AS I already said, the last week in March was just crazy - the whole month of March was nuts - tons of work! We did find some time in that last week for fun. Shane, Madison & I met Jami and Charlie for an afternoon of bouncing fun! Lilli was at Jami's mom's house for a long weekend. Shane loves Charlie and Lilli and could not wait to see them. Here are a few pictures - one after jumping and 2 at Culvers for lunch.
Maddie also turned 7 months old in that crazy week. Here are her adorable 7 month pictures in her Notre Dame jersey.
Passover was wonderful this year. My Aunt Joan hosted it and we all had a lovely time. Brad changed up the seder this year and it was wonderful & so meaningful. Dan and I read the Dr. Seuss version of the 4 questions. Shane was not yet ready to read the actual 4 questions so Eric stepped up again! I love my family! If it was not for Shane's newfound love of photography, we would have very few pictures from the evening. Thankfully Shane got ahold of the camera and took many. Unfortunately that also means a few heads are chopped off here and there! The funniest part of the evening came when Shane decided that Brad's niece Carly was named Jenny. We have no idea where that came from as he does not know anyone named Jenny. It was so funny because Shane LOVES Jenny and had a blast playing with her all night! Here are two pictures I took of Shane and Carly AKA Jenny.
Ok, here are a few pictures Shane took. Note the picture of my Aunt Joan's clock - Shane is obsessed with it. There were 5 pictures of it on our camera! There were also about 10 pictures of 'Jenny', and many of parts of Shane's face as he tried to take his own picture! I left those out, but included some that someone else - maybe 'Jenny' took of him. Shane loved taking pictures of the couch so anyone sitting on it (Jorie & Jason) was photographed a lot. Again, I apologize for the cut off heads. These are the best shots we have. Shane loves to take pictures! Another favorite might be the shot he took of Eric's camera that shows Shane in the view finder!
Here are a few more - Shane captured the guys sitting around the table chatting, Eric taking pictures, Aunt Joan serving up some drinks, and Jorie making some silly faces!
OK, here are my last Passover pictures - Uncle Jason with his favorite (OK only, but she would be his favorite if he had many) niece Madison. I took these. :-)
After Passover dinner, it was time to start preparing for Easter. It is tough to be an interfaith family in the spring! There is always something going on! My favorite story is when Shane and I were eating egg matzah and Shane looked at the box with the eggs on it & said, "Did the Easter Bunny bring me this Passover matzah?" I had to stop myself from laughing out loud! You see we had just dyed Easter eggs so when he saw eggs on the box... I love it! Anyways, here are the pictures from the Easter egg dyeing. We used the no spill cups again - nothing fancy - just straight colors this year. Maybe we will get fancy next year! Shane loved it this year & Maddie just observed. My laid back girl is just happy to be in the mix. I apologize to my wonderful husband for the shot of him in his undershirt, but it was the only one of all of the eggs in the basket.
We could not forget the annual visit with the Easter bunny! Here are Shane and Maddie in their Easter clothes with the Easter bunny!
Easter morning was a thrill for Shane - he could not wait for the Easter Bunny to come so we went right down to see what the Easter Bunny left him as soon as he got up in the morning. Maddie was still asleep. Shane got a present (a hop on ball) & a basket from the Easter Bunny. His basket had a chocolate bunny, two videos, a book, a stuffed bear in a duck costume, and some small things like a poseable bunny, dinosaur figurines, sidewalk chalk etc.
When Madison got up, we were able to get her dressed before she opened her basket. Here is Madison on her 1st Easter - isn't she stunning! I swear she looks like a doll!
And here she is opnening her basket, with a little help from Shane! Madison got a present (an Elefun Ball Popper) and a basket with some toys, teethers and books from the Easter bunny! I think she liked everything!
I had purchased some bunny ears from the Target dollar bin and was determined to get a picture of both Shane and Maddie wearing their ears and smiling. I tried really hard, but never got the two smiling together - if Shane was smiling, Madison wasn't or vice versa. The pictures are still cute though!
we have Easter and always have a house full! We love it! This year we had Dan's parents, my parents, John & Geri, Joey & Danny, Colleen, Bill, Liam, Julia & Baby Charlotte who was 6 days old on Easter, our friends Cathy, Dan & Alex & family friend Bob & Lynn. Jack & his girlfriend Erin were on vacation.
Dan's parents were one of the first to arrive for Easter so we got pictures of them both with Maddie.
We had an Easter egg hunt which was great fun! Here are the pictures of Shane, Alex, Liam & Julia hunting for eggs! This year we cut the yard into thirds and hid eggs for Shane and Alex on one side, Julia in the middle, & Liam on the other side. We did that so Julia, who is just 18 months, could easily find her eggs. Liam, who is 6, needed a challenge so we really hid his eggs & Alex & Shane were kind of in between needing a challenge and needing an easy search.
After the egg hunt (which Maddie napped through) it was time for the baskets! Maddie also napped through that! Shane and Madison were spoiled rotten with baskets/presents from John & Geri, Colleen & Bill, Dan's parents, my parents, & Bob & Lynn. There are no pictures of Maddie opening her baskets/presents since she was asleep. Charlotte was nursing at the time as well, so no pictures of her opening her basket either.
After the egg hunt and basket opening, it was time for play!
There is nothing like a little running around to make kids hungry! We had yummy cupcakes from Aunt Geri, peanut butter rice crispy treats, macaroons for the Passover folks, and a bunny butt cake. I found the cake idea on a web site and thought it was adorable! I think he turned out cute. The bunny is digging in the dirt!
OK, here is everyone relaxing! I need to take more pictures of people at Easter - I manage to get the events photographed, but realize I have no pictures of my kids and all of the guests, etc. In fact, this picture of John & Geri with Charlotte is the only picture I have of the baby from the day! Oh well, here is what I do have!
The next morning Shane & Maddie had baths - there was no time for baths Easter evening. Anyways, when I was getting them dressed, Shane could not stop hugging Maddie so I went and grabbed the camera. I love how much they adore each other! When I was telling that to my mom the other day, she pointed out that my sister and I were never like that. In fact, when my sister came home from the hospital and a neighbor was holding her, I apparently scratched the neighbor because she was not paying enough attention to me. I sure am glad shane is not like that! Here are my cuties!
OK, here are my final Easter & Passover pictures - they were not taken on easter or during Passover... I got Maddie this super cute Kosher for Passover onesie - I had never seen anything like it before so I bought it. Unfortunately, it only came in one color and she looks like a boy in it. I had her wear the matching bib over her dress on Passover, but she looked so pretty, I never put her in the onesie. I also purchased a 'My first Easter' outfit which was girlie and adorable, and she did wear it before Easter - on egg dyeing day. However, she is wearing a bib in all of the pictures so you can't see it! Anyways, I put her in both outfits for some pictures after the holiday craziness wore off! Here they are!
Dan & I had tickets to see Bruce in the USA - a Springsteen cover band - and Jorie and Jason came over to babysit! I love my sister & my brother in law. Anyways, I gave them the camera and asked that they take pictures. They didn't, but Shane took a few! Here is Thunder laying down & Jason searching the fridge for food!
Here is a picture Shane took the next day of Dan & Maddie.
Here are some random pictures I have taken of my beautiful daughter!
Finally, here are some pictures of Shane and Alex at the park the other day! They had so much fun just running around!
OK, done here! Finally caught up! Shane & Maddie want to wish their Mommy & Daddy a happy 8 year wedding anniversary (It was April 2nd - can you believe Dan has put up with me this long?) & a happy April birthday to their cousins Bobby & Alex & Shane's buddy Alex!
