Easter 2012

Mimi did make it back home in time for Sunrise Service and to cook Easter Lunch.

God's beautiful sunrise!

With the sun coming up as we sang "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," Mimi felt like she might have if I could have been present on Resurrection Sunday.

As usual, after Easter services, all the family gathered on the Acre for lunch and Easter egg hunts.  Except we were missing 4 very special members this Easter ~ the C girls and their Mommy and Daddy decided to leave early for the beach since the Cincinnati basketball tournament was cancelled.  But they did get to hunt Easter eggs and have their own private Easter morning service.

Love those glasses, Cybie!

Meanwhile back home in Georgia the day before, the A girls were hunting eggs . . .

with their friends . . .

after having Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the club.

A.N.D.

Guess what????

Cybie & Adelynn

found the GOLDEN Eggs!!!!!

Guess it was all that coaching from Granddaddy?

Between Sunrise Service and Sunday School, Mimi dashed home and hid the eggs so ya'll would be ready to hunt as soon as lunch was over.  But first, it was lunch on the deck for ya'll . . .

Yes, Will was a little late and ya'll were starved.

The hunt . . .

Poised to listen to the directions.

This year we changed the rules ~

each little hunted for only one color of eggs and there were 2 prize eggs.

Didn't Granddaddy's new grass make the perfect place to hunt the eggs?

Guess we won't be planting another garden this year.

 

The winners ~

And the big littles who thought they were too big to hunt eggs

Mimi's 3 Boys plus Sweet Jess

We sure missed the ones who were off playing with the Easter Bunny at the beach, Aunt Lynn who was celebrating her birthday with her family, and Lindsay.

Hope everyone had a very . . .

celebrating our Risen Savior!!

Just a Tad of Easter

In one short week, the Easter bunny will come hopping on the Acre and Mimi has just now gotten up a few decorations.  Boy, I've just been too busy celebrating birthdays, watching you monkeys, and playing in the dirt to do much decorating.

Seems Mimi has tons and tons of Christmas decorations with Easter decor running a close 2nd. But since half our family will be away this year, Mimi chose to just add a few signs of spring around.

Come on in and take a quick look . . .

Welcome to the Entry

That yummy candle is called "Sweet Tea" and is the most deliciously Southern scent!



Look, Mimi found the tassels I made 2 years ago . . . you know, the ones I looked high and low for last spring!  But the other one is still not hanging . . . guess he won't be this year again.

Just added 2 of my little bunnies and the banner from Mande's "Monogram Monkey" business 2 years ago.

Sorry about the glare.

Do you think we can get Mimi a new portrait this summer of all 5 of you?

One of the little Dollar Tree birds I painted with a homemade nest adorns a table in the living room.

  

The Monkey's little finger print egg tree

~ guess we'll skip that tradition for this year ~

Chocolate bunny guarding the oven

A new little duckie soap waits on ya'll in the "bug" bath

Keeping it simple on the table . . .

Just added my rabbit weathervane and the bunny napkins I embroidered when I first got my machine ~ didn't even change the placemats.  Hopefully, I'll spruce it up a little more before Easter lunch.  After the pollen leaves, Mr. Bunny will move out to the front porch.

Another bunny and nest ~ Mimi really got into the nest-making mode 2 years ago, didn't I?

See the cute little burlap "P" tag Mande 'crafted' me for my birthday?  Beth, you got one, too!!

Mimi found this cute little bunny idea on another blog but, you know Mimi, she hops around so from blog to blog, she just can't give credit where credit is due ~ maybe I'll find it again.  But the girl had taken a page from an old hymnal, cut out a bunny silhouette, and came up with this cute picture.  When I read her description, I remembered somewhere downstairs was an old hymnal that came from Gran and Pop's house . . . and there you have it.  But since I was making multiples, I just copied the page and left Gran's hymnal in tact.  You're welcome, girls!!

Back door friends are Best!

Mimi finally got around to stuffing moss in the bare spots on this cheap little wreath ~ you know it bugged me for years seeing that green foam down in there but not any more!

Don't you just love my large wooden carrot Ms. D gave me for my birthday!!  Yes, Mimi had to add her brown burlap ribbon to it!

Now for God's beautiful decoration . . .

The azaleas have been just beautiful this year.



If you look closely in the upper left corner, you might can see just a flash of white from the white azaleas.  For some reason, they are later this year.  Last year only the daffodils were blooming and the azaleas were the Mother's Day decorations . . . very warm early spring.

And, of course, Mimi had to pick some for my night stand . . .

and the island . .  .

Now, ya'll just enjoy this beauty til Mimi returns . . .

yes, this birthday girl is beach bound ~ toes in the sand and face in the sun!!

But I will be home just in time for Sunrise Service and the Easter Bunny!

Oh, Happy Days!!

The Violin

For Christmas 2010, AG really wanted a violin.  Of course, because she had been such a very good girl, Santa brought her one just her size.  What a happy little girl!

She began lessons in January and has been an excellent student ~ maybe not always practicing as much as her Mommy and Daddy thinks she should but enough for her teacher, Mr. Brian.

