Monday after Easter

There are perks to being a teacher. Not only do you get to teach kids everyday but the holidays and breaks are FAB! I knew at a very young age I wanted to teach...I love kids and it's very rewarding (at times! haha)...but I also knew I wanted kids of my own and I want to be home with them as much as possible.  After Christmas, we get so many little breaks. There's President's Day, MLK, Spring Break, Easter Break...not to mention the 3 or 4 snowdays we got and a stormy weather day we got Wednesday!

Monday, we went to River Oaks Park. This is the best.park.ever. Super clean, not crowded, and nice playground!

Molly

Caroline

Drew and Avie Long Legs

This is the most precious little boy I've ever seen. I hope to have one just as sweet as him one day.

He's an absolute DOLL.  

After we left the park we decided to head to Sam's (to eat and shop)...have you ever eaten at Sam's?? They have the best hotdogs in the WORLD!

The girls all rode with me!

Easter 2011

 This year Avie has 2 Easter baskets. The Easter Bunny can never fit everything in the one on the right (this is her basket from the last 2 Easters...I made the basket liner and monogrammed it) so I made the one on the left this year to put her goodies in and she can use the other one to hunt eggs. The new one is metal and kinda heavy for her, so I didn't think it'd be a good idea for her to tote that one around!

Molly, Caroline, and Drew's Easter present from Avie

Look what the Easter Bunny left! (well, Chad and I got her a little something...on the left)

So I know it looks a little overboard, but really it wasn't that bad! There were EIGHT books! She loves books! More than any other toy she owns. I bought way too many for Christmas so I decided to put 5 of them up for Easter instead of giving them to her for Christmas.

This year the Easter Bunny didn't leave much candy. He did one little bag and then a couple of things of tic tacs...she loves fruity tic tacs. He usually puts books, clothes, a movie, and a few odds and ends in her basket. She gets so much candy at her class party that the candy the Easter Bunny brings usually never gets eaten...or Chad and I eat it. haha.

Chad and I had her a little gift...these dresses and bathing suit. I had already bought the dresses for summer, so I figured I'd go ahead and monogram them and "gift" them! The bathing suit was my fav! It is poppy and white striped seersucker! I can't resist Baby Gap.

Once all the excitement died down (and daddy made a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, and coffee cake muffins), Avie wanted to SWING, no doubt. This is what we do everyday from the time we get home until suppertime.

Avie got to sit with us in church and was such a good girl. She colored and read some of her new books. After church we went to my mamaw's house for Easter lunch.

This is Avie on Mamaw's front porch waiting to hunt Easter Eggs!

aaaaaand they're off!

Even Drew got to participate!

(there's an egg in that tree in case you can't see it!)

My cousin's twin boys, Britton and Braeden

US!





Grandmom's 80th (& dyeing Easter eggs with my girl!)

My grandmom (dad's mom) turned 80 last Saturday! We threw her a birthday party at her church's fellowship hall and it was such a good turnout! There were exactly 80 people there!

This cake was SO GOOD.

This is my mamaw (my mom's mom). Both sets of grandparents have gone to church together for years!

She got LOTS of gifts! I got to be the lucky one who wrote everything down, and if you've ever watched an 80 year old open gifts (including taking things out of the box they came in to get a better look at it)...then you know it can take a full day.

It was so funny because one lady bought her a Christmas glass hurricane candle holder and I asked her who she was. So she introduced me to her as her niece. I'm like "huh?". I told her I'd let it slide since she was 80.

Avie sang happy birthday to Grandmom and was so proud of herself. She sings that song everyday. And she uses my name in it so I always tell her "thank you, this is a wonderful birthday!".

Grandmom with her great-daughters.

Mom bought the girls matching dresses for an Easter gift so they wore them to the party.

Caroline and Avie having some cake

They played hard! I don't know if you can tell how tired and sweaty they look in this pic!

My cousin Mike and his fiance Ashley, Chad and Drew (my brother's youngest), sister-in-law Emmy, my cousin Heather, her daughter Laurashae, and her cousin Haley

Drew-Drew and Uncle Chad

THE JOHNSTON FAMILY

(minus a few) 

The girls were so upset we were taking a picture without them. You can tell Avie was crying and Caroline is begging Emmy to pick her up.

(my arm is awkward in this pic)

Drew is starting to take some steps!

When we got home...way past Avie's bedtime...we decided to dye Easter eggs. I'd already boiled them that afternoon. Avie really enjoyed putting the princess stickers on them.

And then daddy read "Peter Cottontail" to her before bedtime.

Church Easter Egg Hunt

This was our first year to attend the church Easter Egg Hunt. Of course she was too little to enjoy it her first Easter...and then I can't remember why we couldn't make it last Easter. Anyway, this is a lot of pictures, but she had SUCH a great time, I couldn't narrow it down.

(before we headed to the church)

She's so funny to me...



We met up with our friends Erica and Finleigh-Kate. Finleigh-Kate and Avie wanted to go through the blow-up tunnel together. I was shocked that Avie wanted to do this....because...

...this looks scary for a toddler!

...but they came out laughing and smiling!

...and then went to the jumpers!

...and then slid down the slide!

Getting ready for the Easter egg hunt! I let Avie go with the 3-4 year olds instead of the 2 and under. The 2 and under were basically "just started walking" kids and since Avie is almost 3, I thought it was more appropriate for her to go with them.

...but when they said "GO!", Avie freaked out! Those kids were like mustangs in a stampede. Seriously, they went nutso...and it scared her to death! I immediately picked her up and tried to help her. But those kids are swift! Avie got 1 egg. She was completely satisfied though...to get away from there! 

So we headed for the playground...

Look how long her legs are! She's my child for sure. With a daddy that's 6'4" and me, 5'9"...she's gonna be tall!

I wish we had the perfect tree at home for a tire swing...we have one at the camp and she LOVES it.

Avie's first pony ride.

She's REALLY into playing ball. We got her a Minnie Mouse t-ball set and she loves it.

This was the cutest train...made out of barrels and pulled with a Rhino. So fun! My camera battery died right after this pic so I didn't get a full shot of the train!

It was a super-fun day. Avie had a GREAT nap afterward and then she and Chad went down the road to his best friend's house to play while I started getting ready for my Grandmom's 80th birthday party!