Easter Trip, Part II

After my nap we loaded up in the car and drove to Concord so that I could see some horses at my Great Aunt Jayne's horse barn!

My cousin Kristen was giving riding lessons so we went in the barn to see the horses close up!

Horses like to eat carrots and candy canes. Aunt Jayne gave me some to feed to the horses. The horse I am feeding in this picture is just as old as me!

I thought it was pretty funny to feed a horse!

After feeding it, I decided I was a little scared of putting my little hand so close to something so big and wanted to keep my distance...

...but I enjoyed eating candy canes, just like the horses!
I went back outside and watched the kids riding horses for a little bit and then Aunt Jayne asked if I would like to ride a horse as well. I was really excited!! Aunt Jayne took me back into the barn to get a horse ready to ride. We had to brush her first.
I was really excited to get on!
Up I went onto the tall horse's back!

It was so much fun!!

I sang the horsey song that Ms. Dolores sings at the library, and I thought that was fun too!

Daddy thought it was fun to try to make faces like the horses!

What a blast!!!!

Our Easter Trip to NC, Part I

Our annual trip to NC is always at Easter time. This year we left early on Thursday morning and made it to my parents house by 2:30 in the afternoon. Jocelyn was an angel the whole way down. She travels very well! Maybe it was the extra room we had in our new car!!

Once we got there, Jocelyn enjoyed relaxing in MeMe and Papa's back yard!

They also played ball...

...and bubbles.

MeMe made yummy cupcakes!
On Friday we went to a park nearby. It had great slides!!
The park was near a place where boats launch into the lake, so we watched a couple boats go out.
Then we went home for lunch and a nap because after nap I had something else fun planned...

More Easter Festivities!

Last night we dyed Easter Eggs at Grandma's house. It looks like I was really into it here, but after I put these eggs into the dye, I was pretty much over the whole process and ate some pound cake instead!

This morning, Mommy, Daddy and I went to eat Pancakes at Dennis and Heather's church, then we went to Trax Farms for an Easter Egg hunt.

I waited on this bench while Daddy bought a ticket for me to participate in the egg hunt, and gave Mommy my cheesy smile for the camera.

We walked up the hill to find eggs.

Gee, where's the part where I actually have to hunt for the eggs? They are laying right there in the grass!

Afterwards, I got a prize!!

Then I got to ride on the Choo-Choo!!

I really wanted to bounce in the big bouncy place, and I had fun for about 45 seconds until more kids got in. Once they were jumping around I couldn't stay on my feet anymore and then it just wasn't fun!

Then I spotted the Easter Bunny and ran over to give him a big hug!

He must have thought the hug was a free pass to pick me up, but it's not really what I had in mind.

Daddy came to save me, but Mommy had to take a picture before I was rescued.

After that, we went home. Luckily Mommy and Daddy got me to Trax in time for the very first Egg hunt at 10:30, because by the time we made it through the farm shop and to the parking lot it was raining.

Maybe the next time I go on an Egg hunt I will actually have to look for the eggs, but for now, this was pretty fun!

An Easter Event

We went to an Easter Bunny Bash at a church near our community this morning so Jocelyn could see the Easter Bunny. They had lots of candy, clowns, games and of course the Easter Bunny. Jocelyn was a little off since she has been sick, but still had some fun!

Fishing...

Golfing

Admiring the Easter Bunny from afar!

"I don't want to sit on his lap."

She would shake his hand and give him five, though...

An Attempt at Cute Cookies

So, part two of PALS treats didn't turn out quite as cute as part one! I found the recipe for the following cookies here.

They had a picture that looked like this:

Super cute, right?

Well, I spent hours making these silly cookies, and they don't look like the picture above!
Here's my best:

Not too bad, But there were very few that looked as good as that one.

Most looked like this:

But some looked like this:

And even worse, a couple looked like this:

They should put disclaimers on these cutesy recipe sites!!!

Hummingbird Nests: An Easter Treat

Jocelyn has a PALS Easter party coming up on Wednesday and we are bringing some treats to share with her friends. I couldn't decide on just one treat, so we are making two. Today we made these Hummingbird Nests and tomorrow we will make Easter Egg Sandwich Cookies! Jocelyn loves doing anything in the kitchen and is a very good helper!

Click here for a link to the recipe, in case you want to make some nests of your very own!

The Newest Member of Our Family!

No, the baby did not arrive early, but her anticipated arrival gave us the push we needed to finally buy a new car!!!

After months of searching we found "the one" and we actually purchased it!

We looked at a few other cars before we were even pregnant with baby 2, but we just didn't feel like we actually needed a new one. Sure, the Civic was tiny, but it was safe and reliable. Yes, it was a hassle getting Jocelyn into and out of her car seat, but that didn't really give us the push we needed to buy a new one. It would have been nice to have a bigger car, but it just wasn't necessary.

Once I got pregnant again, the thought of having a car that I didn't have to bend over into the back seat, hoist Jocelyn up and over the side of her car seat, all while trying not to hit her head off the interior roof became appealing once again, but it still didn't mean we wanted a monthly car payment, so we put if off a little longer. Now, with baby's arrival only about 3.5 months away, and seeing that having two car seats in the back of the Civic was going to be practically impossible, not to mention the lack of space when it came to travelling with two children, we bit the bullet. We knew we had to do it. The time felt right, the price looked right, and the car looked great.

We drove an hour north of Pittsburgh to look at it. Todd said we would NOT be coming home with a car, but I brought the title to the Civic with us, just in case. ;) Well, we did end up saying goodbye to the Civic yesterday. OK, maybe just Todd said goodbye--I said good riddance! I was the one doing most of the Jocelyn hoisting anyways, and this belly isn't getting any smaller!

Anyway, here she is and we already love her:

Welcome home 2007 Honda Pilot! Be a good car and don't give us any problems! You may take up the entire driveway, but we love you anyway! :)

A Beautiful Day for a Picnic!

We have really been enjoying this streak of warmer, sunny weather. Even though we don't have the patio furniture uncovered yet, we couldn't pass up a great day for a picnic!

The Highlight of Her Day!

Tuesdays are library days--one of Jocelyn's favorite things to do!

Miss Dolores is head of Children's Services at the library and does the Book Babies program as well as the Toddler program. Jocelyn, who affectionately calls Miss Dolores, "Es" is one of Jocelyn's favorite people! She runs a wonderful program that both the children and parents enjoy! As for Jocelyn, she just loves going. I actually think she would be fine if I just dropped her off at the door and left her there until the program was over. I can't tell her we will be going to the library without her wanting to go immediately, and if I make the mistake of telling her at bedtime the night before, I will not be greeted with my normal "Mommy!" in the morning when I go to get her, but with, "Babies? Es? Bye-Bye?" She just can't wait to go to the library to see all of her friends and Miss Dolores!

The following picture is of Jocelyn with Miss Dolores back in June. I need to get a more up-to-date picture sometime soon!

Today, after the Toddler program, Miss Dolores was stamping the children's hands. Jocelyn LOVES getting these stamps and it is truly the highlight of her day!

Jocelyn got a sheep stamp today! For the rest of the day we she will dodge washing the tops of her hands. She will want the sheep to last until Daddy gets home so she can share her "eep" with him as well!

Thank goodness for Library Tuesdays!!!