We're headed out

We're headed out in a few hours for a long trip south to visit Jason's family. Jordis was sick for five days this week so we're very thankful that she's better and that Xander only had it for one day. Luckily they were on the mend before I heard about swine flu, or else I'd have been certain that's what they had.

Now we can set our sights on visiting some well-loved people and places.

Jason's childhood friends Josh and Jerad

Aunt Sheila and cousin Shannon

Dusty and Clare (who are getting married), Parrain Eddie and Anna, and Cade, who is no longer a baby.

Jackson Square

Saint Louis Cathedral

Cafe du Monde

Of course there are many more people and places we look forward to seeing, and you'll be able to see them as well when we get back. I'm sure you can't wait, ha-ha.

Jordis' Tea Party

For Jordis' birthday we had a Miss Spider Tea Party.

Miss Spider's Tea Party is a book that was written in the 90's and more recently turned into a TV show for kids called Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends. Miss Spider adopts all kinds of little bugs as her children and they live amongst the flowers where everything is bright and colorful.

I got Jordis a cute yellow dress for the occasion, since Miss Spider is yellow, and this is how she felt about it.

The headband didn't last long, either.
When the party started we put an episode of Miss Spider on TV and the kids colored a Miss Spider picture.

Then we had lunch.

I was brave and let them drink out of my china.

We started with caterpillars made out of grapes and cantaloupe.

We also had macaroni and cheese made out of farfalle noodles (to look like butterflies), and three kinds of tea sandwiches that were shaped like butterflies and flowers. There were also ladybugs.

After lunch we had a craft where the kids made doorhangers for their bedrooms. They had bug designs on them and I got them letters for their names and bug stickers as well.

After craft time Jordis opened presents. Here she is with her neighbor friend. You wouldn't know it by looking at them here, but last time they got together they spent hours digging in the dirt in an empty lot in our neighborhood.

This is Jordis' prom date. It's been arranged since they were born.

He got her this fabulous Yo Gabba Gabba necklace and hair accessories. Any boy who shows up with jewelry is A-ok in my book.

I love this picture of Jordis and her cousin. Orneriness abounds with these two and I think they'll be a dynamic duo when they got older. If they spend enough time together they could conjure up some serious fun. Or trouble.

After presents it was time for cake and ice cream. I spent 4 1/2 hours at my neighbors house where she helped me make fondant, and it turned out so cute for Jordis' cupcakes.

Jordis HAD to have this hat when we were at the store. Of course she only wore it for two minutes, which I had a feeling would happen even though she promised she'd wear it for the whole party. I'm such a sucker.

Tea bag shaped goody bags for the kids and flowered ones for the moms.

The promise of goody bags is how we got them to sit together for this. Apparently the two girls who are related inherited the same gracefulness gene.

We were glad our little girl had such a fun day!

Jordis turns 3!

Our baby girl turned three on Monday.

This one.

*Sigh*

With her cute little voice and bright eyes she feigns innocence really well, but she has a trick or two up her sleeve. She's so much fun to be around but boy do we think we'll be in for it when she's a pre-teen.

She wanted to wear her Raggedy Ann outfit and go to the library, so that's what we did. Xander had chosen the last video rental so she picked Mulan for this week and then we went to the children's area and read a Dora book.

When Xander came home from school they got along really well. He showed her how to use his new computer and he also let her play with his Helmet Heroes.

Xander was looking forward to the presents more than she was. Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Sarah sent her a Lite Brite, too, so both of the kids have one now and don't have to fight over one. They're even different colors so we can tell them apart.

We got her some more Littlest Pet Shop stuff and Xan got her some pets to go with it.

She had asked for some of the Lemon Angel Bars from Easter, so that was easy enough for me.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Happy Easter!

Easter snuck itself right in between the kids' birthdays this year, so we've been really busy with all three. When Xander was on Spring Break the kids decorated a bunch of crosses to take to the nursing home, so we delivered those one day last week when Xander got off the bus.

On Friday we decorated a few eggs.


Saturday afternoon Jason picked up some overtime, so the kids and I went to my mom and step-dad's. In one evening we celebrated Easter, both kids' birthdays and my mom's birthday. The kids had an Easter egg hunt when we got there.


Presents after dinner...


...then Easter baskets...

Xander had to wear his Helmet Heroes while he opened his Easter basket at home Sunday morning.

Jordis was mostly concerned with eating.


I was amazed that there was no fighting about the boutinierre and hair clip that I made for the kids, and they actually stood together and both faced the camera. It really doesn't get much better than that, it's much more cooperation than I expected and we were even early to church.

After church Grandpa, Grammy, MawMaw, PawPaw and Aunt Mo came for brunch to celebrate Easter and both kids' birthdays.

It was like Christmas morning and we are now very thankful that we don't need to buy our kids a single outfit to wear this summer.



What a wonderful Easter it was.

....life is worth the living, just because He lives.