Catching Up...

Yet another busy weekend...

Cary took off of work on Friday, mostly to relax and just have some time to himself. Actually, he and Chester went to visit his dad, and from description, it was a pretty nice, good day involving a car wash and a geo-cache hunt.

When I got home from work, I was surprised with the Sherlock Holmes dvd, 2 Alice In Wonderland drinking glasses, a yummy candy bar (never had it before--but I want more now!), and Brylee got an adorable little dress that Cary spontaneously purchased for us. Yes, we are very loved and spoiled!

We took the dress back to Target because it was a 3 month size, and while Brylee can wear it now, I wanted her to be able to wear it longer--it is so cute! So now, she has a 6 month size dress that is pretty big on her, but the bloomers crack me up because they are falling off of her little rear end! Cary has great taste--I think I'll have him pick her clothing from us from now on!

On Saturday, Cary and I took the two little ones to Cary's parents' house where we had a delicious meal of bar-b-que, mashed potatoes, and delicious Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. We played a couple of games of Bananagrams (if you've never played, it's so fun!), and then said goodbye to our sweet baby, dropped off Chester at my parents house, and went to church.

After church, we had big plans to go to dinner and then to swing dance, something we haven't done in over a year. I miss it a lot, and would do it more often, but the hard part is, they start so late at night. 8:00 for a trainer/refresher, and then the big fun starts at 9:00. And these days, come 9:30, I'm ready to sleep.

So we had dinner at Carinos, and by the time we were out, we were so drowsy from the food, we did exactly what I suspected we would do: went home and fell asleep. Alas, swing dancing, how I yearn for you--someday, I will be rested and ready to go again!!!

Sunday was a Jarvis family-chaotic fun day. Cary, Brylee, mom, dad, and I met my aunt Amy, cousin Stacy, and Granny at Fuddruckers in Grapevine for a delicious lunch of burgers. I love eating here, especially since you can 'dress' your burgers the way you want. The most memorable of the dressing? I happen to grab way more pickles than I wished. I literally had enough for the entire table! Mmmm...

Afterwards, we all headed to Grapevine Mills, where we managed to walk, lose someone who went into a store, find said person, start walking around again, slow down because we were all window shopping, see a train go through the mall about 5 times, hurry up just to slow down again.

Look for hats (for Brylee), found adorable hats (for Brylee), and never got said hats (for Brylee). See a little girl that didn't look much older than Brylee (must have been the lack of hair), but then when we saw her in the Disney store, she was walking! Mom found out that she is actually 1 year old! So, now we have a glimpse of what our little one will look like when she starts walking!


Oddly enough, I didn't get much in the way of pictures, but here is one of the 2 lone guys taking a break while the women went crazy at Old Navy. Cary found some coloring pages, and dad just went into his own world, probably glad to be free from the crazy ones for just a short time.


Old Navy is where mom found a couple of adorable outfits for Brylee to have and wear for the summer time. What a lucky kid!

In other news, we started Brylee on the fun colorful foods last week, starting with green peas. She was not the most fond of them, making faces every time we snuck a spoonful in. She would lock up her lips and refuse to take anything else in, just in case it was more green goo. We would alter the peas with her rice cereal, which she readily ate and was eager for another bite, but once the green snuck in again, her lips locked up once more...



On Sunday it was time to try a new veggie, so this time we opted for carrots, with a much better result. She still makes the occasional face, but I think it is because she is getting used to something other than bland. But she doesn't lock her lips up and willingly takes in more bites. Tonight we will hopefully finish up the last of the open carrot container, and then time to decide what to experiment with her on next!


Poor kid has been learning and playing hard these last few days.
I put her in her high chair last night to get ready for another feeding after she fell asleep in my arms. Oddly enough, the kid never woke up, and only did so as I moved her around to get a bib around her neck.



She's growing so much!

Successful Treasure Hunting

On Thursday, Cary and I stepped out once again to go geocaching, or as I like to think of it, treasure hunting.

We trekked back to the bus stop where we attempted our last hunt, and this time, Cary immediately saw it. How? It was a tiny, thin black box attached to a black bench!

But none the less: Success!

