Week in Toccoa

Bert went to Nicaragua on a mission trip a few weeks ago and the girls and I went to Toccoa to spend time with family.  We had a FUN week!  

We got into town on Friday afternoon (March 27th) and the girls got to meet their cousin Ressie for the first time!!  They were SO excited.  Ressie was a preemie so Katherine and Brett had to be super careful about getting her around other people (especially kids) for the first several months.  The girls were so excited to get to see her!!  

This was our first cousins picture with Ressie!  Mimi was dancing and waving behind and above me to try to get the kids to smile.  I think it alarmed them little! Haha!:)    

The Sunday we were in Toccoa was Palm Sunday.  My parents' church have the kids (5th grade and under, I think) all line up and walk in waving palm branches at the beginning of the service.  It's a really sweet reminder of that day so long ago.  Emily was SO excited about waving the palm branches...that was all she could talk about in the days leading up.  Sweet things.  

When we got home from church my brother Stanley surprised us by coming home for the day (he lives in Atlanta).  It was SO great to see him and he got to meet sweet Ressie for the first time.  Fun! 

After lunch at my parents house we went to a birthday party for my cousin's little girl, Ava!  Ava turned three on April 9th (the day after Emily turns 5), but they happened to have her party while we were in town. The girls were so excited we were able to go!  I was too...it was fun to see everyone!!  

Ronda had Ava'a dance teacher come out and do some fun activities/dances with the girls!  It was a fun party!  Ronda couldn't have had everything decorated any cuter.  Happy birthday, Ava!  We love you!  

This 15 month old is keeping us on our toes these days.  She is getting to be a super fast walker and will disappear from a room faster than you can blink.  Also, apparently she likes to climb.  It is definitely a busy season with this active child who can't be trusted to not injure herself, I am usually worn out by the time it is her bedtime, but she couldn't be any cuter if she tried. Love her so.  

Mimi took a couple days off work that week so that she could spend time with us.  We enjoyed having her!  One afternoon we took a walk.  It was beautiful weather and the girls enjoyed walking along beside the wagon since it wasn't a busy time of the day in their neighborhood. 

They also loved getting to stop by the creek on our walk.  They love this spot!  

The girls had fun having tea parties....

...and playing with play-dough!  In the picture below it looks like mom is about to give Claire a bite of play-dough (ha!), but actually C is about to put some play-dough in her mouth and mom is pulling her hand away.  

This is what she thought about Mimi taking that play-dough away.  15 month olds for ya!  

All this playing had Hannah so excited that she wasn't able to go to sleep for her afternoon nap most days.  She just had "rest" time, which wasn't very restful for me because I kept having to go back upstairs to tell her to get back in the bed.  Anyway, one evening, Mimi was cooking dinner, I was chasing Claire around and the big girls were watching a show, when Emily came running into the kitchen to tell us Hannah had fallen asleep.  This is how I found her.  It just melted my heart.  I love this sweet baby/big girl!  

We had beautiful weather while we were in Toccoa that week.  After my mom got off work one afternoon we fed the kids a quick dinner and then headed to the park.  When Emily found out we were going to a park she said "Are we going to the park with the purple slide?!?!"  She was so excited to find out we were.  

I just love this picture of our beautiful 5 year old.  She was playing hide and seek with me and I snapped a picture when she came around the slide.  She's fun!!  

On Wednesday the weather was literally perfect.  Jeans and a t-shirt kind of weather....my favorite!  Katherine, Jacob and Ressie spent the day with us!  Mimi put out eggs so that we could have an Easter egg hunt for the kids.  

They had fun!  

It's hard to believe next year Ressie will be right out there with them.  Mimi already has her Easter basket ready and waiting.  

On Wednesday evening we went to my parents' church to eat dinner and then went to their Easter egg hunt. They  had a great group of kids participate.  I'm so thankful for this church and all the ways that the people in it helped to grow and shape me over the years.  

During the hunt I looked up and saw Emily putting four eggs in another little girl's basket.  Emily didn't know her.  After she did it she just picked her basket back up and started looking for more eggs.  Emily will often get candy or treats from parties that she has had at school or from a birthday party she was invited to.  Every single time she brings any kind of candy or sweet home she always shares with Hannah....without Hannah asking or us asking her to share.  Now, I'm definitely not saying they get along perfectly when they are playing in the playroom, but it is so encouraging to see her choosing to put others first.  

Jacob got to go to the Easter egg hunt with us too!  He is a master egg hunter.  

Mimi walked around with sweet Claire.  

Hannah was excited to check out the yummy candy.  

After the egg hunt they got to play on the playground for awhile before going in the fellowship hall to decorate their own cookies. 

Sugar overload, but thankfully they were all so worn out that it took them about 2.5 seconds to go to sleep that night.  

Claire was hanging out with her cousin Ressie while Ressie was doing some tummy time.  

My cousin Angela got to come stay with us for a night on her way back to Baltimore.  It was fun to catch up with her!  She got to meet Claire and Ressie for the first time.  

One afternoon we wanted to play outside, but the grass was still pretty wet, so they rode bikes, ran, and skipped up and down Mimi and Papa's drive way... over and over and over.  I enjoyed the fresh air and my view.  Thankful.  

The last night we were there we got one last cousin picture (in age order).  It had been a week full of family fun!  Claire was checking Ressie out.  It's fun that they are just a year and four days apart...our January babies.  Ressie girl will be running around with them in no time.  

We had a great week, but we were all four SO excited about seeing Bert!!  Thank you so much to Mimi and Papa for letting us invade your house for a week! Fun memories were made for sure!