He is Risen!

He is Risen, indeed!

I am thankful for the cross because it has given us forgiveness.
I am thankful the tomb was empty because it gives us hope.
Thank you, Jesus!

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

A Wintery Spring Break

Last week I was on Spring Break.
We didn't have any plans until the last minute when we decided to head up to Lake Tahoe for 4 days with some of our friends because it was going to snow!
We have had the strangest Winter/Spring here in California.
It didn't rain in December, January or February....our "Winter" felt like Spring, we had really nice weather. It was great!
In March and April, we have had rainy days & colder weather. It has been so bizarre.
We usually go to Tahoe during Christmas Break, but since there was ZERO snow there this year and I was on my death bed (aka: morning sickness) we decided to just stay home during Christmas Break and skip our Tahoe trip.

A snow storm was going to hit the Tahoe area over Spring Break and we wanted to get up there & have fun in the snow (even though it is April!!!). The girls love Tahoe & love the snow and we knew this was our last chance of the year!

I love the drive through the mountains up to Tahoe, it was so beautiful.
It felt like it was the middle of Winter, not mid April...but I LOVE it!

It continued to snow our first night there and when we woke up the next morning, there was a fresh blanket of snow covering the trees & deck:

My car, covered in snow:

We went up with our good friends who have girls about the same ages as ours.
The guys went skiing since it was a powder day & us girls stayed home to play in the snow!

The snow continued all morning....I LOVE the snow!!!!

I never bought snow clothes for the girls this year, but we had some old ones in our cabin that used to be my nieces, so my girls are rocking snow outfits circa the late 90's.

Snowball Fight!

Snow Angels!

The street was covered in snow, so we used it as a sledding hill.

I love that my girls love the snow as much as I do!

The next day, it had stopped snowing, so we decided to take the girls skiing for the day!
Here are the girls excitedly waiting for the ski shuttle.

One of my goals this year was to have the girls try skiing for the first time, but since we didn't come up over Christmas & since Tahoe barely had snow this year, I didn't think it was going to happen. So glad we got this Spring storm! Never thought I would have a lift ticket that said April 14th. Crazy!

Decked out in all their rental gear. I LOVE that kids are required to wear helmets while skiing. Protect those noggins!
A view of Kevin & Claire on the lift:

An attempt at a picture of Kate & I on the lift:

Because the ski resorts were closing the next day & it was so late in the season, the slopes were empty! It was such great time! This little ski resort is only 5 minutes away & only has 2 lifts, so it is the perfect place to teach the girls.

Family Photo on the slopes. Yes, that is my camera case over my shoulder. Priorities, people :)

Skiing while 22.5 weeks preggo. I really don't consider it skiing, since all I did is hold Kate down the hill (and it was a small hill). I couldn't miss out helping my girls learn to ski!

Claire was born to do this:

The girls, done with skiing for the morning & in great moods.
It was a great first experience for my girls & they did so well. (Of course, we were holding them the whole time!)

Back at the cabin for playtime:

Kate really wanted to go ice skating like we did last year, so we headed over to the Northstar Village for ice skating & dinner.

I love the Northstar Village, it reminds me of Colorado.

The girls, all excited to go ice skating!

And then, we get to the ice skating rink.....
.....it's just cement. They closed it for the season a few weeks ago because the weather was too warm. It was just cement with melted snow/ice on it:
Kate was NOT happy about this. She REALLY wanted to ice skate. So sad.
To cheer up the girls, we went on the cement ice rink anyways & told them to pretend they were ice skating and we told them we would get them S'mores. That cheered them up.

Running around the "ice rink".

That lasted about 5 minutes & then we got kicked off. Oops.
We went to dinner & then had s'mores. Surrounding the ice rink is fire pits with comfy chairs/couches.

These girls love s'mores! Good thing a random family gave us a bag of their marshmallows, graham crackers & chocolate because the S'mores stand was already closed! Thank you random family!

The next day we headed home. The skies were blue, the snow was melting and winter was behind us!

It was such a great time with our friends! It was relaxing and fun & the girls play so well together.

Lake Tahoe is my happy place, it is one place were I can truly relax & soak in the beauty around me. And, I read ALL 3 Hunger Games Books while I was gone. SO good!!! I couldn't put them down. Can't wait to see the movie!

Scenes from Easter Weekend

We had a fun filled & busy Easter Weekend that kicked off with egg dyeing at my in-laws on Good Friday.
Egg Dyeing concentration.
Cute bunny cupcakes my mother in law made with the girls:

Saturday morning was the Eggstravaganza at our church. It started at 10am. I finished sewing the girls bunny shirts at 10:01. (And never sewed the eye buttons on them. Oh well.)
Gotta love being a procrastinator.

2 Funny Bunnies.

Clearly, there is NO Bunny Phobia anymore. *Sigh*.

Keeping busy at the Eggstravaganza.

Back home on Saturday evening & picking the carrots from our garden so that we can leave them for the Easter Bunny.

These carrots started out as seeds last summer but we kept them growing for the reindeer at Christmas & now the Easter Bunny.

Sunday morning before church, the Easter Bunny seems to have left a trail....

{Last year, the Bunny left these tracks & the girls loved that he left them again this year}

The Bunny's trail continued in the house (but with bunny droppings)

The trail (of marshmallows) led them to their Easter Baskets.

I do the same thing for baskets each year...a couple of bathing suits, swimsuit cover up, flip flops & books) The only candy they get in their basket is the best Easter candy ever: Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs.

This year, Kate got 2 books and Claire got 1 book and a mini pillow pet that she has been begging for. Think she was excited?

Then it was time for the indoor Egg Hunt.

The girls would find eggs and give them to each other?!?! Who does that? It was so cute (and Claire started it) We'll see how long that lasts!

Love the colors!

Sorting the eggs by color. Be still my heart.

All ready for church with their curled hair.

2 peas in a pod:

My brown eyed girl:

After church, it was off to Mimi & Jimmy's for another set of Easter Baskets.

Then we headed to our family friends house for our annual Easter celebration.
I left my camera in the car, so I don't have any pictures.
It was such a great day & so relaxing at their house (the girls played with their youngest daughter the whole time!)
It was an Easter weekend filled with good food, great people and a heart thankful for what Jesus has done for us!