After signing the log and taking pictures, we headed home, plotting out our adventures for the future hunts. It gives a fresh look to going walking, making me eager to get out there, even as the summer heat looms in front of us.

On Saturday, Brad, Faith, and Helen came to Dallas for a visit, and Brad and Helen, being seasoned geocachers, decided that we should go on another treasure hunt. So during the rainy, cool afternoon, we all headed out to a location about a mile away seeking to get our hands and feet muddy. Ok. Not really muddy. But it sure does make for good writing!

We found the cache, signed our names (no hidden treasure--just a log), and walked our way back home, to where we found a sleeping baby, 2 grandparents, and some delicious food.

Sunday was almost another treasure hunting day, this time with my dad, but due to the rain, we decided to wait for a little less dampness.

I really enjoy this hunting thing, and maybe perhaps someday we will hide our own cache. Maybe I'll even dress as a pirate when we trek our way to 'find ye treasure'. Or, maybe I'll just hold onto Chester's leash or push Brylee's stroller.

Arrggghhh!!!!

Brylee Is 5 Months!

On Sunday, our little one turned 5 months!

I love this time in her life because she is changing so much, and everyday more and more personality bursts through.

According to www.babycenter.com, this is what we can expect to see in her:

Homing in on sounds

Your baby now realizes where sounds come from, and she'll turn quickly toward a new one. One of the easiest ways to engage her is to jingle a set of keys. Wind chimes are great attention-getters, too.

Your baby may now be able to recognize her own name and understand that you're speaking to her when you say it. You may notice that your little one turns her head when you call her or talk about her with others. If you want to engage and entertain your baby, all you need to do is talk to her. At this age, babies don't learn language from the television or radio, so turn them off and use real dialogue instead.

A growing range of emotions

Your baby can't express her emotions in the same complex way that you can. Although she can let you know in clear ways when she's angry, bored, or happy, her ability to show love and humor are just developing.

Your baby also shows a strong attachment to you by raising her arms when she wants to be picked up and by crying when you leave the room. She may also give you hugs and kisses. And she's beginning to get the joke — she'll laugh at funny expressions and try to make you laugh, too. Keep the laughter flowing with your silly faces!

• Brylee loves to smile--especially at her daddy, Opa, and B-Pa. She'll also watch every move her daddy makes with such interest, and no matter how much he tries to 'scare' her, she just smiles, giggles, and screeches at his attempts. Funny because when we don't intend to scare her, she is always jumpy!


• She is at a stage that everyone is amused by her 'talking', and her caretakers at daycare say that she is really funny because she entertains herself in her crib during naptime that way.


• She is showing some signs of teething, but from what we can tell, nothing yet. She is putting everything in her mouth, and seems to love when we give her a blanket or burp rag because she squeals and it instantly goes to her face to 'snuggle' (and go in her mouth).


• We borrowed a friend's exersaucer, and her Oma and Opa also got one. So, everywhere she goes, she has one to play in. The kid seems to love it, too!

This last weekend, while at the mall, we had our first 'accident'. We decided to get her out of her carrier and let her view the world as we walked around. I didn't have a sling to place her in, so I just held her close to my chest. Not a good idea after she eats because I did end up with spit-up all down my shirt.

But a little while later, I suddenly felt something warm...and wet. She had gone to the potty, but the diaper had moved from where it securly covered her, and ended up getting on her clothing and my hand.

As we walked through the mall trying to find the nearest restroom, people turned around and awww'ed at her. Kind of hard to let her stop and flirt when we were trying to get an emergency clean up! AND on top of that, it was the FIRST time I didn't have any back-up clothing! Needless to say, after a quick clean-up, we headed back to T-Ma's...

So, my question for all the moms out there:

She is currently eating rice cereal twice a day (about 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed with 2-3 teaspoons of formula). At what point to you introduce the colorful stuff? Do you want to wait until she eats more cereal and more frequently, or just jump right in and start playing with the veggies?

Life: Take 2

Chester's Not So Fun Day

(photo by Whitney)

Friday evening, our Chester officially became a special needs doggie.

