Happy Easter

We had the annual kids' spring party at our house today. Some years it is a Shamrock party and other years it is an Easter party. For a while this year, the party had an identity crisis due to the holidays being so close together. But, in the end, it worked out to be an Easter party.

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. We hit a high of 75 here in Willow Spring. Wow! And, double wow!!!

The kids did the usual assortment of crafts, and I was happy that we got through the ones I wanted to do and that the kids were into them today.

We ate...lots. Chick-fil-A nuggets followed by cupcakes and cookies and of course the bingo (candy) markers.

The kids got to do an Easter egg hunt and a 3-legged race. Next year, a sack race for sure!

It was great seeing everyone. The kids were all really good today. Fun!


The rest of the pics are here.

Signs of Spring

I noticed the first butterflies of the season earlier this week flying through the yard. Usually I spot them on my azalea bushes along the front of the house, but those aren't quite in bloom yet. Then, while I was outside with the boys this afternoon, I saw a bunch of them on one of my yoshino cherry trees. It was tough leaning my neck back to track the butterflies and snap these pics, but I'm glad I didn't give up. These are pretty cool:-)

My bradford pear tree is about done. My forsythia is in full bloom. The late blooming daffodils are going strong. Azaleas are waiting for just one more day to burst open. It's a pretty spring. Jack Frost stay away!

The rest of our late afternoon pics are here.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

The cute little Leprechaun is gone, and the Easter Bunny has arrived! For a mom that does a lot of decorating and holiday preparation, having the two holidays within the span of 1 week is a bit much! But, hey, I do what I gotta do. The boys were thrilled to come out this morning to find that I'd put up the Easter Bunny after they went to bed last night. The rest of the photos I took are here.

For a trip down memory lane, take a look at Joey from 3/26/04/. He's about 18 months old, and I'm pregnant with Johnny.

The Wheel Is Turning!

The boys and I visited Yates Mill Pond again today. We've been so many times recently that I've forgotten how many times we've been now. Besides being a gorgeous 60+ degree day, they were running the water wheel and actually grinding corn today. For $5 (kids under 6 are free), the boys and I were able to go inside on the ground floor and learn a lot of cool facts about the mill. We saw how the mill grinds corn up close:-) It was really quite fascinating to hear the tour guide talk about the mill even if the kids were spinning around like tops for part of the tour. Of course the highlight for me was getting to take pictures of the mill with the waterwheel turning. Wow! And double wow! We walked the loop around the lake and spent a few minutes inside the 'museum' building too. Nice:-)

On the way home, we stopped by Lake Wheeler Park to feed the ducks. The seagulls ended up coming over too (that's never happened before at the fishing pond). Of course I took more pictures.

Enjoy the few pictures imbedded below, or go here for the rest of the pics.