Lauren's b-day

Dad took everyone to Abe's for Lauren's birthday. As you can see, Ella loved the ice cream cake. This was actually Henley's piece and when she got up, Ella climbed in her chair and started eating it. It was too cute!

Liz & Ryan's wedding weekend

Ryan, Liz & Lola

She sang to Ryan at the end of the reception!

Ryan!

Me & Nikki

Nikki, Rachel, Me & Amanda - love them so much!

Me & Jason

Nikki, Me, Sarah & Liz - I love these girls!

Me & Liz

Me & Nik

There are no better friends that my high school friends. We all have such a bond! We can go 2 days, 2 months or 2 years w/o seeing each other and can always pick up where we left off. We all know so much about each other and have seen each other through some pretty difficult times. We came together the weekend of April 24th for Liz and Ryan's wedding celebration. We started Friday night off at Sauces for the "rehearsal dinner" and then Saturday for the wedding celebration in Somerville at the Lucerne. Liz looked breathtaking and we all loved being there for her big day!

Field Trip!

In the mail truck

At the fire station

We had a wonderful field trip to the fire station and post office. Cole loves being with his friends! The firemen actually got a call while the kids were getting off the fire truck so we had to rush them inside. It was kind of scary to be there when that happened...nothing too big though -just a fender bender on Poplar.

Happy Easter - He is risen!

Playing w/ the Dora doll the Easter bunny brought

He loves candy more than any kid I've ever met!

Hunting eggs the Easter bunny hid for them

We had such a great Easter! Ella has become obsessed with Dora and Cole with basketball so the Easter bunny honored these obsessions w/ a Dora doll and basketball & tennis balls. Cole is taking tennis lessons this summer. He LOVES tennis on Wii and asked to play real tennis so here we go! We went to church at GUMC and then to D-burg for lunch with dad and a visit with the Thurmons'. Cole learned his memory verse at church and it is very appropriate: "He is risen indeed!"

Pre-Easter festivities!

Sadly, this was the best pic I could get of them together.

Cole doing the Bunny Hop

Ella REALLY got into hunting eggs this year.

Cole was fine w/ the Easter Bunny, but Ella REFUSED.

Cole's Easter party at school

It doesn't look like it, but he LOVED hardboiled eggs.

I love Easter! Cole has always loved hunting eggs and Ella joined in the fun this year. They hid eggs outside, in the house, at Nonna's...you name it! Ella got the hang of it quickly and darted after them. The church had a big Easter egg hunt and activities afterwards. Cole was a little disappointed that he never won a prize in the bunny hop, but he was a good sport about it. Of course, the Easter party at school was a hit as well. They got to crack open the eggs and some of them ate the hardboiled egg. I NEVER would have thought my picky eater would touch it, but he ate 2-3 of them...this from the kids who doesn't like pizza. WOW. I love him dearly even w/ all his little quirks! He's such a funny kid.

So cute...

"Helping" Cole play Webkinz

Is he choking her?

They are really starting to have fun together...which makes me happy! She no longer calls him "Dole". It's kind of sad that she stopped that; it was so cute! Now if she can't find him, she SCREAMS Cole until he appears. It gets kind of old when he's at school! Ella wants to anything and everything that her big brother does - that could be good or bad. :-)

Liz & Ryan's wedding shower

Nikki, Sarah, Susan & I gave Liz and Ryan a shower at Nikki & Matthew's house in Brentwood. We had such a good time together. As usual, we always have a large time when the D-burg crew gets together!

1st Grizzlies game!

Luckily for me, these popped shortly after getting home.

He wouldn't even take his eyes off the game for a second!

Jason, Lance, Catherine & Cole went to Cole's 1st basketball game back in March. They went to watch the Grizzlies play. I stayed home with Ella and we had a girls' outing...a little shopping and then some ice cream. :-) Cole had so much fun...he didn't care that the Grizzlies are TERRIBLE and lost (of course)! I made sure to give Catherine the camera so I could get some good pics of him. He now absolutely LOVES basketball. He is going to play at church this fall and wants to watch it every time it is on!

FIRE!

That is Ella's room on the 2nd floor!

This is what is left of the shed.

Well, we had an eventful Saturday night. Lance, Catherine & Lauren came over to grill out and hang out at our house. After dinner, Catherine gave Ella a bath and then I went upstairs to put her in bed. While we were upstairs getting Ella ready for bed and chatting, we hear Cole crying and Lauren screaming for us to get downstairs quick! I see her holding Cole under one arm and we come running downstairs to find half the Germantown Fire Department in my front yard. I didn't know what on Earth was going on. It turns out that our shed was on fire in the backyard!!! Catherine & I were right by it in Ella's room and were clueless! Our neighbors were grilling out...ON THE GRASS W/ DRY LEAVES... and it started a fire. Our shed backs up to the fence we share with them, which has gasoline in it...you can figure out what happened from there. The flames were as tall as our house! How scary to think I was about to put my baby girl in bed! Cole was a little scared because he couldn't find Daddy. (Daddy stayed in the backyard with the firemen.) They wouldn't let us in the house, so we had to stand on the sidewalk (barefooted) for about 45 minutes. The neighbors said that I provided the entertainment for the night. :-) We were so thankful that the fire didn't reach either house and that everyone from both houses were safe. This could have been so much worse. I thanked God for a loonngg time that night!

Tee ball starts!

Cole's 1st t-ball practice

I think this is short stop?

Got to have the Spiderman water bottle

Ella has a good time no matter where she is

Well, it's the moment I've been waiting on since I heard the words, "It's a Boy!" I couldn't wait for tee ball! I grew up at the ball park with my dad coaching little league for Lance's teams. It was always so much fun hanging out there. Cole has only had one tee ball practice, but already seems to love it! We found some old cushions from the patio furniture and turned them into bases in the backyard. He loves hitting off the tee and running the bases. Ella even has a plastic bat and takes her turn too. Cole actually wasn't too terrible for his first try. He hit the ball off the tee the first try and even stopped a ball at shortstop. Can you tell I'm already a proud baseball mommy? I even volunteered to be team parent!?!?