He was set to stay at his T-Ma and B-Pa's overnight on Friday-Saturday, and at 4:00, I got a phone call from mom saying that he had another seizure. This was his first in over 2 weeks, so I was bummed that we had to log it and start the count over again.

According to the log I keep, he started having seizures every week and 1 day, and then it spread out to every 2 weeks. We were thinking he was starting to level himself out.

But not long after this seizure, I got another phone call from mom, who told me that he had another 'mini' seizure. And not even 10 minutes later, another call. This one was bad; he had vomited, and also had blood coming from his mouth.

I advised to have dad (who had just gotten home from work) get Chester into the car (as safely as he could considering dogs in seizure mode might bite unintentionally) and immediately get him up to his vet. Cary and I jumped into our car and drove there immediately, calling the vet on the way to let them know what to expect.

When dad got there, we fortunately were already there, and Cary helped Chester out of the car as I went in to let the receptionist know we were there.

At this time, the vet was set to close in 15 minutes, and I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to get there, and not to the emergency vet, which would have been a much longer wait, and much more expensive.

Doctor Cowser, the vet on duty gave Chester a intramuscular shot which went into his system to help stop the seizure activity immediately. Then he talked to us about starting the poor mutt on medication after this 'cluster' of seizures.

So today, as our puppy relaxes on the floor at my parents' house, I am saddened to know that he had to deal with that situation. But I am so grateful that there is medication to help him, and I do hope this stops this problem.

But I have to constantly remember that we are blessed that this has happened to our family pet, and not one of the human beings that do, or will, get behind the wheel of the car. While I have been aware of this fact since December 2009 when Chester first started his seizures, I am still baffled by the fact that this happened to a friend of ours, when her husband had a seizure as he was driving. Thank the good Lord that no one was hurt, and the passenger was able to control the vehicle and get the car safely stopped!

So now it is time to go find a tag to print out that states that he is epileptic and hopefully he will do well on the medication. Hopefully as he adjusts to his medication, we will see a sign of that lovable, goofy mutt again!

Why Read War And Peace?

When you live it 7 times a day?

1, 2, 3 O'Clock, 4 O'Clock Rock...

5, 6, 7 O'Clock, 8 O'Clock Rock

9, 10, 11 O'Clock, 12 O'Clock Rock

We're gonna rock around the clock tonight!

And that is exactly what we did--last night!

What was originally a plan to go to the McFadden's house to help set up a new tv turned into a skirt fest for the women.

On Monday I read that Brylee's daycare was having a 50's day on Thursday, and growing up, I LOVED the 50's and poodle skirts...so Brylee HAD to have a poodle skirt for herself!

Brylee's Oma used to make most of the McFadden clothes, so she has a lot of experience with making skirts. She even made her wedding dress! Me, on the other hand, have never touched a sewing machine in my life (except to go retrieve it for my parents...).

2 outfits that Brenda put together for her young ones!

I would love to learn how to sew, but just like learning how to knit, it is on the back burner for now, just because of obvious reasons. And after last night, I think I'll start with pillows...

Brenda was so wonderful, and seemed to be excited, too, about assisting in making this skirt. So on Tuesday, Cary, Brylee, and I went out to JoAnn Fabrics to purchase the needed supplies (felt, elastic, and the all-important poodle iron-on). On Wednesday, the pressure was on.

I was glad that I got to assist, but I noticed that I was slow, and not so strong with cutting circles out of felt. But I wanted to make sure that the entire task was not on Brenda. But she can cook (sew) up a mean skirt!

Of course Cary had to have his fun with all of it as well...



We finished last night about 8:30, and this morning, I was eager to get her in that skirt and see the magic occur.













Success!!!













Our little one looks absolutely adorable in her new skirt!!! And as much as I tried to help with the process, I want to make sure everyone knows that Brenda is the true star--she is incredible--and patient, especially with her daughter-in-law's persistence for a silly skirt at the last minute! Thank you so much Brenda!!!

Looking at the camera now at the daycare, they are showing off the skirt--they (the adults who know what is going on) love it!

Rock those socks off kid!

The No-Luck Geocaching

Ever done this?


You place coordinates into your GPS, and off you go treasure hunting!

