Easter

I was so looking forward to Easter this year. I knew that Kendall would enjoy it so much more. Plus, Avery is getting at the age where she can begin to understand why we truly celebrate Easter. I love talking to her about our Savior and what He did for us out of His HUGE amount of love and grace for us. I really enjoyed telling Avery the story about it.

This year we went to Many for the first time for Easter. We left Thursday night...me, Jeff, Avery, Kendall, Jake, Carolyn & Phil (in-laws)...all in the mini-van. The trip down went pretty good. I was pretty bummed about not being able to stop at Johnny's Pizza on the way down like we did last time. We passed through Shreveport pretty late this time. :( I can't remember what time it was when we got in...around 11:00 or so.

Kendall, Tracie, Avery & Molly

Avery in Daddy's hat

Avery showing off her new-found hula hooping skills

I will start this part off by saying that I feel like such a horrible mother/wife on the last 2 trips we have taken down there. I have an iPhone (that I LOVE) and am constantly checking the weather...just a little OCD with it I will admit. So I should be completely prepared for the weather when we go to Many, right? Well let me say that I'm not ever prepared. I keep forgetting how chilly it is when the low is in the 50s even though the high is in the low-mid 70s. So I have yet to pack a jacket for any of us!! Thank the Lord that my girls take after their father and aren't cold-natured like me. But my goodness we end up freezing our tushes off thanks to my lack of planning!! I will say this to redeem myself. I did get the girls little sweaters to wear with their dresses. So Sunday morning, they were covered ~ literally.

Friday we decided to have a crawfish boil. So we asked Mom's brother, Uncle Pat, to do us the honors...he's known for his crawfish boils. Avery was so enthralled with the crawfish. Dad just took one out and ripped off his claws...poor thing, probably put it into shock!!...so that she could hold it without being pinched. I guess ripping his claws out was the least of his worries that day. We got to see Shane, Kasey, Tristan and Trayton that afternoon. They stopped by on their way in to Many. It is always so great to see them...we don't get to see them near enough. Shane is Jeff's first cousin (his mom's brother's son) and they're about a year apart. That night we put the girls down and then went over to Aunt Carole & Uncle Joe's to see Colin, Jason, Megan and Katie (Jason's girlfriend we had yet to meet). We had such a great time hanging out and laughing with them!

Tristen & Kasey

Avery and Uncle Pat sitting in the tractor

Avery holding her crawfish

My girls sleeping...Kendall started on the matress

I love this snapshot of Jeff and Kendall playing

My family in bed (I apologize for the nostrils)

Saturday is when we went to dye the Easter eggs. We went over to Barney's cousin's house to do them. There were so many kids there. My girls were the youngest there. They had the best time with it. My favorite was the pink/green one that Avery did...my 2 favorite colors! Jake had a good time out there since there was a 7 yr old female German shepherd that he was pretty intimidated by. We rode the 4-wheelers while we were out there too. Kendall rode in front of me and had so much fun with it. We also shot guns again. It was my first time with our 9 mm Glock. Let me say that I wasn't ready for the kick...the only other pistol I had shot before was the 22 and it didn't have one at all. Jeff forgot to prepare me for that. ;-) It was fun though. Avery even shot it a couple of times..with Daddy's help, of course.

Avery, Kendall & Molly dying eggs

Daddy with his girls and their baskets while on the Easter egg hunt

Easter morning was fun. Kendall was so excited to see the Bunny Bread (from Whole Foods) that the Easter bunny brought her. She could care less about anything else. She was just ready to eat...what can I say?? Avery adored her little chiuahua in the purse. Avery was pumped about the candy that she got. She got to pick 5 eggs to eat the candy from and she could hardly stand it. We all packed into the church in Many. I was so proud of my girls for being so good during a mass that lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes ~ huge success for Kendall!!

It was a pretty chaotic weekend but still so nice to be surrounded by such an amazing family. I have been so blessed to become a Troha. I can't tell you how blessed and loved I am by this family. I love my mother and father-in-law as well as my sister and brother-in-law and their children. I am blessed with the biological family the Lord gave me but now even more with my married family. :)