A Beautiful Day for a Baptism

When I called my sweet friend Heidi to tell her that we were coming I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that her sweet #4 Josie would be getting baptized.  We met at church in Waterloo, NY and then went home with Heidi and her family.  After much convincing from her siblings, Josie agreed to be baptized in the canal behind the house.  I think everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief that the sun came out and it actually felt warm, as there was no back up plan!

Josie before the dip!

Maggie holding Kate ready to watch the baptism.

Todd acting as father and bishop conducting the service.

It was so beautiful.

Getting a warm towel and a hug afterwards.

 The view of the canal behind the house.

The Heidi and Todd Egan family with Todd's parents.  

 

After the baptism we enjoyed hanging out with friends and family and Josie enjoyed her celebratory mug of hot cocoa and entire can of whipped cream as was promised!

Alice played with Lily's play glasses.

Alice played with a booster chair.

Alice played with a bunny.

And Kate had the longest nap ever... and was still tired and grumpy when she woke up, poor little muffin!

The Museum of Play

At the end of our trip to Connecticut in November, when we went to the Museum of Play, I had no idea it would be such a powerful experience for Kate.  She asked to go back everyday for weeks and then it would regularly come up in conversation.  I wasn't sure when we would go back to the "children's museum" as Kate calls it, but I knew we would!

After four days of full-time work I decided our family needed a vacation and so we set off for Rochester.  We got off to a late start, and then had to turn around because we realized we'd forgotten the diaper bag which is where we had put the passports... and by then Alice had woken up and we hadn't even gotten anywhere!  We arrived at the museum around 5:30, had a quick bite to eat and then we played.  We played until it closed at 8.  We love this place!

All Things Bunny and Birthday

Today was the celebration of the pagan rituals of Easter and the birthday of an old, old woman.  After breakfast we brought the girls downstairs for the egg hunt.  We read "Duck &Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny" to set the mood.

Then we set Kate loose to find the eggs.

Last year Kate couldn't find the eggs even though they were all in plain sight.  I hoped that this year she would be able to find them in plain sight and didn't bother with trying to hide them.  She found them all very quickly.  I think next year I might just really hide the eggs.  Kate found of all her eggs and Alice's while Alice ate the contents of the eggs, and tried to eat the foil bunnies while still in their foil.  (Oh Alice, not in your mouth!)

Then it was off to Mom and Dad's to celebrate Mom's birthday, on her actual birthday!  We had Swiss Chalet for lunch, Mom's favourite.  Mom received a number of bouquets of beautiful flowers.

 Kate and Alice got more chocolate... those bunnies look familiar!

And Mom had gluten free chocolate cupcakes for dessert.  She and Kate blew out the candles a few times for good measure.

Grandpa and Grandma posing for a picture with Alice, who until then, had been entirely left out of the photos.

And one of the happy couple celebrating the birth of a baby a long, long, long time ago.  Oh wait, Mom only turned 66, that isn't very old is it?!

Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma.  We're so glad that you were born!

And not to detract from all things birthday and bunny, but seriously, how could I resist including these pictures?  Look at the devilish glee!

One Day Down...

My first day back at work...

We're all still smiling.  If I don't think about it, I'm doing just fine, so don't ask, unless you want to see tears.  (Wow, that sounds terrible doesn't it.  Let's see, I like my job, I do, I'm grateful for it, I am.  But my heart is at home with my little ladies. There are now 65 schools days left until summer!)

Uncle Stanley Turns 95!

I love being part of a big extended family.  Family gatherings on my father's side are few and far between so it was so nice to be able to see some family in honour of my Uncle Stanley turning 95.  Maribeth (Stanley's daughter, my father's first cousin) had a lovely party in her home.  Her home was filled with lots of people.  We came and left quite quickly, but still managed to exchange lots of hugs and take some fun pictures.  

(For more stories about Stanley read about his 90th birthday here.)


Adrianna and Alice

Dad, Alice, John, Wendy

Lenny, Dad, John

April and Kate

Stanley and Dad

Stanley and Dad

John, Stanley, Dad

Back row - Jennifer, John, Stanley
Middle - Lenny, Maribeth, Wendy, Leah, Dad
Front - Eva, Kate, April

Stanley, Kate, Wendy and Alice