My dad and mom has done this a few times, my brother-in-law and niece have as well. Last night Cary, Brylee, Chester, and I attempted our first 1st (and 2nd)...with no results.

The first one I can see why we wouldn't find right away. It is between roads on a little island that has trees and water. When it rains, the island floods, so I started wondering if it had been washed away. So after a short time of looking (we need more daylight, and an easier way to transport the kid across a super busy street), we went to the next location.

This one is located at a bus stop, but by the time we got there, it was getting pretty dark outside, but we searched until we (Cary) started getting bit by the mosquitoes. We dug through bushes, climbed on top of the bench...all to no avail. So we walked back home, disappointed, but already planning our next trip out. This time we'll remember a pen to sign the log!...if we find it!

Check out this site, and if you are interested in a small treasure hunt or two, grab a pen, your GPS, and a small little item to trade out in the chest. But, don't get ahead of me in the hunts, 'k?

:o)

Happy hunting!

Teaser

What do the McFaddens have to do with purple felt, elastic, and an applique?

If we're successful, find out later this week!

Can You See The Comparison?

The grasshead stocking stuffer given to me for Christmas from Cary

Let me know if you need a hint!

Brylee's Busy Weekend!

From the pictures, you'll be able to see that Brylee had quite a week, and weekend!

This week we decided to approach her rice cereal again, this time in a different way. I guess you could say it was the doctor's recommended way to try. Perhaps she's onto something...

This time around, Brylee is accepting this food so much better, and will actually finish off the bowl!














Her daddy put together her high chair on Thursday, and we stuck her right in, she didn't freak out, and now enjoys being able to sit there with us as we eat. And it has wheels, so we can pull her anywhere with us!


More firsts for this week: I now have to pack away all clothing that is 0-3 months. She is now wearing 3 months, and slowly (well, not really) growing into the 3-6 month clothing. Oh my!

The outfit she has on here is one that she got from my parents for Christmas. It is super cute (I like the hat the best), but since it is velvet, I have a feeling she won't get to wear it much with the sweltering summer right around the corner. I took advantage of her being indoors yesterday and put it on her. The pants legs reach all the way down, but the way she was sitting here makes it look like shorts!




We tested her out in my old rocking chair this weekend, too. This rocking chair was originally my uncle Bill's, but I also got it when he grew out of it. Now she gets to play with it! She doesn't sit up completely on her own yet, but with her T-Ma crouching nearby, Brylee got a chance to observe and enjoy it.








She also played out in my mom's garden, sitting in a pot, and on the edge of her 'ring', looking at the flowers, grass, and even Chester running around like crazy playing ball.





She even sat outside for a short time after her daddy and Opa put up the new sun shade that was purchased for the summer.





I love the spring, and wish that the weather would stay this beautiful a lot longer before the dreaded heat came around. She's learning so much, and I feel like that heat might inhibit some of that because her mommy turns into a lazy, over-heated blob when it reaches 90!






The daycare also warned that she is showing signs of teething now. And with my mom stating the same thing, we are now preparing for the excessive drooling that I have heard so much about. Hopefully she won't be overly sensitive though!





All weekend long, she laughed and talked out loud, loving when her belly was blown, and squealing so much. She loves to copy you when you talk, and at times it sounds like she says 'hi'. She smile is getting bigger and more precious all the time, and her personality is really shining through.






After such a big weekend for her, she slept well!

An Artful Weekend

On Friday night, Cary and I got to go enjoy the spring evening in Ft. Worth at their annual Main Street Art Fair. We have been 3 years now, and every year I seem to enjoy it more. This year, I even found 2 artists I really enjoy:

Jennifer O'Meara Gallery of Window Gardens

Heather Yoki-Sanchez

Someday, when we have walls to fill up, I'll be getting some of their work to decorate with!

The evening was wonderful, with the weather perfect and the variety of art that is out there. Other than the crowded streets (you are pretty much pushed along with the people surrounding you), the only downfall are the people who light up cigars. Please, people, think about others before you insist on bringing cigars to that environment!

On Saturday, Cary and I headed to Downtown Dallas where we visited the Dallas Museum of Art and their exhibit Lens of Impressionism.

