Whew... an Easter Review!

I can't believe I never did an Easter Review!
I mean, it's my favorite holiday!!
Oddly enough it's also the only holiday Hot Hubby and I always exchange gifts!!!
Weird, huh?
You already saw our Eggs and our early morning.
The kiddos adored their Easter Baskets. Their favorite items were the capes from Stringbean Company...

Hot Hubby got new Rainbows and I got loads of candy and new Bare Essentials foundation. (Oh how I love a practical gift... I was just about out!!)

We headed over to my parents house for the usual home smoked tri-tip and all the fixins'! The tri-tip is the best. You should come next year and try it!
My parents throw the best Easter Egg Hunt. Some eggs are designated "big kid" eggs... as in they aren't filled with candy or stickers like the lil' kid eggs... they are filled with cash-o-la!! 

 This year, instead of one grand prize with $200 in it... OK... $20 :) There were 2 eggs with $10! Wouldn't you know it, one of the little ones got one of the $10 eggs. She threw the useless "paper" on the ground and took the candy out! HA!! We let her keep it... I mean, look how cute she is...

Here's our group shot! 

I love these folks. 

As I look at this picture the thing that strikes me most is only my parents and grandmom are blood related to me. (Not counting my children of the fetus, of course!)

I often wonder about family dynamics and relationships. 

Is there actually something about being "blood" related that makes you closer?

Is there something more powerful about the relationships that aren't blood? You know, the kind you choose!!

What makes a family?

I would love your thoughts!!

As the day wore on, it stated to get a bit chilly. Good thing we had our Lids!!

Navy Snowboarder

Pink Snowboarder

Now I'm off to the dentist to get a filling fixed. Because we wouldn't want to put Hot Hubby's bonus toward anything fun. Wahh wahhh wahhh...

PS
I've been working on something REALLY REALLY REALLY awesome with Blessed Nest and BYOG. 
One hint... 
On the first Monday of every month our three businesses will be helping you. 

Yes, Y-O-U!!

The actual debut will be Monday, May 10th! (in honor of Mother's Day)
Check back here on the 10th. I promise it won't disappoint!!
REALLY!!

Christmas Eve

Eli picked out this giftie for Daddy. He wrote "FOR, DADDY" Love, "ELI" all by himself.

Hot Hubby got off work at noon and we headed to Arby's for lunch.

Because Baby #3 loves Arby's!!

After naps we baked...

Get the cookies out already...

Eli was beyond stoked that Santa was going to eat what HE made!

Reading from Luke 2...

Cora was a bit clueless but went with it...

The kiddos picked dinner.

Eggs.

Toast.

Grapes.

Mommy didn't want to do dishes so we used paper plates...

I bundled up all the yogurt lids we had been saving for breast cancer...

We read from the best pop up Christmas book ever...

Oh... and someone showed up before we went to bed...

December poem...

At the end of November, I put away my beloved hand print turkey, you see... Joyfully to be replaced by our fabulous fake Christmas tree.
Our personal handmade stockings were hung with care.
In every picture Eli is in his underwear.
With style and flare we let the kiddos decorate.
I suppose only their mom thinks it looks great!
We decorated a gingerbread house with candy.

And baked cookies that were just dandy!

Pictures with Santa... Cora wasn't a fan of his lap.

Hot Hubby and I danced the night away on bubble wrap.

The house was covered in lights, a pinnacle of glory!

See it all in this whrrl story...

Powered by Whrrl

We helped give 2 villages in Africa clean water a plenty,

with Julie and the gals from Project 320.

We broke the "Baby News" which made people gape.

We even caught my parents' delayed reaction on tape...

She's Crafty - Baby News from Kara Noel Lawson on Vimeo.

There were train rides...

...giant slides...

...and silly friends by our sides!

Through all the hustle and bustle it's easy to forget,

the little baby born to give his life for our debt.

Read Luke 2 if you'd like to remember,

our awesome Saviour before all his splendor.

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

How did you tell?

For some folks just saying "I'm pregnant!" is enough.
For me, not so much.
I chose to tell my hubby with a little more panache... I mean... there are only a limited amount of times you get to do this in your WHOLE life.
With Eli, we had a date planned at Dukes in Huntington (one of our favorite local places). I snuck away from work during the day and gave them our wedding champagne glasses. One was filled with pink baby booties, the other with blue.
When we ordered our drinks they served us these instead...
Hot Hubby thought it meant we were having twins.

With Cora Jane, I ironed on this little phrase to one of Eli's onsies (he was only 7 months old!) then put a jacket on him.

When Hot Hubby got home from work I asked him to take off the jacket. At first he thought it was a hand-me-down. Confused, he looked at me and I handed him a new book for Eli titled "I'm a big brother."

With this one (YES, this one!!!), Hot Hubby took them to their usual Saturday morning Starbucks Daddy Date...

While I prepared a fun, VERY late Father's Day Scavenger Hunt. (Our friends gifted us with an awesome mountain bike... something I had wanted to give Hot Hubby on Father's Day but we just didn't have the moo-la.)

The final prize was signed...

Blessing #3 will pop into earth in July!! I've just finished the 1st trimester.
As far as pregnancy symptoms go... (if you get sick while you are With Child don't read on!)
I get a bit tired and my boobs get larger than life!That's it.