Easter 2019

Last week was Easter. It was full of church, egg hunts, parties, food, and candy. I think I've mention on this blog before that I love Easter. I love that it is a time to celebrate the core of my faith, but I especially love the fact that it is the unofficial beginning of spring. This year, however, I did NOT love that we had a surprise cold snap Easter morning and our sleeveless dresses didn't quite cut it for the morning temps. When I say cold snap, it was in the high 50s, which is pretty frigid to me. Thank goodness for our risen Lord and for his mercy as he raised those outside temperatures before we got out of the church. He knows I couldn't have stood outside and endured egg hunts in below 60 degree weather and a sleeveless dress.

The weekend of Easter there had been bad storms in the area so the girls ended up getting Good Friday off of school due to bad weather. (Mack already had the day off.) It was so nice having an extra day that weekend to be together and get some stuff done. The weather ended up doing absolutely nothing scary other than about 30 minutes of a hard rain.

Most of the weekend, Worth and I helped Ellie finish up her first science project. She had been doing the experiment all week, and she had to finish her board and results. Her topic was "Which food spoils the fastest?" She did all of it by herself with a little guidance on the scientific method from her dad. I helped her finish up her board giving her most of the creative independence, but assisting when I felt it necessary. (I learned, Ellie CANNOT cut a straight line yet.)

Easter Sunday, we headed to Tifton and attended St. Anne's with Grandma and Papa. The kids hunted eggs, and the adults just ate ALOT.

This past week, Emma had parent observation at dance. I'm soaking up my dance time with her. I get the feeling she doesn't LOVE dance like Ellie does. I have asked many times if she is done with dancing, and she keeps saying no. She gets pretty burnt out this time of year, but after recital she is starry eyed and ready to "do it again." You never really know with Emma, and she is still pretty young to start picking a sport. I will sit quietly and wait it out though. Whatever she ends up doing, with her competitive spirit, she will be amazing.

I attended a hand therapy conference in Savannah at the end of the week. I had a great time, but I think the kids enjoyed the weekend even more with yet another weekend at  Grandma and Papa's and another St. Anne's attendance.

Mack's preschool class at their class Easter party/hunt. 

I snapped this sweet picture of Mack praying before they ate at the party. 

He was SO excited about the egg hunt. 

Digging in the pine straw for eggs. The teachers put their names on all of the eggs, so it took them some time to find all of them. 

Mack and his buddies examining their loot. 

Me and my buddy. I sure am going to miss this kid next year when he starts Kindergarten. 

Experiment working

Ellie needed pictures of herself working on her experiment on her board. Worth made her put on her lab coat and some safety goggles. She was so embarrassed, but we broke her down and got her to do it AND put the pictures on her board. 

Ellie's final project. 

Next up, it was time to dye eggs. 

Only a small amount of arguing and one broken egg. I count that as a successful egg dying activity. 

We were able to salvage the broken egg and still dye and glitter it. 

The Easter Bunny came!

The kids all slept together upstairs and had some Easter baskets ready because the Easter bunny usually hides eggs in our house along with bringing loot for their baskets. 

And they're off! 

Entranced by Easter magic

Emma showing off a new watch band that the Easter Bunny somehow knew she desperately needed. 

Ellie got a waterproof, attachable to anything, video camera. This should bring some good beach videos this summer. 

Headed to Tifton!

Waiting patiently for the after church Easter egg hunt at St. Anne's 

Being a 10 year old 4th grader has not deterred this girl from a good  candy filled egg hunt. 

They're off again. 

Baskets filled and posing for the camera in front of little St. Anne's

Tift/Bowers group shot

We made it back to Grandma and Papa's for lunch. Don't mind Worth in this picture. this was his reaction when I told him to peel his face off of his phone so I could get a good picture. 

Grandma had another egg hunt planned. This one wasn't for candy eggs, but each egg had varying forms of money, from some pennies, to $10 bills. 

Grandma had to contain them to give them instructions. They were busting to find the super $ prize eggs. 

On the hunt....

Mack would shake the eggs and if he didn't hear clinking change, he would put them back. He missed out on a few bills that way. 

Emma was determined to win the most money, which she didn't and she wasn't very happy about it. Imagine that. 

It was such a beautiful, clear, blue sky day. I had to get a picture of it as they hunted. 

Seeing what they ended up with. 

Emma's Tap costume. She is beyond pumped about this outfit. Just in trying it on, however, we lost about 50 sequins. I can't wait to see what is left at actual game time. 

Jazz costume is cute, but the dance is cuter if they pull it off! 

I had to add in this picture from Savannah this past weekend.  This is most of the crew I worked with in Savannah when we lived there. I cherish these people and the friendships that we have maintained. It really was the best job. I've worked with some amazing therapists, but this crew dug in my heart a little more than anywhere else. 