I don't know a lot about art, but I did enjoy seeing black and white photography on a wall next to a painting. Especially when the subjects were the same: one showing what the time was like, and then the other showing the emotions of it.

After checking out the exhibit and other exhibits (chocolate!), we headed out into the gorgeous Dallas day and decided to walk around a bit. We even found a little pizza restaurant to eat at, and walked to the Thanksgiving building a few blocks away. There was even a young girl dressed in a beautiful pink dress, probably for her quinceanera.
Just as I convinced Cary to take this picture of her walking down the sidewalk, a horse-drawn carriage turned the corner. What a magical scene!

What a glorious day!

After walking around for a bit, we headed back to the Coppell area where we picked up the little one, who had a busy weekend herself, and headed to my parents' for the evening. Dad even got a rare chance to go to a Globetrotter's game!

Taking A Moment To Brag About Daycare

Brylee's to be specific.

It is so hard to kiss her goodbye on a work-daily basis, but it has to be done (unless anyone has any great ideas on how I can work from home!). But it makes it so much easier to leave her with this group of people at Kids R Kids.

She has been in this daycare for almost 3 months, and I couldn't be happier with the decision of where she is! It costs an arm and a leg (well, does it really? I mean, how much do those cost anyways?), but the teachers (Ms. Maribel, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Cheryl + so many that come in to help out) are constantly having them do crafts, exercises, and reading books (to them).

The best part about all of these? Besides getting to take home the crafts, they also take pictures of the kids while they do them to send home with us!

Brylee was the smallest for the longest time, even after she was no longer the youngest. Now, there are 5 babies younger than her, one who was also a preemie, so when I see little Audrey, my heart melts remembering how Brylee used to be!

I found out that she will soon be along the finishing wall, as the cribs lined up go from youngest to oldest, and as soon as you are in the last wall, in the last crib, you are moved to the next room. How am I going to handle that?!?!

Another incredible part of this daycare is that they have video cameras set up in the rooms so you can check in on your child throughout the day. This used to be an additional charge, but for some reason now, it is included in the weekly charge (thank goodness!). I'm so happy to get to 'tune in' and watch my baby girl sleep, eat, or play on her favorite playmat.

If anyone is looking for a daycare, I cannot recommend Kids R Kids enough. They teach sign language, Spanish, and love to play with textures (mashed potato art!). It is so nice to know my child isn't just sitting there, in a crib, all day long or being ignored. They work with all the children, and it seems that they love the children as if they are their own.

Thank you Kids R Kids, particularly Ms. Maribel, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Cheryl for making leaving my little love every day a little easier. I know she is well cared for!

Blog Of The Month: cjane enjoy it

I have a confession to make: it took me at least 2 months to read this blog. She started it back in 2005 and has several entries, laying out her life for all to read.

This blog also inspired me to create Blog Of The Month. I woke up one morning, anxious to read more of her posts, and thought to myself: "I want to spread the word about her. How do I do that?" Hence this thing called Blog Of The Month.

I discovered this blog after I discovered last month's blog, Nie Nie. This is her sister, C Jane, who took in Nie Nie's children after the tragic event. She , with the help of her family, even told Nie Nie's story to the world until her little sister was able to do so again.

Easily in my top favorites right now, C Jane has an amazing combination of humor, emotion, hope, and narcissm bundled up perfectly in extremely clever writing--Oh how I admire her writing style! She inspires me to reach into the depths of my writing creativity and bring every sentence to life.

Here are 3 examples of her posts, that inspires one to just keep reading:

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2008/09/unexplained-infertility-now-explained.html

She originally started her blog to talk about her infertility and the emotional roller coaster she experienced. This post is about her niece, Claire, and her son after Claire's parents' plane crash. A very touching post.

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2009/06/nothing-to-hyde.html

As I read this one, I had running in my head, "This is exactly how I feel about Cary!". She somehow dove into my head, pulled out the words that somehow never had shape in my brain, and then put them onto her blog. I forgive her. Just as long as she continues to do it and I read it...

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2010/02/customer-service.html

This one just cracked me up. What a funny gal!

