Eli's 1st Birthday!

We celebrated Eli's 1st birthday this weekend! What an adorable one year old! He loved blowing out his candle on his cake!

Meredith is ready to party!!!

Our attempt at a cousin photo. Meredith (8 months), Lauren (4 yrs), Eli (1 yr), Kyler (2 yrs old next week) and (Micah 2 1/2 yrs).

Hanging with Kyler!

We were so lucky to have Kyler (and Uncle Ryan too) come stay with us for the weekend. Lauren loved to have someone around to play with and Meredith loved watching the two of them play together. We loved hearing all about Kyler's love for lawnmowers. He cracks me up! Here is our attempt at a photo of the three.

If we could just get these smiles at the same time! How adorable!


Kyler was so excited when he first saw "the baby". He just wanted to stare at her. This picture cracks me up. They would both just stare at each other!

Kyler joining the Muller band (yes Lauren dressed herself).

Planting Time

We finally got our garden planted. Lauren was so excited to help put everything in the garden. We have a very small garden but fit in some radishes, onion, peas, zucchini, 2 varieties of peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and cucumbers. Lauren is my little gardener and loved helping with the planting process (although she was a little disappointed that we didn't plant any strawberries). She was so proud of her finishing touch with labeling the stick for the onions.

8 months old!

I am very content to sit and play with all of my toys. I like to grab my big sister's toys too, but she is pretty quick to take them back from me. I love my big sister and I have no desire to crawl because she loves to get toys for me. Whenever I can't reach mine or want something different, I just whine a little bit and she loves to get me whatever I want. I have a wonderful life!
I still love to eat any and all foods. I have gotten 2 teeth this month and I don't like that very well. I put almost everything in my mouth. I love love love bubbles! I started saying "ma ma ma ma" and "ba ba ba" all the time. I am a mommy's girl and get so excited when I see her that my entire body jumps for joy and and I jump up and down. I love my big sister and laugh at her all the time. We started to take baths together and I think that is so much more fun!
I try to grab anything I can get my hands on. I am still really loud! I like attention. I have crazy hair. My eyes are starting to turn brown. I like to bounce up and down. I love to be outside and ride in the stroller. Whenever I sit in the grass I love the way it feels so I grab it and throw it! People laugh at me when I do that, so I do it more!
I celebrated my first Easter. I went on my first Easter egg hunt and sat with the Easter bunny! I don't know what all the fuss was about.
I have been told that I am a funny girl. I am very strong willed (I don't know where I get that from) and will only do what I want to and when I want to do it. I have been told that I have great smiles! I really have been very happy this month, but have had a couple of bumps in the road with my first ear infection and continued runny nose and cough. My mom says she is ready for summer! I am finally starting to sleep through the night again. I try really hard to clap. It has been a busy month!

Happy Easter!!!

We spent Easter with my sister and her family. The kids have so much fun together and are so silly. I love to listen to them interact together.

Our lovely girls with their lovely ears!!!



What a sweetheart!


The bubble machine was a big hit!

Meredith (7 1/2 months) and Eli (11 1/2 months).

Hunting eggs!


The tradition lives on. The wonderful bunny cake was decorated so creatively by our little ones.

What a beautiful bunny Lauren (4yrs) and Micah (2 1/2 yrs)!


Meredith loving her new bubble machine this morning!

What a beautiful morning!

While I was getting ready this morning. I walked into the bathroom and noticed Lauren also getting ready. Did I stop her? No. I grabbed my camera instead and just watched her. The end result could use a little work, but she was so proud and said, "don't I look beautiful?"


Yes, Lauren you are beautiful!

Church/Coloring Eggs

We went to the Easter service at church on Saturday and then the kids enjoyed all of the festivities that the church was sponsoring.

Our family of four.

After church, our wonderful friends the Gardiners came over for some good ole Easter egg coloring.

Celie making some beautiful eggs.

Dominic displaying his egg. So proud.

Lauren with her egg. An athletic egg with a little bling (notice the crown on top)

While we were waiting for the eggs to soak in, the girls "egged" it up infront of the camera.

Silly.

Mad.

Surprised.

Thinking.

?? unsure what face this was.

A Hunting We Will Go

We went to the Waukee Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning. It was a little chilly out despite the fact it was in the 80's two days prior. Lauren was so excited to see the Easter bunny and couldn't wait to give him a hug! Since there were so many people there, and Lauren was in the 4 and under group, I told her to run for awhile before picking up the candy so the younger kids and kids behind her could get the candy and eggs that were closer to the start line. So, when they said go Lauren took off running and didn't stop. She was close to the end before she heard me yell stop and then she just stood there (amidst candy covering her feet). I told her to pick up the candy and she just looked at me, "I don't really like that kind". If it were any other kid, they would have had their bucket loaded. But it was Lauren and she was only taking the pieces she liked (smarties, gum, tootsie rolls, laffy taffy...no reese's peanut butter cups, no suckers, no chocolate). She only took about 10 pieces. Why was I encouraging her to load up her bucket full of sugar? Looking at it a day later now, I am glad that she was considerate to take only what she knew she would use.

Pictures from yesterday morning. Meredith did well and liked the excitement of everyone at the park.

Muller Easter

The Muller Easter was celebrated last weekend on Palm Sunday. Clayton and Lauren went down to the farm while Melanie stayed with Meredith (she had a fever and we didn't want to infect everyone). They enjoyed the time eating, flying kites, checking out the new baby calves and going on an easter egg hunt.

Ann, Jillian (14 months), Lauren (4 yrs) and Jennifer.



The inside Easter egg hunt.