Happy Easter!
Thank you to my mom who sent the girl beautiful Easter dresses and Emmett a handsome suit. The girls loved it (except one wasn't too thrilled to be matching the other girls- can you guess who?)
Make-up train before church. The girls love it when they get to wear make-up.
Grandma Martinson sent us some fun games in the Easter package. We loved playing the Prophets and Apostle match game and the New Testament Bingo. Thanks Grandma!
Easter!
Easter egg hunt
Ashlyn is getting so good at doing her own hair. She is in the phase of doing a ponytail everyday. She just learned how to do her own bun!
We got a special package from Aubrey. She sent us each an individual letter and the girls each got a heart necklace that has their name on it. They absolutely love it!
We love playing outside! Love the spring weather!
I love watching the sisters love on Emmett. Ashlyn is reading a book to him. Everyone loves their Emmett time!
We have a family rule (sometimes I feel like it is more of my rule because Derek is usually the one begging to break it) that we don't swim on Sundays. Since moving to Lufkin, each Easter the girls get something swim related in their baskets and this year it was swimsuits. So we had to go swimming to test them out.
Easter dinner.
Licking his plate all clean! It was that good!
Derek and I were able to go to Dallas this past weekend on a business trip that was paid for my a dental rep company. That evening we walked around the area and it was so nice. We window shopped, walked around a water fountain/park, and got gelato.
The next day we spend the WHOLE day with Derek's CPAs going over finances and taxes. I thought I would be super bored, but it was a cool experience. It made me appreciate experts in their chosen field. It was fun to go over our finances and overlook our goals for the futre.
The rep company also gave us a giftcard to a super nice steakhouse and man it was good. It was super fancy! After we walked around and Derek and I were talking about how uncomfortable we felt. We were surrounded by people that were very well to do. We were walking around a mall near the steakhouse and it just reminded me that money doesn't bring happiness, relationships bring happiness.
The next morning we went to a dental showroom because Derek is going to remodel his practice (which is desperately needed). We looked at different equipment and discussed our plans with a man who will help us on this endeavor. After our meeting, Derek and I decided to go rock climbing and we had a blast! It was my very first time going and I was a little nervous, but thought it would be fun. Well in Texas, every school is out for Good Friday so there were lots of kids there and it was so awesome to watch. I didn't think I could lift myself up and then watching and learning from these 5-teenages I thought, "If they can do it, so can I."
This experience was so empowering for me. It helped me realize that I am stronger than I think I am, I can do hard things, and rock climbing is fun and exhausting! Derek and I went to the top 6-8 times. It was so awesome. We want to go again and take the girls.
Look how tall these climbs are....so empowering to think I made it to the top a number of times! Heck yeah!
We got a tornado near us a week ago and it hit really hard about 30 miles from us. We didn't know really the extent of damage that was done until we drove by on our way to Dallas. 40-50 ft trees were knocked down with their roots out of the ground on top of houses and they were destroyed. It was so sad to see. I couldn't get a good picture, but it can give you an idea of what it looked like.
We got home from our getaway and we wanted to soak up the time outside with the kids. We were outside all day long. We played golf, ball, tennis, bikes, and swimming.
Brinley has been wanting to have a Jo Jo Birthday for months and that is when I learned who Jo Jo was (I can't believe I am that mom- ha ha). This girl got all JoJo stuff and was so happy when I would call her Jo Jo all day long.
We took her out of school to go on a birthday date and she wanted a resturant that would sing to her. Well I wasn't going to take her to a resturant so I gave her two choices: chick-fil-a or subway. She was so happy!
I told the worker that it was her birthday and she gathered some workers to sing to Brinley. She was beaming with excitement!
After I got the girls from school, we had a Jo Jo Concert. We watched a few of her music videos on YouTube and had a dance party.
We officially have a six year old in the house!
Brinley wanted to do a unicorn pinata
Derek and I were able to do our Friday night date night with Brinley and she had this all planned out. We went to the zoo park to play, had McDonald's for dinner(she really wanted that happy meal toy), Orange Leaf for dessert, and then go back to the zoo park to play until dark. She is so much fun and we are so blessed to be her parents! We love her so much!
She loved how wherever she went we would swing her in the air!
We love Thursdays having Derek home. We went for a family bike ride after lunch to enjoy the nice weather!
These two zonked out on the ride.
This dude loves to play in water.
He can't get enough of it...
He is drinking the water. ha ha
We have never had this rose bush bloosom so much! It is beautiful!
It was pretty funny, Claire was sorting out the nickels and she would look for the "furniture" on the tails side. ha ha.
Derek is teaching Ashlyn's class for the next two days about economics for Jr. achievements. They are both excited!
Ashlyn was at activity days and Brinley has a hard time going to sleep without her. She asked Derek if they could play Uno until she got home. What a sweet dad!
These girls love to Facetime Nana and it is especially special now that they get to see their cousins Amberlin and Riley. They absolutely love it!
