Easter 2011

Easter was so much fun with Westin this year!  I just loved watching his excitement and enthusiasm.  

We dyed eggs with my siblings and parents at my mom's house this year.  I wasn't sure how Wes would do, but as soon as my sister showed him how to dip the eggs in the dye, he didn't stop "decorating" his 6 eggs until I finally decided we'd made a big enough mess!  We all just watched him for a good 30 minutes before anyone else decided to join him-- it was very entertaining! I would say at least half of his eggs got "squished" in the process, but that didn't bother him at all.

Easter morning I got us all up early and was ready for Westin to "open" his Easter basket when I realized that my camera bag with all three of my cameras was at my mom's house :(  I was so disappointed!  Kreg got a few shots and a video on his blackberry, which really takes pretty decent pictures and I was very thankful we at least had that.  Westin LOVED hunting for his Easter eggs (Easter in Colorado is generally cold so we do our hunt indoors... this year, even being in late April, we had snow on the ground!).  He lined them all up in a nice row on the couch to observe his loot when he had finished.  

After we all got ready, we went to my mom & dad's for breakfast!  My mom outdid herself like usual, we had a wonderful sausage souffle and sweet potato biscuits and then did another egg hunt at their house. By this point, Westin was a pro at hunting for eggs!  And, as usual, the Easter bunny brought lots of fun goodies for us all.  Westin got lots of new activity books for church which was perfect!  It helped tame him despite the sugar rush I know he was experiencing by the time we got there!  Kreg & I got some great spring planting goodies and two one-hour massages... I.CAN.NOT.WAIT. to use mine! 

After church we went back to my mom & dad's for ham.  Mmmmmmmm.  One of my favorites that we just don't do very often! I made a strawberry pie for dessert.  I'm pretty sure this one day contributed to half my weight gain for the past couple of weeks :)  

I can't believe it's nearly May.  I know once May hits I'm going to turn around and Tucker will be here.  May is the busiest month of the year for our family... just to name a few "events," we have Mother's Day, Westin's 2nd birthday, my mom's birthday, my sister's birthday, my parents' anniversary, and our anniversary.  Many of our extended family members also have birthdays in May.  Thankfully, this year we do not have a graduation in our immediate family to add to the  May festivities :) for the past several years, we have! I'm excited for everything in store for us and very much looking forward to welcoming this sweet little boy into our family!  Have I mentioned lately the fact that I am blessed beyond measure? 

alive & well

Yep, we're all alive & well! As always, staying very, very busy!  I should have posted about ten different times between the last post and this one about all the fun, exciting things we've been up to, as well as all the day-to-day Westinisms that keep us in stitches.  But, alas, here I am and there is no way I will remember it all or have enough time to record all the details!  

March & April are teasers in Colorado!  We have a little of everything-- sunshine & 75, snow & 25 and everything in between... sometimes all in the same day! Kreg & Westin have been out fishing a couple of times already and are really excited about being able to do more of that in the coming months in warmer temperatures. 

 Westin & Daddy reeling one in

 my outside boy

 Wes & his buddy Van

 the crew at Palmer Lake

We were able to make a trip to East Texas the last weekend in March to visit Kreg's sister Kim & her family, including the newest addition, 4-week-old baby Kate! It was a very nice, much-needed weekend with family.  We were also able to see a little bit of Kreg's mom, Carol and her husband Craig, and Kreg's Dad, Steve & his wife Maria.  I was a little swollen and achey after the 14 hour trip, but it was worth it :) I especially enjoyed watching Westin play with his cousins!  They were all so good with him and he obviously thought they were AWESOME. :) I was thankful to get to spend some good Aunt Keleigh & Kate time!  She is sweet as can be and I loved every minute of getting to know her.  

 Pops, Nana & 5 grandkids!

 Wes & Cousin Johnathan

 Darling baby Kate & I

Westin & baby Kate

 Jonas & Westin's duet

 All the cousins in the bluebonnets!

Westin is at such an entertaining stage!  I could literally just sit and watch him all day and be so entertained.  I love that he is talking so much and our conversations are way too much fun.  I've spent the past 22 months wondering what he's thinking and now that I'm getting a glimpse into his little mind, I feel like I know him that much better!  He is very detail-oriented-- He easily notices something out-of-place and likes to correct it.  He can spot a ball or a plane way before I can.  I'm constantly impressed at his memory, especially with people's names (and the Sesame Street characters' names, and the Thomas & Friends' names).  He can recite pieces of his favorite books which also amazes me.  He's becoming very, very social.  I have to watch him very carefully wherever we go because he enjoys finding new people to talk to!  He's always very concerned about little people, especially if they are crying. I'm hopeful that he will be really good with his little brother.  The first baby he's ever really been around is Kate Hodges and he immediately took to her.  He asked right away to "hold this" and LOVED holding her.  He was very gentle and wanted to kiss the top of her head :) 

Tucker is doing great!  At our 26-week appointment, I asked our midwife to do one more ultrasound and print me out some boy parts :) just so I could be SURE.  She was very obliging, of course, and thankfully so was Tucker.  He's definitely a boy and I am getting so excited to meet him and see my boys together!  At our last appointment (29 weeks), my midwife said he's really a very good size... I'm still carrying him practically on my back and thanks to my nice, long torso, I still don't look that big.  I enjoy all of his sweet little kicks and hiccups and thank God daily that it's been such an easy, healthy pregnancy.  I'm hoping to have him in my arms safe and sound in about 2 1/2 months!  It's gone SO fast...

My mom and Westin & I went out to the mining museum down the road and took a few maternity shots!  It was a fun little shoot and we got some great shots :)  I will do another one with Kreg & Westin in a month or so but I'm really glad to have these... while I'm still "comfortable!"

We're planning on getting up to the cabin this weekend and have several home-improvement projects on our list to get done in the next couple of weeks.  I've been making good progress... stay tuned for pictures of Westin's big-boy room, the nursery, the new paint upstairs, and the updated master bathroom!