Life with the Lynchs

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Easter 2015

Let's say Easter morning didn't start out 100% like we would like, but the day went up from there. I honestly feel like the devil works hard on us every Sunday and on Holidays involving church. He does his best (through our children) to make Matt and I want to throw our hands up and say "Its not worth it". Luckily he hasn't won yet! Mainly because it is worth it. We desperately want to help guide our children to walk with the Lord. What happened you ask? Well, it started with Cassidy throwing a tantrum about the dress I chose for her to wear and fuel was added to the fire when Carter decided that he did not want to tuck in his shirt. Thankfully, the battles were won and miraculously we were able to get everyone loaded in the car and to church in time to actually get a seat. Unfortunately, that means getting to church about 40 minutes before Mass starts. Any one want to guess how long a 2 year old can actually sit still? Answer = No where close to an hour and 40 minutes. Normally we take full advantage of the church nursery, but on Easter there is no nursery. I think we got up to walk around 2-3 times before mass started and we ended up taking her out twice during mass. There was a super nice family sitting behind us. One of the gentleman played peek a boo with her and tried to keep her entertained throughout mass. The other nice gentleman told me at the end of church to keep up the good work that I was doing a good job. Desperately needed to hear that at that moment, God is good!

As I said, the day progressively got better. After some Easter picture (seen below) in their church clothes, the kids were extremely ready to find their Easter baskets that the Easter bunny had hid. Always fun to watch them scurry around the yard looking for their baskets. As they have gotten older and faster, it is also now fun and funny to try and keep up with them to snap the pictures. Basket search was followed by mass candy eating, bubble blowing and the sugar crash that ended in naps. My mom was nice enough to fix an awesome Easter lunch for us while I worked Saturday. So we had a great lunch followed by an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Then the kids decided to hide eggs for Matt and I. It was super fun. All in all a great day creating memories with family.

Best we could do for a family photo.

Ella Catherine (8), Carter (5)

Ella Catherine and Carter with Nana

My beautiful, sweet Ella Catherine

My handsome, fun loving Carter

Well her look sums it up! And would explain why she is not seen in some of the photos. But Love my Sassy Cassidy

My loves! Matt with his girls and main man

Sisters

Silly Sisters

Let the Basket hunt commence

On a mission

SUCCESS!!!

Cassidy spies her basket

Taking it all in

Is that Candy?

And she is OFF!

Success! I think the Easter bunny may have to get a little trickier at hiding baskets next year

checking out her loot

Post Easter basket hunt

Happy Easter

Mom hiding Eggs for the kids easter egg hunt. Each child had a different egg color they were hunting and they each had 10 eggs to find. EC was green, Carter was blue and Cassidy was yellow

Matt hiding Easter Eggs

Cassidy hunting eggs

Ella Catherine hunting eggs

Cassidy found one

Carter has is eye on one of his blue eggs

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Carter's new sport

We gave Carter the option to play flag football again this spring or to play baseball or soccer. He decided that he wanted to give soccer a try. Can not tell you how proud of him we are. Takes courage to sign up to play a sport you've never played without anyone you know on the team. Matt took him to his first practice. He started off a little shy but he warmed up much faster than expected. He had a great time and told Matt on the ride home that he liked soccer better than flag football. He had his first game this weekend. Unfortunately, I was working Saturday and missed seeing him play. However, Matt took these great pics below and I can't wait to go join the other soccer moms cheering on the sidelines soon.

Warming up with big Sister as the Goalie. Even though they don't play with goal keepers yet.

Hustling for the ball

Carter about to kick off

Friday, April 3, 2015

Spring break 2015

Since I started a new job in February, taking a family trip for Spring break was out. Luckily, my parents are retired and asked if they could take the kids for the week. My parents live out in the country and the kids had a great week living the country life. They could go outside and play to their hearts content without worry of strangers or cars. Ella Catherine has finally gotten the hang of riding a bike and she rode and rode all week. She is training for a run April 25th and her, Carter and my parents dog Sadie would run on the country road while my parents followed in the golf cart. They played soccer, had picnics and went for rides in the golf cart. They got their fill of wildlife by fishing and going Turkey calling with my dad. They had arts and crafts time, dyed Easter eggs and made Easter cookies. They even managed to fit in a surprise visit to my grandmother. Who needs Spring Break Camp?

Enjoying some lunch with Mother Nature

A run on a country road

Getting in some dribbling practice

Ella Catherine helping Carter practice

Soccer anyone

Arts and Craft time. Ella Catherine threading her needle to make her button clock

Carter drawing

Finished product! She did a fantastic job sewing the buttons for this clock. Clock is now hanging in her room.