Spring Break and other shenanigans

2 weeks ago was our spring break. I decided to take the kids to Atlanta for a couple of days to tour the Candytopia, an ALL candy museum that was visiting Atlanta, go to the Children's museum, and then go to Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Kate and Jay brought their boys and it turned out to be a great family experience. The kids were all inseperable. They divided up into their pairings as soon as we met up with them - Emma with Grey, Ellie with Banks, and Bo with Mack. They stayed like this pretty much the entire time!

We visited Candytopia Thursday morning, headed to the Children's Museum after lunch, then went back to the hotel in Buckhead for a little swim/hot tub time before dinner at a nearby restaurant. The kids were amazing with each other and although slightly exhausting, I think the adults had fun as well. Unfortunately, we had to end the week on a slightly sad note. Before we left on our trip, Sa, Worth's grandmother passed away. We all gathered at Mia and E.W.'s house the Saturday after our spring break adventure to have lunch and celebrate Sa's life. I think the kids enjoyed the extra day together, but it was melancholy none the less. We will all miss Sa, but we know she is with Gramps again and they are dancing at the feet of Jesus.


This past week has been back to reality of school, sports, projects, and of course, the Masters. Worth and I were able to go up to Augusta this past Saturday and attend the annual golf tournament. This year, Worth suggested I invite 2 of my very best friends who happen to be golf fans. Kathryn brought her husband, and since we only had one more ticket, Lauren came solo and left her husband with their kids in Statesboro. We had such a good time. We got a little time in with Worth's other grandmother, Granny Rae, who is 94 years old. She is doing amazing and is a most precious human being.

Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks!

Since I had to work the beginning of the week of spring break, the kids split their time in Tifton between Mia and Dubs house and Grandma and Papa's house. I was able to meet up with them that Wednesday night and found them playing in my old stomping ground. The tree swing was my favorite thing in the backyard when I was growing up. 

Emma having her turn

Emma and Papa rocking on the back porch

Mack had a grand time being pushed by his sisters. 

Daddy asked me to take his picture:)

We made it to Candytopia that Thursday morning and met up successfully with the Berrymans!

Each room had candy for the taking. In the first room, chocolate dropped from the ceiling. You can tell by Ellie's face in this picture that she was amazed. 

They had green screen spots that you could get group pictures. Banks' head got cut out of this chocolate picture. 

This room was a little hazardous.

Another fun picture taken by the Candytopia crew. I'm just glad we were able to fit all 6 kids into it. 

There was a room with swings, which seemed to be the favorite of Mack and Bo.

Mack and Bo were really studying the candy Mona Lisa, so I had to snap their picture in front of her. 

Emoji masterpiece. Ellie's favorite. 

I thought this was a fun display of Ray Charles. Even funnier that Uncle Jay photo bombed. 

Ellie was loving the candy ocean scene. 

A huge shark head made of nothing but candy. 

Grey wanted his picture in the shark as well. 

The candy containers in each room were really the highlight. 

Grey, Ellie, and Banks showing off another candyshark. 

The confetti room was everyone's favorite!

There were even pigs shooting confetti from unspeakable places. 

my favorite picture

The marshmallow pit was the end of the tour. 

Bowers and Berrymans in marshmallows

The children's museum was up next. The kids could have stayed all day in the  play grocery store and waffle house restaurant. 

They all loved playing at "Publix" 

Ellie does love a rock wall. 

Mack made a brief stop at the sandbox area

Emma found something to create

Mack driving the produce truck to "Publix" 

You can't really tell from my pictures, but this was a huge area that involved levers, pulleys, and tools to get small balls to roll around and either drop on the floor, go into water, or go back to where it started. The kids were AMAZED with this and fought with other kids over turns with some of the "equipment'" 

There was an area you could surf or snow ski. Grey was killing it. 

Emma, always keeping up with Grey

Friday morning we arrived a little early to Fernbank, so we had some quality cousins in the car time. 

They were pumped about the dinosaurs

Fernbank here come the Bowers/Berryman crew!

There were tons of these all over Fernbank. This one of Emma and Grey is one of my favorites. :)

Ellie and her glory. 

There was a weather area where you stood in front of the green screen and  attempted to give the weather report like they have to on the news. Ellie and Emma LOVED this. 

Banks' face!!!!

Best shot ever!

The massive bubbles were popular among every kid there including all 6 of ours. 

Taking a break to look at the stars. 

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

Mack and Bo were like this the ENTIRE trip. 

Banks wins the facial expression award

Staring at the massive dinosaur skeleton models. 

Emma and her side kick

At this point, we were entering the "losing steam" phase, but they all did so good!

Our Masters crew for Saturday!

Ellie's volleyball team won their first game on Sunday! 

They won this past Monday as well and Ellie got the game ball for her  efforts. She has improved tons since the fall.