Easter Morning

I dearly love Easter at St. Peter's. I don't know what I'll do when we must begin celebrating Easter at our church up here, which I'm sure will come soon enough. I'm a big believer in being with family for holidays. I don't mind traveling over holidays (like Christmas - Tommy and I seem to always go out of town around Christmas), but we have to be back, with our families, for the actual day.

So, bright and early (well, not actually bright, since it was before dawn) on Easter morning we got up and gussied up for the sunrise service at St. Peter's. As we walked onto the lawn (it begins outside), I remembered two Easters ago as I was newly pregnant and very few people knew, that flutter of hope and renewal that Easter brings, and that was happening to Tommy and me as we were finally expecting our first child. And, that we had planned to share our news with everyone on that day. I then remembered last Easter, how I dressed up my sweet baby girl in her beautiful white Easter dress, bought before she was born, and took her inside the church, all wrapped up in a blanket and with her sweet booties on, because it was too cold to stand outside and wait to progress in. Now this year was different, but in a good way as hopefully each new year will always be! Addie did get to wait outside with us, but we had to hold her, as if we put her down, she'd be running around all over the place! She was an angel while we were outside. The only time she even said anything was when Paul and Sue walked up. She had turned around and just simply said, "Sue!" So sweet, how that girl loves her Uncle Paul and Aunt Sue! (Ole Paul was embarrased because Addie Kate called them out for being late - ha!)

While in the service, Addie really was a good girl. Seeing as how she only sits in church when we are at St. Peter's (she goes to the nursery here, and St. Peter's doesn't have a nursery available for the early service), I was very impressed. She was entertained by some of the people around us. She enjoyed emptying out the diaper bag (which is fine except that it can sometimes be loud!), had a few snacks (which I cannot stand, but you gotta do what you gotta do), and did get up and go out with me once - I had to blow my nose and just thought she might enjoy stretching her legs. There were a few other little ones out there too, but none of their parents would let me leave Addie with them! Ha!

After the service we had the traditional pancake breakfast, which was yummy, yummy! Addie Kate ate a little, but mostly just wanted to visit everyone and climb on the stage. (I think, I hope, I have a little performer here on my hands! We all know how she likes to be the center of attention already!)

We went outside to take pictures in front of the beatiful flowering cross. Of course, taking pictures meant Addie couldn't run around and play, but we did a few good ones!

I don't know why I like this picture so much.

It just does a good job of showing my happy girl!

My mom made her this beautiful dress. I love french hand sewing. Probably because very few other people wear french hand sewn dresses, mostly because they are rarely sold in stores. I picked this dress out of a magazine when Addie Kate was a teeny baby!

This was our best family picture. Not great, but at least it shows all of us on Easter!

My sweet hubby and me.

I can't remember the last time we took a picture of just the two of us!

I wish you could see the gorgeous 4-strand necklace of pink pearls that Tommy gave me. This (and many more strands, thank you China!) was my Valentine's gift from him and this was the first time I'd worn them! Thanks honey! I love them!

My parents and the three of us. (Again, this was the best picture we took!)
We tried to get a picture of the children and grandchild - it didn't work out so well!

She was done! I love how this looks like she has her arms crossed in a pout!

Bless her heart, she could hardly breathe, so her mouth was open the majority of the day!

Addie Kate and Gorga

The Schreiber Family

(Look how Tommy is having to man-handle Addie!)

All in all, it was a beautiful day. Let us all remember what this very special day really means. Not easter eggs or bunnies, or even finally getting to eat the fabulous sweets that you gave up for Lent, but the day that He is Risen! If that doesn't make you feel special, nothing will!

Dying Easter Eggs

On Saturday, Addie's great-grandmother, my dad's mom, Mema, came over to help Addie dye easter eggs. I knew I wanted to do this with her this year, knowing she may have no clue as to what to do, but I wanted to try. If nothing else, I figured she'd enjoy seeing a white egg go in and a colored egg go out. Well, what do I know? She loved it and had a blast! Pretty good and surprising for a 17 month old!


We started out in her slip. She was still wearing her little Easter dress from the church egg hunt (which was nasty in itself just from that), but I knew not to let her dye eggs in it. (She probably doesn't need many more white dresses for a while, but I just love her in white!) So, we stripped her down to just her slip. About 30 seconds into it, we had to strip her down the rest of the way! She was having a blast, and colored water was going everywhere! (So Margaret, no, you are not the only person whose kids do things naked! And just like you - if dinner involves red sauce, she's naked at the table!) Addie was going nuts with the dye and splashed some all over Mema and down her pants and on the floor. I thought that pink stuff was going to stain for sure, but luckily, it came out. She even got dye between the glass top and the actual table! I can see a LOT of water activities in our future/this summer. This child was having a blast!



