Besties...the next generation

So everyone has those friends, the ones that you have known FOREVER and have way too much dirt on you.  One of those friends for me is Kristi.  We met when she moved to NY when we were 12 or 13.  She sat next to me on the bus and one day we just starting talking....and literally haven't stopped. haha!  Our friendship survived boyfriends, hobbies, hormones and one huge fight that had us not speaking for about 2 or 3 years. 


This is where it just gets plain weird.  We hadn't talked in a few years.  Couldn't remember why we fought but had both lost touch.  I moved to SC, we both went off to college still not speaking.  Out of the blue she called my number from NY.  It gave her our new number in SC (just days before the service cut off).  We reconnected and found out that she now lived in GA!  We were only a few hours from each other!  


Since then we have slipped right back into the friendship we had as teenagers.  The laughing, the tears, the heartaches and miracles.  We have stood up in each others weddings and watched our children grow up together.  We get together as often as we can and every once in awhile a giggle fit will still erupt.


Aiden is her oldest and was Natalie's first real friend.  She has always loved him (and him her) and they tolerate each other in ways that they don't tolerate other people.  They play together and sit together and generally just migrate towards each other like little magnets.  I am prepared for that to possibly change as they grow up but for right now I just love it and like to think that they will always be besties at heart.


We have photos like this all the way back to when they were teeny.  We don't pose them or put them together (notice their toes)....our littlest besties.


Last weekend Aiden told everyone that he was going to go visit Natalie and Alyssa much to Kristi's surprise since she knew nothing of this visit. HA!  So she called, we made plans and the rest is Sunday afternoon history.








 


Don't you just want to suck his cheeks off? 

Watering the dirt?  Of all the places the yard needs water and she picks the one spot with nothing there.  hee hee

It is fun to see our kiddles growing up together after spending our young lives learning how to be people ourselves.  What better way to spend a weekend than with generations of good friends.  <3

Easter... Easter...faux Easter and a million egg hunts.

Easter was super busy this year.  The festivities started with the egg hunt at Natalie's school.  Oh how adorable my girl looked in the ears that she made.  She SHOCKED me by actually wearing them the whole time!

This is Natalie and her friend Jade.  So adorable!!!

It is so crazy to visit Natalie's classroom and see her all independent and big girlish.  hahaha  When did this happen?   How is she already 5?  sigh

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Next up we headed to Bamberg to spend Easter weekend with Cliff's parents.  It is so awesome to be able to spend the holidays with family.  I grew up in the midst of a huge family and it is hard adjusting to holidays without "the crowd".  It is nice to be able to give the girls grandparents, their aunt, uncle and cousins on the holidays.  The Easter bunny finds us there every year.  How does he know we aren't home?  ;)

The day starts off with a small egg hunt before the big cousins arrive.  They were so stinking cute looking for eggs this year.  Natalie totally understood what we were doing and joined right in which is something I have waited a long time for.  It seems like such a small thing...to have your daughter know and want to look for eggs in an egg hunt but this is the first time that she really seemed to WANT to.  Which makes this mama happy.

"LOOK MOMMY!" 

Next up is getting dressed for church as the cousins arrive which means...time for the BIG egg hunt.  All four kids run around and find as many eggs as possible in this HUGE yard.  They had a blast!




 







...A little help from Aunt Tay <3

Natalie loves to sit and read with her Aunt Tay.  No matter what the reason for the get together, I will usually find them at some point in a quiet corner reading and giggling.

So sweet right?  I bet you thought this was the end... oh no, there is MORE Easterness!

We got home and realized that the Easter bunny (ahem) forgot to bring the goodies from GA.  Our friend Sabrina who is staying with us didn't have Chloe leading up to Easter so we had put off dying the eggs.  SO...we decided to have faux Easter the following Sunday so Sabrina and Chloe could do an Easter (and we could give them what we the Easter bunny had gotten them).  The Saturday after Easter we sat at the table and did all the eggs.  FUN!

 
Why yes, I did put the orange tablet into the yellow bowl.  I did it last year too...you should just move on now.

Notice my try at the retro look here.  The color was so messed up to begin with that I thought I would just play with it.  I am pretty sure I have a photo of me somewhere doing this exact pose only I think it was on Halloween.  RETRO!

This was Chloe's first time doing them and I think it passed her fun kid test. ;)


Ta-da!


By faux Easter morning Cliff and I were over the whole bunny thing.  I feel like we did about a million eggs hunts and we were just plain bunnied out.  The girls enjoyed their baskets and we did a collaborative sigh of "Thank goodness we can move on from the groundhog day that this Easter turned into".  hahaha!










This year was full of family, eggs and a new understanding for both girls of what this holiday entails.  It is so fun that they are both getting to the age where they truly participate because they "get it" not just because they are following our lead.  

 

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

This is the post that is dedicated to all of the cute pictures that I didn't have any other post to put them with. HAHA! Enjoy! 


Birthday fun!
First off, Natalie got a fun birthday package in the mail from Cliff's parents (ma-ma and Dodaddy).  We got right to work opening and oogling all that was in it.











LOVE YOU!!!!!

Sisters!
When Alyssa was born all I wanted was to have two little girls who would always usually enjoy being sisters.  I visualized cuddles and giggles and sisterly awesomeness.  They do not disappoint. 


...A little teamwork...

My new wife...
Our good friend Sabrina and her daughter Chloe have been staying with us.  The girls have meshed together like sisters and every once in awhile there is a moment of peace where we all think....peshaw, this is easy.  ;)




Bubbles!

Last week Alyssa and I met Natalie at the bus with a whole bunch of new bubble goodness.  One new gargantuan bottle of bubbles and we are ready for summer!

 




Notice the STILL favorite dress Kristi... this year it is a short little sundress instead of calf length but she is still workin it.  HAHA!





Anyone else notice the one blue bubble?  How cool is that?!

I love this time of year.  It is filled with birthdays and the first warm days of bubbles and playgrounds.  I love seeing my girlies in skirts and short sleeves.  I love that I now have two big girls who can enjoy each others company and really play together.  Grills and backyard pools?.... BRING IT!

The long awaited birthday post...

This is going to possibly be a post of few words and many photos since most of you are just here to see the photos anyway for this one.  hahaha

We had planned this big birthday bash at the neighborhood playground but as the big day approached people started falling like flies off our guest list.  By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around we were down to two of our good, good friends and Cliff's dad (Dodaddy).  We decided to just have it at the house since it was really warm out and the pollen count was INSANE.  All in all I think it was a birthday success and I cannot thank Jamie and Maggie (and families) enough for coming out to help us celebrate!!! 

Making her cupcakes.

 

Onto the big day!

 

Look at the intense concentration!  This is important stuff people!  







 

Did you feel like you were there? We hope so, we missed you all.  Happy birthday big 5 year old!