Fun Good Friday with Friends

Not only was this past weekend so great because of what I mentioned in my Easter post, but also because we got to hang out with these cool kids on Friday morning!  We went to Chuck E Cheese with Makenna's church friends and had a blast!  Her friends Lane (who she has a crush on), his sister Ashlyn, Lilly, and the twins Addison and Braelyn went with us.  Then we went to Ronnie's burger for lunch.  They were very well behaved, but we do make a statement wherever we go!  Who could miss a large group of adorable youngsters?!

This is a Roller Coaster ride.  There is a visual on the screen and the chair moves and vibrates.  I love Addison's face here as she turns to Lilly for comfort!

Such sweet smiles!

Addison has pulled Braelyn on to her lap.  Addison is a very strong girl who picks up anyone and anything!  She loves to have her sister on her lap!

And now they thought it a good idea for Braelyn to be their step stool!  They are so silly!

They love to try and fit in the tea cup, I think, that goes 'round and 'round.  The picture is blurry, but I love how all 4 can squeeze in there!

KK remembered to smile!

Here's my only pic of Caden-sad face.  He also had a blast.  Everyone wants to hold him and he is quite all right with that!

Unfortunately, I did not get pics of Lane and Ashlyn.  KK and Lane were playing a game together and it was so precious!  Then as soon as I got my camera ready, they were gone, of course!  We had a blast! She has made some sweet and dear friends.  

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Of course we had to do our annual bluebonnet pictures.  Makenna loves the bluebonnets!  She thinks they are the most beautiful thing right now.  She always has to comment on how beautiful they are every time we drive down the road.  I put on their Easter outfits and headed out to Southerland's.  There is such a vast field of them there!  She was more interested in looking at them instead of the camera.  Caden didn't quite know what to think.  But like everything else, he tried to eat them!  I have been teaching KK how bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas and the laws that surround them.  She didn't care.

 I do love this smile!

 She finally looks at me.

 I love this one except for the bright spot on his head.  I love how his blue eyes really stand out!

 Wasn't quite sure about this.  He was more suspicious and intrigued than anything.

 I love this little boy so much!  I just melt when he looks at me like this!  He may realize soon that he can probably get away with many things with looks like these!

 I love how they are looking at each other.  Caden: Sissy, what are you doing and why are you in my spotlight?  KK: Oh Bubba!  I love you!

 KK: Mommy, I give Bubba a hug.  Me: Sure!

 His face doesn't show it, but they love each other so much!  She loves to give him hugs and kisses and he likes it!  

 He decided this might be kind of fun!

 Here is our other sweet Easter outfit.

 Curiosity got the best of him.

 This picture doesn't do the field justice.  It is lovely!

 Towards the end, we finally got a pretty good one.  I had to bribe her and tell her it was for her birthday invitations, to which I changed my mind later.

 In case we didn't get enough good ones, we took some at home. This is on the side of our house.

 She loves our purple flowers as well.  She also loves to pick them!

 This seems so sweet and precious to me!  I wish there wasn't weird shadows. 

 Her orneriness coming out. 

 Cheesy grin!

 Here is the front part of the flower bed on the side of our house and driveway. 

 Here is the side going to the back of the house.

It was a successful day with great memories captured!

Easter 2012

This is a super looooong post!  There were so many great pictures to show and stories to tell.  This has been an incredibly blessed Easter weekend.  First and foremost, I am blessed beyond words that my Lord and Savior would suffer on my behalf, die a humiliating death on a cross, to conquer death and raise three days later.  This morning at church our hymn of invitation was "I Surrender All."  We sing it a lot and I always think about how I surrendered my life to Christ and now I am saved.  But this morning I had a new thought: it's not just surrendering your life one time to be saved, it's about surrendering your life each and every day for the sake of living a Christ-centered life.  I must surrender myself, material desires, my children, everyday comforts.  We weren't called to live a cushiony and comfortable life, although human nature desires and wants that.  God's Word says that we will endure trials and suffering.  James tells us we must endure suffering to gain perseverance and be blessed by God.  On Good Friday, our church partook in the Secret Church.  It was all about suffering.  David Platt took every book of the Bible, excluding Song of Solomon, and showed suffering in each book.  We claim that we want to follow in Jesus's footsteps and lead a Christ-like life, but do we ever stop and pay attention to what that really means?  Jesus endured so much suffering on Earth: physical, spiritual, emotional.  When we want to follow in the steps of Jesus, that also includes His suffering, otherwise they are empty words.  I have never ever thought about that until this weekend.  Yes, I want a comfortable and cushiony life.  My human nature desires that, but I am not called to be of this world.  I must now change my whole thought process-easier said than done.  If I truly want to worship and obey God and honor Christ, I must share in His sufferings and rejoice in them as well!  That sounds like crazy talk, but that has been a big theme of this weekend with the Secret Church, which I'm sorry to say I was not able to attend this time so I have to rely on Brady, and our discussions at home.  That is what Easter is about.  Christ suffered for us and defeated death.  We can now have redemption, forgiveness, everlasting life, a personal relationship with God.  How exciting!!

Now the heavy talk aside....I really needed to journal my thoughts.  Here are many pictures of some blessings from God!   

 I love this sweet little outfit for Caden!  I actually found this at the Cracker Barrel!

Of course we have to have a bib to mark this special occasion!

Makenna and I dyed Easter eggs for the first time!  They were glittery eggs.

 Yes, she is wearing an old shirt of mine that I paint in.

 Our final product!  How glittery!  

 We also made yummy cookies!  She loooves to roll out the dough and use the cookie cutters.  She also loves to make finger poke holes!  We made them to share with the family.  I had also bought cute little Easter baggies to share with church friends, but we ran out of time.  So now we have a lot of left over cookies.  Good and bad!

 KK's Easter basket from Mommy and Daddy.

 Bubba's Easter basket from Mommy and Daddy.

 He discovered how he likes to eat eggs!  Plastic ones for now though.

 Yum!

 This is how KK spent most of the weekend.  These 3's are killing us!  I'm not sure what's better: ignoring it and hope it goes away soon, or try and fix it right then and there.  The latter makes her more mad, but I don't want others to think that we think it is ok for her to act like that.  Ready for this stage to be over!  Bubba is super happy and smiley as always!

 At least her dress is cute!

 KK and HaHa!

 Kind of a 4 generation picture, except Pops isn't bloodline.  I do like these 4 guys a lot though!

 KK and her Pops loves to blow bubbles!  Also, I did not get many pictures of KK without some kind of candy in her hand.  She ate and ate and ate candy all day!

 Caden and his GiGi!

 Caden and his LeLe aka Milea, his Great Aunt.

 Caden and his Auntie, aka Elaine, his other Great Aunt, who was unable to attend.

 Caden and Mommy!  He is quite the mommy's boy!

 A happy family of 3!  KK decided to opt out of this picture.

 This time KK looks.

 Now Bubba looks, but KK gets distracted.

 And now neither look.  At least I tried! 

 I love how he furrows his brows in deep thought.  Just like his Daddy!

 Look at that drool!  No teeth yet.

 Lovin' those eggs!

 Easter basket + toy from GiGi and Pops.  He loves his baseball!

 What else did I get?!

 Happy Easter Granny Mart and Papaw!  Gmart will love this pic!

 Such a happy boy!  I love those cheeks!  

 Here is our first attempt to take a family picture at church.  Of course there were people around and she had to have a horrible attitude.

At least bubba is happy!

 Everyone left and she decided to smile and take a good family pic!

Happy Easter from the Collier's!!