Thanks Easter Bunny

Easter is almost here, so a trip to meet the Easter Bunny was on the list of things to experience with the girls. We talked it up for days with Lilly, knowing it was highly likely she would wimp out once in front of Mr. Rabbit. Claire wasn't a concern given her young age.

We ventured to the mall, walked up to Mr. Rabbit's house and stood in line to meet him. Lilly was extra excited to be there, even waved to him multipled times from the line, said hello from a distance, and even told us "He's my friend." But when the big moment arrived, she was not willing to sit on his lap, sit on the chair beside him or even stand in front of him. Instead, she stayed in the safety of Rob's arms while Claire had her pictures taken. In polite Lilly fashion, she showed much enthusiam as we walked away from Mr. Rabbit's house exclaiming: "Bye Rabbit. Will you come to my house?" Enjoy the photo of Claire.

We'd better begin talking about Santa right away...

Claire's first introduction to the Easter Bunny

Culinary Creation...

Question:

How do you convince two little girls to eat beets?
Answer:

Beet cupcakes

Reminiscent of "glop" from Dr. Seuss

Taster Lilly ate her share.
If you are fond of tasty carrot-cake, you may also like beet-cake. Texture, ingredients and flavor are almost the same. Organic beets are always included in our co-op basket we purchase every few weeks, so instead of permanently scarring the girls by making them eat pickled beets, cake was the best option. This recipe was made possible by Cooking Light magazine. Add a little light-cream cheese frosting and they really can't be "beet".

Take a little trip... to Flag

As spring break drew to a close, we decided to travel north to Flagstaff for a mini- getaway. When packing, we were quickly reminded of the 10-million baby and small child items that needed to come with us. We packed everything from a portable crib for Claire, travel DVD player for Lilly and every necessity inbetween.

Our playground in the pines.

Notice the snow on the peaks.

Rockin' Dino

We arrived in Flagstaff to sunny skies and 60-degree weather, though snow remained on the distant mountain peaks. A beautiful park was our first stop, where we shared a picnic lunch under the pines and played for hours.
Claire the daredevil

Cuddle-bug Lilly loved her bed

Claire's first stay in a hotel.
She felt quite at home.

Claire had her first experience staying in a hotel... and did quite well with naptime and bedtime. Though, at bedtime, her portable crib found a home half-way sticking out of the room's closet. This clever positioning was the only way of "hiding" her from our view. Otherwise, she'd never go to sleep! Lilly did well in her queen-sized bed without guard rails. Rob even treated his girls to roomservice... ice cream topped cookies and pie. Lilly, Claire (and mom) were in heaven.

It was quite a treat to travel north to the mountains, even if just for a night.

A Huntin' We Will Go

Off on the hunt... feel the excitement!

Easter Eggs Already? Thanks to the local MOPS group at church, our girls enjoyed a fabulous Easter-egg hunt at Tumbleweek park. Claire was easily satisfied with just one egg, while Lilly filled her bag to the brim. At first Lilly stopped to open each egg, eat what was inside and then proceed to the next egg. Her routine quickly changed once she figured out she was wasting precious time as other children grabbed the eggs. At the end of the event, Lilly's bag was full. What a childhood delight! We can't wait for our next hunt... in our own backyard.

Claire's prized posession: one blue egg

Proud Lilly... look at my treats!

Our beautiful girls

Claire is fast approaching her first birthday. The photos that follow are Claire age 11mo and Lilly age 32mo. Claire's latest achievement is walking. Though she prefers to crawl due to the speed at which she can get around, she is gaining confidence in her walking abilities. Like a bird with wings stretched, Claire walks with her arms raised for balance. She manages 9 even 10 steps at a time. Surprisingly she is sturdier on not-so-sturdy surfaces such as a bed or clump of blankets. She now has 4 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom. Common names we have for her are "Bear" and "Carb-killer"... for her love of the almighty carbohydrate. Enjoy these latest photos... we extend a special thank you to Bec and her girls for the super-cute dresses!

Our darling Claire

Always full of smiles

Welcome Spring Break Visitors!

A wagon full 'o fun!

Cutie Kate... such a doll.

Spring break 2009 brought Kansas visitors. This year Aunt Amy, Grandpa Hamilton and Cousins Emma and Kate soaked up the Arizona sunshine. We spent a beautiful March Saturday at the Wildlife World Zoo where we fed Lorykeets, rode a log-ride, climbed aboard a choo-choo train, were amazed by the fish in the new aquarium and enjoyed time together. The weather was perfect for eating outside, playing on the swingset and being barefoot on the patio. Below are some photos from the weekend. Enjoy.
Aunt Amy, the bird whisperer

Feeding the birds with Grandpa Ham

Claire's latest passion: ice cream

Unattended Child

This is what happens when your 2 1/2 year old daughter named Lilly sneaks into your bathroom and helps herself to mystery beauty creams while you are not paying attention.

At 9pm she was supposed to be sleeping. Knowing that mom and dad were in the family room intently listening to The O'Reilly Factor on TV, she snuck into the master bathroom and helped herself. When finished, she proudly walked into the family room and shared a grin of satisfaction; knowing she had done something she was not supposed to do. Life as Lilly's parents is never dull... that's an understatement.