And last night . . .

for Mimi's birthday, of course . . .

she played Amazing Grace for the 2nd grade talent show at her school!

Perfection to say the least!!

With a few tears sprinkling down my cheeks, Mimi just knew that your Great Gran was watching down on you and was so very proud!  You know that was her favorite song, too, and was sung at the funeral services for both she and Pop.

Great job, AG!!

Best friends with the best talents!!

Your violin performance and Miss K's acapella "God Bless the USA" were definitely Mimi's favorites of the night.  One day you and Taylor will have to perform a duet at one of our family get-togethers.  Mimi is certainly proud of you for being brave enough to perform in front of so many people.  YOU were AMAZING!!

Mimi and Granddaddy sure do have some talented grandbabies!!!

Today, CJ is trading her big orange round ball for a smaller white or yellow hard ball and bat.  Cybie has her 2nd soccer game with HipHop recital in 2 months.  Ailee is practicing the songs she's learned during her guitar lessons so that she'll be ready in 2 years for the 2nd grade talent show or maybe she'll perform a lyrical ballet routine.  Oh, I almost forgot . . . AG had tryouts for the next position in the ballet company this week.  And, of course, Sweet Baby A  . . . well, she's just being her cute little self  "playing" hard in her ballet classes.

Congratulations again, AG, for a job well done!!

Good luck, CJ and CE, in your games today!!

Now, Mimi's supposed to go somewhere and watch somebody do something . . . wonder which one it is and where I'm supposed to go?

Whew, hope I make it!!

Back to Back

Birthdays, that is . . .

With my birthday on March 29 and Matt's on March 30, we have blown out a lot of candles together over these last few years.

You're One!!

You were born one week before Easter; then your 1st birthday was on Easter Sunday.

Pop always got Gran and I corsages for Easter and Mother's Day.  Such a sweet, thoughtful man, that Pop of yours.

Mommy blinked and you were Two!

Granny's cakes didn't always look so perfect but they were the most delicious cakes ever!!

Now you're helping Mommy blow out the candles on her 30th birthday cake.

You were celebrating turning 4 the next day with a cowboy party of your very own.  Yep, this was the year you were Matt Dillion and your baby sister (who was arriving in 3 months) was going to be named "Festus."  Notice we celebrated at Easter again.

Skipping a few years and a few cakes, now you're a senior in high school.

Aunt Lynn cooked dinner for us in 1997 and baked the most delicious pound cake.

Usually the pictures with no heads are always blamed on Mimi, but couldn't have been me this time since I'm in the picture.  Sorry about that; but I LOVE our hands!!  Ummmm, wonder why you weren't blowing?

And here we are this year, 38 years later, celebrating a week early.

How could time pass so quickly?  How could we have gone from this . . .

to this . . .

to this . . .

to this handsome young business man . . . 

to a wonderful Daddy of two precious little girls . . .

just over night while Mimi was sleeping?

Looking back at all these pictures sure does make Mimi feel old ~ but as CJ told me this morning, "Mimi, you're not old.  90 is old."

So, here's to growing old!!

(sorry but I couldn't resist and I for sure didn't want you
to ever forget about "the" haircut)

Happy 38th Birthday, MT!!

We love you to the moon and back!

A Weekend of B's

On Friday, the Bookfair . . .

Granddaddy and the A girls picking out special books

AG got smart this year and had them hold her books so they wouldn't get gone ~ guess being 2 grades ahead has its advantages!  Finally, Ailee picked something besides sticker books!  Mimi even got a book for the Nest.  Can't wait until you're all here so we can read it!

Then, Saturday morning brought the first Ballgame . . . 

Cybil's first soccer game of the season!

Would you believe you and A are the same age?

 This year you were much more agressive and really knew what you were doing ~ well, except you wouldn't wear your shinguards under your socks like normal.  But that didn't slow you down.  You and Brody make quite a team ~ maybe next week you'll have all your players there.

2 red players ~ 4 white players

doesn't seem equal but ya'll proved quality definitely outranks quantity

Now I wonder if these chuckles from the 2 Daddys were when Claire made her comment about "a family all together going on vacation" when she saw the plane overhead?  This said as she chased after the ball.  Or when Cybil slipped on the wet grass and busted her bottom?  Funny girls!

Next up was another basketball tournament for CJ . . .

Champions once again!!!!

2 out of 3 isn't a bad start!

Keep this up and you'll get to visit Mickey in Orlando for Nationals

After the ballgames, a little early Birthday celebration for MT and Mimi . . .

Thank goodness we only had a few candles!

And we ended the weekend on Sunday morning with a little Bear breakfast . . .

Not only was he cute, he was Yummy!!

Thanks to all Mimi's Monkeys for letting us visit with you this weekend.  We had a blast at all of our "B" activities and especially getting all the hugs and kisses from all of you.

Mimi's just wondering how much longer we'll get to travel north and south to visit our babies with gas prices going up and up and up some more.  Maybe I should have kept my "valuables" to yard sale and made some gas money!  Anyway, we're sure to find a way ~ we couldn't make it without our sweet visits!

Hope ya'll have a great week!!!

Not long now until spring break and the Easter Bunny!!