Easter Baskets

The girls love to find their Easter baskets. They had a hard time finding them this year! Larisa said she thought of a lot of great places to hide them while she was looking! They love the hallow bunnies. They love to cut off the ear and fill them with milk and then break up the ears and make chocolate milk. Does it taste good? Not really, but it is tradition. They also enjoy getting a church CD in their baskets. This year they really liked getting new CTR rings!

Larisa loved the new zebra print basket that she can use in her bedroom for girly things!

Just what Tiana didn't need, 2 more monkey LPS!!! She was excited about them!

Coloring Eggs

I always look forward to coloring eggs! It is so much fun to see what colors you can create by dipping and re-dipping! I look around blog land and I see lots of fancy ways to color them, but I really like the traditional. My favorite is when my girls present me with an egg that they have made just for me!! I love spending the time with my family!

Larisa is talking to her dad in the picture - I love her expression!

Tia waiting for the fun to begin!

Did you know where the tradition of coloring eggs on Easter started?? I read the other day that is started by coloring them red to represent the blood that Christ so freely gave.

Gull Lake Beach

We really wanted to go out to Lake Michigan over spring break. It is about 70 minutes to our favorite beach and with the distance and wind we decided not to go. So, we decided to go to the local beach instead and play! Larisa and her friend Megan decided that it would be fun to stay at home and they didn't join us. Tiana and her friend Eden decided it sounded like a lot of fun, so we headed out! I love Tia's friend Eden! She is a happy, delightful, polite and sweet young lady! We think the world of her and her family. The main beach wasn't open so we went to the boat dock and played on their smaller beach. It was 80 degrees, but there was a cool breeze, that made it a little bit chilly when the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

Tiana has my love for the water and she was so so excited to just be on the lake.

Tiana and Eden would wait in anticipation of each cold splash from the waves.

I love this picture of Tiana running from the waves.

After awhile they became acclimated to the temperature of the water and they had a blast playing on the beach.

Trying to jump the waves!

Looking for treasures on the beach!

I love that Eden always has a smile!

The girls spent a lot of lot time looking for fresh water sponges. They look so weird! Believe me, I know what they really look like!

Eden pretending to eat one!
I LOVED laying on the beach watching them! I loved the sun on my face, the wind in my hair and listening to the waves!! It was a wonderful day!

Spring Break - Meijer Gardens

Last year over spring break we made snowmen and I was determined to go to Texas and see my sister this year!!!! I looked and looked for affordable prices, but no luck!!! I still need my sister fix, so maybe I'll find a way to sneak down by myself. Anyway, this spring break - the weather was gorgeous!!! I was so excited!!! We were even in the 80's for a few of the days! We had a good time and I was so excited to see everything start to warm up. We decided to go to the Meijer gardens and see their butterfly exhibit. Tiana brought her great friend Andrew with us. He is such a good and fun young man! We just love him and his family. We were excited to see that Plainwell Ice Cream had re-opened and we HAD to stop and get some Ice Cream on our way out.

They have the best Key Lime Pie and French Silk Ice Cream!

Can you tell the girls are excited too!!

The gardens were beautiful and the flowers made me so excited for the change in seasons.

Then we were off to see the butterflies

What do you think of these strange looking butterflies?

The butterflies were beautiful and they were everywhere!! It was about 90's in the butterfly house!

Warmth+ butterflies+ flowers= Happy Valerie

This butterfly likes to rest on your finger. It is such a beautiful butterfly!

There were even some beautiful birds!

After the butterfly house we went our to the fun gardens!

Posing with the sculpture

Poor Larisa - they locked her in!!

Don't worry - She was able to get even!

They had this beautiful waterfall and it looked so inviting on a warm day!

Tiana and Andrew decided to really cool off, it is spring break after all!

The water was really cold - brain freeze!!

Getting ready to go through the maze.

Look at the cute little birds in the nest waiting for their mother bird to feed them.

Watch out 3 little pigs, your house will blow down!

It was such a fun day!! I love spring break!

St Patricks Day

Life has been a little busy lately and I almost skipped the day!! Still, the leprechauns managed to turn our milk green! We had potato soup and Irish Soda bread! For dessert - mint brownies - yum! It was a little later in the evening, but the leprechauns still managed to leave a golden trail(Rolos) to a special gift!

Next year I hope to teach the girls more about their wonderful Irish heritage!

Daddy Daughter Dance

Tiana was really excited to go to the Daddy Daughter Dance this year!! Chris had to go and pick up Larisa from a party and Tiana was excited for me to get her already and surprise Chris when he came back home! I loved styling her hair and getting her already!! We had so much fun together and she felt beautiful!!! We didn't get a new dress, but she wore last years Easter dress! She looked like a princess!! Chris let her pick where she wanted to go to dinner and she chose Wendy's - we will enjoy that pick while we can! They arrived at the dance and Tiana got her pretty corsage. They were at the dance from the beginning until the end. They danced almost every dance and had a blast. Some of the girls would dance a dance and then go and run off with their friends, but not Tiana - she would say hello to her friends, but was there to be with her dad! When they come home Tiana was on cloud 9!!! She said that it was the best night of her life!! She danced around the room just trying to relive the moment! She woke up in the morning still so excited! What a special Night for both Tiana and her wonderful dad!!

Daddy & Daughter!

Our beautiful Girl!I love that smile!
What a magical Evening!

Chris Buckley Memorial

We were so sad to not be at our our dear brother in law's funeral in Colorado, but they had a wonderful memorial in St Louis. We were blessed to be able to make the trip and go and spend a few days with family. They had a nice memorial with wonderful music and spoken word. Chris was asked to speak and he did a great job. It was a nice memorial but such a great loss! I took a picture of this picture at the luncheon following the service. I love it! We will miss Chris Buckley very much!

Chris' family - Mark, Megan, Jackie, Chris and Dianne

The girls - Megan, Jackie and DianneTiana outside at the luncheon