These pictures are in order of craziness:

Eating her lunch and cheesing for the camera:

Blowing bubbles!

Quietly and calmly watching Mema show her what to do:

Ooooh... as she peers into the mug:

Starting out...

Mema and Mimi decide maybe we should cover her:

She didn't want any part of that, and naked she got:

And here, we learned that Addie would no longer be using the small bowls, but had to stick to the mugs (there was more of a "wall" that would help keep the water in!):

She got so mad when we had to stop her from splashing it everywhere!

And here I just learned that we should keep the dishtowels around the mug:

Love the excitement on her sweet face!

Here she's looking at me cleaning up the floor!

And she could not stand it when we'd take the egg out of the dye!

Check out those pink hands!

She was having a ball!

I tried to get a picture here of the poor egg - it was cracked in so many places!

Some of our masterpieces:

My girl's sweet face!

Easter Egg Hunt #3

My family always has an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter weekend for the kids (big and small)! In the past, this thing has gotten ugly at times! Since there are so many little ones again in the family though, it's just typically good, clean fun! There are always a ton of eggs, which makes it fun, and they are hidden very well! We love it!

Addie Kate had a lot of helpers on her "team." Since she had done a few egg hunts already though, she kind of had the hang of it! She did feel a little rotten though, and Tommy and I didn't want her digging around in the pollen-covered plants too much, so we'd find the eggs, then throw them on the ground for her to pick up and put in her basket. Uncle Paul was the official photographer (thank you!), which was perfect so Tommy and I could help Addie. Turns out, my girl found the most eggs and had a fabulous prize of $5! She didn't know what to do with money - it was hilarious! I wasn't around for the "awards," so Meredith told me she gave it to her. Sure enough, when I got there, she was just sitting pretty on the steps holding her money! Ha!

Below are a ridiculous number of pictures from the hunt. I guess I am #1 - making up for NO pictures of Christmas, and #2 - am just excited to have so many since we had Paul taking pictures instead of us!

See - I (or someone) would climb into the flowerbeds, etc. and then just give the eggs to Addie to put in her basket (which she did a great job of!). I mean it, my family hides these eggs hard-core!

Good Girl!

I love this pictures - she looks like she's hauling a 10lb. sack!

Lake Murray - this is what I grew up looking at every single day. Man, we don't appreciate things until we are adults. My parents still live in the same house they raised my brother and me in, which I know pretty much for a fact will not happen for Addie. Plus, almost all of my family lived on the same road. I didn't realize just how precious this was until I became a parent myself. I would love for this to be the case for my girl, we'll see!

Sweet Sanders

Addie has NO FEAR! She would just take off running towards the water! I'm glad she loves it as much as I do, but whew, it's scary!

And yes, this is Easter outfit number two. I smocked it and mom made it, of course! I just LOVE "designing" her clothes! (I guess that's as close as I'll ever be to a fashion designer!) We adapted it from an idea in Creative Needle's Christmas issue. I think it turned out just adorable. I was worried about the dark brown pants, but they are perfect! Just right for an egg hunt! Thanks Mimi for all of your hard work! I think 3 Easter dresses/outfits could be a bit much, but she looked adorable, and that's all that matters!

Bow adjustment, of course!

Me counting her eggs the first time. She had 75! Then we found a few more, which made her the winner!

Colin concentrating hard on his findings!

Some of the family - Ed (Alice's husband), My mom (Mimi), my Aunt Mary (Mimi to Sanders), and my Dad (Gorga). That is my cousin Alice (we are 5 weeks apart) on the ground with Addie Kate and Sanders (her son)

Addie Kate checking out her money - this cracks me up!

And here, we all try to get a group shot of some of the 4th generation of Sanders (which I guess isn't entirely accurate since my family has been in America for tons of generations, but since I've been here, this is generation #4.)

Addie Kate (17 mos.), Colin (6), Logan (2), and Sanders (11 mos.)

Here, Addie was taking one of Colin's eggs. She's going to be a tough one to teach!

And the meltdown that ensued.

Addie Kate LOVED Graham, Meredith and Nick's dog. And he sure is a good puppy. There is nothing in this world like a yellow lab!