Fishing

Dying Easter Eggs

Love that sweet face!

Beautiful teal Egg and Beautiful Girl

Could NOT love this pic more. Carter smiling showing off their eggs and Ella Catherine looking at him like "what are you doing" Sums up our daily life right now. :)

Making Easter cookies

Final product

Ella Catherine, Pop and Carter all dressed with Turkey calls in hand

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Ella Catherine's Slumber Party

Well, it was bound to happen. Ella Catherine decided she wanted to have a slumber party this year to celebrate her birthday. We limited the invitation list to 4 girls. I thought a very respectable number for a party and very doable first sleepover for mommy. We were a little anxious as to if the party would be a go or not as mother nature decided to dump snow on us the day before, March 5(her actual birthday). Luckily, the snow had melted on the roads and all the girls were able to make it to our house. We started the night off with Pizza followed by cake and ice cream. Then the girls played a bit while I got the first activity set up. I had pillow cases and fabric paint for the girls to each make their own pillow case. The girls had so much fun making the cases. What I didn't think about was that we were using fabric paint, paint specifically made to NOT come out of clothing. (Eeek!) Super close call with a few of the girls clothes but thanks to shout and some elbow grease we got everything out before it had time to set. WHEW! The next activity was fairly harmless in comparison. Ella Catherine picked out 6 nail polish colors and we numbered them 1-6. Then they took turns rolling the dice. As the dice landed on a number, I proceeded to paint the girls nails the color she rolled. We did this until all the girls fingers were painted. It was fun to see all the different combinations of the 6 colors that the girls ended up with. Next a good old fashion pillow fight broke out. :)

Then it was popcorn and a movie. We pre-ordered "Tinkerbell and the Neverbeast" and it was released March 4th. Just in time for her birthday. I was a little afraid that the weather might delay its arrival but it came in time. YAY! I think the girls really liked the movie. After the movie, I made every attempt to get the girls to settle down and go to sleep. Several girls had gymnastics, soccer etc the next morning so staying up all night was not an option. I think they all finally fell asleep about 11:45pm. We ended the fun with a yogurt bar and cinnamon bread. I think everyone had fun but most importantly I think Ella Catherine had a great party celebrating 8 years.

PIzza and girl talk

Waiting for cake

Here comes the cake

Singing happy birthday

Up close look at the cake. Girls in their sleeping bags

Ella Catherine's pillow case she made

The beginning of the pillow fight

PILLOW FIGHT!!!

Yummy popcorn with candy surprise at the bottom

Digging for the candy at the bottom

Playing Bounce off

More girl talk over breakfast

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Ella Catherine turns 8

Our sweet Ella Catherine turned 8 today. Just so happens that we woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground and it was snowing like I've never seen it snow here in Nashville. Therefore, she got a snow day from school and a white birthday. As is tradition in the Lynch house, she got to decide what was on the menu for breakfast this morning. Her choice: bacon, sausage and biscuits. Definitely not her mom's influence for that menu, but I must admit it was delicious. We opened gifts and then decided to let breakfast settle watching a movie before we headed out in the snow. Although this wasn't our first round of the white stuff this year in Nashville, it was the first time it was just snow (not ice). So, we had a snowman to build. Originally, it was just us girls out there shoveling snow and packing it into a pile. However, Carter couldn't stay away long (well after the TV was off :) ). Although Matt swore off the white stuff this go around, I think he just couldn't stay inside and watch as I was completely inept at snowman building. I'm a Georgia girl, we know a lot but we don't know snow. The snowman did get built. Cassidy was so excited about the carrot nose that she had about 5 meltdowns while waiting for the head to be built. To make up for it Matt let her name the snowman. Bet you can't guess what she named it... Olaf. I'd have been shocked had it been anything else. After snowman building came some homemade hot chocolate followed by the premiere viewing of the new Tinker bell movie. Following the movie and lunch we played some family games.

Ella Catherine is such a caring and compassionate child. She honestly doesn't ask for anything and is appreciative for what she is given. She has a passion for learning and a love of math. Her current interests are learning the piano, girl scouts and all that is art. I say this every year I know but it still holds true, Matt and I are so very blessed and happy that God chose us to be her parents. 8 years has gone by in the blink of an eye. Ours lives were forever changed on 3/5/07 for the better. I only wish that she is as proud to call us mom and dad as we are to call her our daughter. LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK Ella Catherine.