I hope these posts inspire you to start reading her story from the beginning. It might take a while but it is so worth it!

For next month, I'm reading:

Steece's Pieces

Happy reading!

Baby Product Review: Nosefrida

(photo coursety of Babies R Us)

Anyone ever hear of this thing?



I learned of it from one of my co-workers who has 2 little ones. She raved about this product, and whenever I checked out the reviews online, I saw tons of additional positive comments. So Cary and I decided to check it out.



This is the weirdest, possibly most gross-me-out concept, but it works. It is a nasal aspirator that is not like the bulb syringes. You put one end against the baby's nostrils, and the other end...in your mouth. Inhale with your mouth, and you have suction that reminds you of a tiny vaccum cleaner.

No worries! There is a filter that is in the tube, which keeps gunk coming up. And the tube is big enough that I have yet to worry about that filter becoming the only safety net between my mouth and gooby-boogers.

Unfortunately, Brylee screams like she is dying when we use this to unclog her nose, but afterwards, it is very obvious how much better she breathes. And with a less invasive tool!

I would love to give this to my friends as a gift for their new babies, but I know that it is a gross concept. But perhaps I will do so anyways, just because it might be a stress-saver for them in the future!

Is The Grass Really Greener On The Other Side?

Last Wednesday we had a celebration to say 'Bon Voyage' to one of our co-workers who is moving on to bigger and better things: becoming a housewife. Yes: newly married, no kids, and getting to stay at home to clean, socialize, and travel at her leisure. Her husband works for a major airline company, so they will be doing a lot of the travel thing. First on the agenda? An Alaskan cruise.

I found myself incredibly jealous of this lady. Ever since Brylee came into our lives, I have wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Watch every moment of my child learn and grow, keep the apartment clean, have dinner ready when the hubby gets home, go out and spend the day with other stay-at-home moms.

Yeah, right.

In the last 20 weeks I have realized that this is very much a hit-or-miss reality, especially the clean home and dinner ready scenarios. But what an amazing dream, right? Or is it?

Whenever I find myself off in this dream world, I have to remember some very important, specific things, besides the fact that I don't wear dresses, aprons, pearls, and live in the '50s (and just why not?!?!):

• Brylee is doing amazing at daycare. She is socializing and making friends. She is learning how to not be number 1 all the time, to share, and enjoy other's company. Even at 4 months she is learning this, and hopefully will continue that in her growth through her life.


• I would go crazy. During the 8 weeks I was off for maternity leave, I got lazy and even a little cabin fever. Sure, I was also recovering from a major surgery and learning how to be a mom. Now I'm not afraid to put my kid into the carrier and run off to go somewhere just for a change of atmosphere. But what I think about doing and what I actually do can end up being 2 very different things.


• Not to mention, work is currently my social place (which I need to work on). Would I really go to Mommy's Day Out with the church, or would I end up locking myself indoors, not talking to anyone? Conversation is so much easier to have with your husband when there are actually things to talk about besides what was on tv that day...


• We can't afford it. No. Let me rephrase that: we can afford it. Just not live with the comfort of knowing I like to spontaneously buy little things for our little one (and us). Not unless Cary can get a pay increase at his job of at least what I am making now. Anyone willing to do that for us so I can be lazy? Is it worth putting that kind of stress on Cary? (no)


• I am now looking into potentially getting my psychology degree for counselling. My job would help pay for that education. Without this job, it just becomes an added bill.

As much as the stay-at-home life seems to be so appealing to me right now, I have to realize that I would find negatives in it, just as I do with every job I have ever had. I have to remind myself that I am truly blessed to have a job with a steady income, that is 5 minutes from home, a daycare that is just as close to both work and home (that I have to write a bragging post about), a healthy baby and husband (as well as myself and the mutt), a nice roof over our heads, and cars that work.

Maybe someday in the future the watching-my-kids grow opportunity will come to me and I'll know that I can do it right. But until then, I'll have to stare at the greener pastures that lay in front of me, just out of reach.

Brylee's First Easter

And what a 1st Easter it was! This child is truly blessed (and not because of all the candy and gifts she got, but because of her family).

