby hand-me-downs, Harper spotted the "Harsey" costume and demanded to try it on! It fits and away it went with us back to Tennessee.

We all laughed so hard and I think because she was so serious in this costume!

Actually, the smallest of the crew is in the picture. You just can't see her. Casey and Jennifer Kaufman are expecting their third baby and that will make lucky number 13 between all the 7 girlfriends from college! CAN'T believe our kids are this big and there are so many of them!

Bagels and Balloons for Breakfast. We had a great time at Whit and Ryan's and finally a picture of the birthday boy below.

Jake Mardis, 1 year old!

We had a blast! Thanks for having us Whit!

I love my girlfriends and feel like an Aunt to all their little munchkies.

They are my extended family, it's like having 6 additional sisters.

We are lucky to have each other but even more lucky to have all these healthy and happy kiddos.