Easter Weekend

 (Great) Grandma Griffin's 80th Birthday Party was held up in Liberty at a Stake Camp. It was the Saturday before Easter.

 Rocks were climbed

 

 Eggs were found

 Ellie was in a skit depicting Grandma's life. She played Grandma. I thought she did a GREAT job!

 picking beans with Grandpa.

 Getting married...young.(She really did)

 Babies...and diapers

 Cooking and everything else!

 Grandma's Family. Missing the eldest brother, and a sister.

 Riding Penny. She was our horse a long long time ago.

waiting for Hannah

 Giddy-up all ready

 It was a BEAUTIFUL day at Grandpa Pate's house! .....and I forgot my nice camera. Grrrrr

The Easter Family pictures went crappy .....as per tradition.
 Photo credits to Grandpa Pate ;)

Love 'em anyways! ....and yes Barry is very Brown.

Lauren: just grin and bear it..grin and bear it.
Ellie: I AM a model and this is what I do
Emma: Please, I am a queen, why must I be subjected to this, take me away now!
James: This torture is extreme. Perhaps I should....No no, I shouldn't.

Firsts

Emma recently got to try her first solid food ...in the form of rice cereal.

Aunt Amy was honored with the feeding privilege....
Photo credits belong to Uncle Mo

                                                   
                                                Offered

                                                                                Tested

                                                                          
                                                 Considered

                                                                     
                                                                          Liked! :)

                                                                          
                                                                         ............Sort-of

Love Miss Blue! (Excuse the slight pink eye ....it has gone the rounds. )

Miss Emma

 an oldie. Miss my Natter Bugs!

 4 (almost 5 month) check up!

The Doc said. "Jill, you do not have a small baby."

hah aha haha ha. Must be why she doesn't fit into any of her clothes.

Emma
14.5 pounds. (50th percentile) 26 inches long (90th percentile!)

 
 

 Em starting to get suspicious of what we are doing at this familiar place....and what the nurse is doing with the needles

 Emma singing to me!

 a few months back I got a Taste of Home flyer in the mail with a picture of a snowman sugar cookie on it, James fell in love with it. He has requested it many, many times. When he came down with pink eye and his soccer practice got canceled. I felt it was my duty to cheer him up. We made the cookies for family night. It was fun. I think we were still frosting and eating cookies at 9pm! :)

Lauren had a major temper tantrum and burst blood vessels all over her face from crying. She's had these cute looking freckles all week. This little girl knows how to throw a fit.

April

 I know what you're thinking.......

C


  

Chickens in the house?!?
 

Emma wouldn't stop moving, so these are a bit out of focus, but you get the idea, she's super cute!

Beware the Ides of March

James turns 5!

James' birthday was a super mellow day. I'm not sure if the kids were on the verge of getting sick or everyone was just super tired, but as you can see from the pictures everyone looks half-asleep.

It was a good day though, Grandma and Grandpa came up, and Amy and Mo.
We had pizza and spicy juice. James was excited to see everyone and get soo many present.

I can't believe how big my little boy has gotten. I love him so much!

Amy and Mo brought up kites for all the kids, that was super nice of them, they have had fun flying them.

 The SOFT swords James has been requesting for months!

 Amy and Mo also gave him some Legos which he has spent countless hours playing with and some spicy juice!

 Lauren is ready to pounce on the cupcakes!

First try! I think all his wishes came true!

PS (I swear that pizza is on a pizza stone, it just looks like we threw it on the table....)(Oh! AND there was an exciting fire in the oven. Barry said .."Um, Jill there is a fire in the oven, and then he just walked out of the room and went about his business." It made a rather smoking tasting pizza, but oh well!)