I started off the holiday weekend by taking off on Thursday for Spring Cleaning. Now, growing up, I despised cleaning. I kept everything somewhat tidy, in hopes that I wouldn't have to do more than needed. Now I blame my mom for passing on some kind of disease, some kind of cleaning illness. I bet she wrapped it up in some tiny box and gave it to me as a wedding gift. I HAD to go through and clean the apartment, head to toe, with no one else there. Just Chester and me. I am happy, though, because I got everything checked off of my list, except for dusting. Whoo hoo!

On Friday, what was originally going to be a trip to Sulphur Springs to visit family, turned into a day of semi-lazy fun. Breakfast consisted of eggs, maple sausage, biscuits, and orange juice (a vacation staple for Cary's family that I made as an Easter 'gift' to him). We then visited the Observation tower at DFW airport, where even Brylee watched an airplane land. We took a couple of trips to some stores, and then just lazed around the house for the evening, enjoying a movie and no where to be.

On Saturday, Cary and I dropped off Chester at my parents' house and then met his parents up for the drive to Sulphur Springs. Brenda and Gary gave Brylee some of the cutest Easter gifts: rubber duckies, one with Bunny ears and tail on it, and some books for her to look at. Needless to say, I was more entertained by the gifts than she was (for now--she is getting more alert everyday!)

The trip was changed to this day because storms were supposed to be in on Friday, and we didn't want to travel during that. Brenda and I rode in the backseat, pretty much watching Brylee sleep the entire time (thank goodness-she slept going to and from!). We ate at Mema's, and then went outside into her back yard to take pictures of Brylee in her cute Easter dress. We got some cute pictures of her, but unfortunately the sun was shining pretty bright in her little eyes.

After driving home (with a quick stop at Mary's at Puddin Hill--Brylee isn't the only one who is spoiled--thank you Gary!), we headed over to my parents' house again to drop off Brylee for the night.

Mom was so excited about having her little grandbaby over for the night, and couldn't wait to give her all the Easter gifts she had. Her rewards? Chocolate, chocolate, more chocolate (yay me and Cary!), some quarters (time to get a piggy bank!), and some Easter books to read through. Cary and I were even spoiled with (yet more) chocolate. Ahh...the life of having a young one who can't eat solids yet!

Cary and I took an evening to relax and saw a movie, How To Train Your Dragon. It was a good movie--I enjoyed it!

After the movie, we went home to make Banana Pudding for the Easter gathering on Sunday. After that? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

On Sunday morning, Cary and I went to church (excellent service) and then to my parents' house again to pick up the kid and help transport things to my uncle's house. Only, they had already left! With everything! (including our kid, some of her toys, and our food!). So Cary and I drove to Bill's house and joined in the fun and entertainment.

Bill cooked a delicious ham, mashed potatoes, pork ribs, steamed veggies, and mom made broccoli rice casserole, Grandpa brought rolls and potato salad, and topped it off with banana pudding. What a meal!

The afternoon was spent watching everyone bowl on the Wii, having Brylee watch the fish in Bill and Ivan's saltwater aquarium, and catching up with family (Grandma Jarvis joined us for the delicious meal as well).

Needless to say, we went home tired. We did whatever we could to just hang out at the apartment all evening so that we could relax a little.

Brylee also managed to get from her parents some sidewalk chalk (I know, still a little young for it), some chicks for the egg game (putting them on spoons and trying to not drop them as you head for the finish line--still a bit young), and a silly snail that wiggles when you pull the string. And...candy. Yes, I know. We have enough for a while. No, no. We don't need anymore. Do you want some? We'll be glad to give it away...

Now for the post(s) I wanted to write regarding this most beautiful holiday:

I hope everyone took a moment to remember what the significance of Good Friday and Easter is. It's not about dressing up in your prettiest frocks, hunting bunnies hiding eggs, or eating lots and lots (and lots) of chocolate. Those are all fun, wonderful ways to spend a gorgeous day outside in Spring, but it is more than that. So much more.

Good Friday and Easter are what determined that even though we live life, it gave us the opportunity to LIVE.

Hallelujah--He is Risen!!!