Birthday Parties, Field Day and Camping

April has come and gone and there were lots of things happening at school and at home. So here is a recap of what was going on that month in our house. Elliot's friend, Nolan, celebrated his 5th birthday at a bouncy place in the beginning of the month. Those boys had way too much fun jumping around and celebrating: 

Happy 5th birthday, Nolan!

On rainy days, we colored and played at home. While they fight a lot, these two also play very well together. Currently, they both love to color and build Lego.

Since we went from Spring to Summer within days, it was time to finally give our guinea pigs their first bath. They did not enjoy the water very much but at least now they don't stink anymore. 

 So fuzzy afterwards:

This month, we also celebrated our Daddy turning a year older and wiser. We love him sooooo much and are beyond blessed to call him ours. Happy, happy birthday, Derrick!

There were a few gifts, some singing, a cupcake and a relatively low-key day but a whole lot of love.

We finished the day off with a drink on the porch and a steak dinner. While we could have gotten out, we'd rather preferred a grilled steak at home where we can be ourselves and not feel rushed by a waiter. Cheers, Derrick!

Last Friday, Elliot and his preschool class had their annual field day. Luckily I was able to stop by and cheer those children on. It was very breezy and a bit colder than expected, so the water activities were mostly eliminated. 

Sno Cones and Cotton Candy break:

 Hurray for Mrs. Chew's class:

Last week was also the NFL draft in Nashville, which meant 500,000 people came out to Broadway to watch the next generation being drafted as professional football players. It was for sure a great scene but we were not brave enough to fight those crowds. Especially, since on top of that the annual Rock&Roll Marathon was happening on Saturday morning in downtown. Nashville's motto: go big or go home. Here are some snapshot of the draft/ crowds:

On Saturday night my friend, Regina, celebrated her 40th birthday. We met up for dinner and some of the girls even ventured out to an 80s music party downtown. 

I ventured home after dinner as my family was backyard camping that night and we enjoyed S'mores and a drink by the fire. 

 Me and my love!!!

Good night..don't let the bed bugs bite. Of course, Derrick slept in the tent too and they lasted till 5:30am. Not a bad start for the first time overnight sleeping in a tent.

Easter Week

Easter this year was late but it still sneaked up on us. This is also the first year, we didn't take any pictures with the Easter bunny. The sad part is my kids didn't even ask about it. And due to the rainy weather, most Easter egg hunts were cancelled too. So to ensure that in between our busy schedule we focused on the season a bit, we started our Holy Week off by coloring Easter Eggs.

Those sticker faces were a big hit and such a simple way to decorate the colored eggs.

On Palm Sunday, Amelia and I went to our local church to watch the Easter musical "One Voice". It was performed by volunteers from church and such a great show. It looked like a Broadway musical from the set design to the acting and singing. Such great talent!! I was glad we were able to see it as it followed the dramatic and scriptural story that leads to the heart of the Easter events, delivering a powerful message of  the necessity of not remaining a secret follower in today's dark world. Here are some pictures and a video:

When Jesus walked thru the audience carrying the cross, it was a very powerful but also emotional scene and I had to hold Amelia. However, I loved how they still portrayed the crucifixion on the screen without it being to brutal for the audience. 

 HE IS RISEN!!!

On Wednesday, Amelia's class had their Easter egg hunt at school. The moms "hid" 400 eggs in the courtyard and then every student had to find 20 eggs with their number on it.

Due to some food poisoning and the rainy weather, the remaining days leading up to Easter Sunday 

we took it easy. Luckily, on Easter Sunday the weather was glorious and we were able to spend a lot of time outside. The children found their Easter baskets on the table and were delighted with the goodies:

Eggs for breakfast:

And then off to church:

 Church with friends is even better:

The Easter egg hunt that got cancelled happened after the church service and the children were delighted to hunt for some eggs after all:

For lunch, I prepared a ham dinner and then the rest of the day we spent in our backyard, enjoying the sunshine and perfect Spring weather.

Hoping everyone had an enjoyable Easter celebration!