Easter....yes I know im a few months behind!

Owen took this picture of us on Ester! Pretty good I think for a 2 year old...he has a very "artsy" style in his angle!

We like to include in their Easter baskets something that points back to the reason for Easter so both boys received "virtue" packs (these are great resources that capitalize on Deuteronomy 6:6-7...they provide tools that easily allow parents to talk to their children about God and Godly virtues while in the car, eating meals, and going to bed at night). The boys also received Mickey shirts since we were going to Disney World the following weekend!

Hee! Hee! I made us match! Surprisingly, Joe didn't mind!

True brothers!

Dying eggs while talking about the Easter story!

On Good Friday we made a "Resurrection Garden" while we read through the story of what happened to Jesus...Good Friday is good for us but it wasn't so good for Jesus.

Our Finished project

Owen and Mason received Easter gifts in the mail from Uncle Matt and Aunt Elise! Owen of course offered to help Mason open his! Look how excited Mason looks!

Owen loved his Percy Easter Egg train!

Just like last year, Mimi came to visit!

Our church Easter Egg hunt. It's our big outreach event each year which includes 50,000 eggs, bounce houses, rock climbing walls, free food, and...

a paraschuting bunny!!

Mason's first Easter egg hunt!

My Messy Mason Moose!

This boy is a Mommy's boy...and I LOVE it! He wakes up each morning laughing and squealing at who knows what! If I don't get him quick enough from his crib then he will begin to squeal even louder and thus wake his older (better sleeper) brother. I love reaching in his crib to get him...he stretches out his chunky little arms and wraps them around my neck and gives me a Sweet hug! On the mornings when he hasn't woken his older brother we enjoy a little one-on-one time snuggled up on the couch. Most mornings this lasts until his sippy cup is empty, then he slides himself off the edge of the couch and he's off! He really doesn't stop moving throughout the day unless it's to "refuel" and suck his thumb for about 20seconds...then he's off again! He still prefers to army crawl but he is also enjoying holding hands to walk as well. It took him a while but he is now able to lower himself carefully after pulling himself up. For a while he would pull up on the train table or the ottoman and then just cry from frustration because he didn't know how to get down. It was very sad!
Unfortunately he's not real interested in baby toys. He wants whatever Owen has or anything that doesn't resemble a toy at all (ie computer cords, candle sticks, tv remotes, plants, etc). He's slowly learning all of the "no-no's" around the house but he is very hard-headed! At this age Owen would be in tears if I looked at him and said "no"...and if I had to swat his hand he never looked back at the "no-no" again. Mason-totally different kid! Swatting his hand does nothing. He will look at me dead in the eye and reach back and touch the object 5 times receiving a hand swat each time...unfazed. We're starting to think he is unable to feel physical pain. Which for Owen's sake sometimes works in his advantage. Most of the time it's an accident, but there are about 5 incidents each day that Owen inflicts "pain" on Mason. I use " " around the word pain because it looks like it should be painful for Mason, but he doesn't cry...he grunts or yells at Owen! But they do enjoy their time together. They mostly play next to each other but there are times when they actually play together and it simply melts my heart. When Mason wakes from his naps (which he is not a great napper) Owen always rushes into his room at the first sound he makes. Owen climbs up the crib and flips in! They will play together for several minutes laughing and squealing!
When Mason isn't playing with his brother's toys or taking a short nap, he's usually eating. I'm seriously still amazed at how much he eats, and I see him eat three times a day. He will sometime sit in his highchair and eat for an hour!! His favorites: all fruit (apple, grapes, bananas, strawberry, blueberries, mango, pineapple, oranges, plums, watermelon, etc)whole-wheat English muffin pizza (he ate 3 pieces for dinner along with fruit and milk!!), peas...I don't know why I'm trying to make this list...he eats everything!!! AND he drops/throws everything on the ground! He is SOOOOO messy (hints his nick name)Even Owen says "Mason messy"!
I just love this boy to pieces! I can remember before he was born I would think "how can I love another kid as much as I love Owen"...now I know how...God just gives you more love to love with...so amazing!!!