3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt

On Saturday we enjoyed a fun day with friends at the park as our Life Group gathered for our 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Picnic. We changed locations this year and the kids really enjoyed the new park.  This is one of our favorite times of year and we always look forward to this! 

Lola & Ava ready to go!

Lola, Ava & Caroline

Comparing baskets with sweet friend Garrett....

Fun at the park.....

It's hard to believe that Keegan was only 3 weeks old at last year's picnic.  They have both changed so much! 

We had a really fun day with great friends!  Ava is so ready for another hunt with her cousins after church on Sunday.  Her Nana bought her the sweetest book for her first Easter called 'The Best thing about Easter.'  We read it all year long but we've read it a lot lately and it lists all the fun things about Easter but tells the entire Easter story at the end and emphasizes that without Jesus there would be NO Easter.  So around the house we will stop and ask each other, 'What's the greatest thing about Easter?' And she usually replies JESUS!  But the other day while we were on a walk I asked her and she blurted out 'The tomb was EMPTY!'  Awesome.....Just awesome.  All I could say was Amen! 

Blessings to you this Easter Weekend!

Keegan

Since Keegan turned one a couple of weeks ago, his stubbornness strong will seems to be a little more present every day.  This is such a fun age because he is learning new tricks every day. But he has also learned what he wants and doesn't want and how to let us know!  We are daily in what I like to call the 'shoe war' because I am struggling all day long trying to keep his shoes on.  Since he is walking now he really needs to wear them when we are out, but his mission to take them off begins as soon as I get them on his feet in the morning.  It doesn't matter which pair, it's not uncommon for me to put them on him ten times in one day. 

This is how he feels about wearing shoes.....

Tantrums are in full swing and I probably say the word NO about fifty times a day but I think this is such a fun age.  Somewhere between baby and toddler, he is still so sweet and cuddly but gaining more independence every day.  I think if I could freeze him at any age it would be this one! 

He loves music and gets so excited when he hears it.  He lets us know by waving his arms around in the air and attempting to dance. 

This xylophone has become a favorite toy.

But his very favorite thing is chasing big sister around the house...and she doesn't seem to mind :-)

Fun Outside

The weather over spring break was so nice that we spent almost every day playing outside.  There are a couple of parks within walking distance and a small lake in our neighborhood where Ava loves to feed the fish and ducks.  But the kids seem to have the best time of all just playing out in our backyard.  Ava is loving that Keegan can walk now and they play together more and more every day.  Keegan's favorite outdoor toy is the red car and they love to take turns pushing each other around the yard while the other 'drives.' 

Keegan has always loved to be outside.  During his first couple of months with colic, taking him out was often the only way we could get him to stop crying.  The fits he throws when it's time to go inside are hilarious (right now anyway).  He kicks and screams all the way inside then stands at the back door and bangs on it with both fists.  So I think it's safe to say that he still prefers to be outside.

Ava has amazed us as a big sister.  She loves on him, plays with him and defends him.  She is growing up so fast.

It's so fun to watch them grow closer each month. Love, love, love these sweet kids!

One Year

Keegan Reese Hutchison, you are ONE year old today!  I can't believe it's been a year since we met you and held you for the very first time.  We've been through so much this first year that even though time has flown by, it seems like we've been together a lot longer!  Maybe it's because our time together included days and nights until a few weeks ago when you finally started sleeping through the night.  I just know that from your colic stage to your reflux stage to your present stage, we have loved you more with each passing day. 

I had no idea what to expect when I learned that you were on your way.  Having no brothers and no nephews I was not sure what it would be like to have a boy.  And now I know.  I know that little boys, just like little girls, are pure joy.

You started walking last month and you can take 8-10 steps in a row.  You still crawl a lot but your favorite way to get around is to push ANYTHING around the house including the laundry basket, sister's foot stools, kitchen chairs... You make a vehicle out of anything and you are non-stop all day long.

You make boy noises already when you are playing and rolling your trucks around on the floor.  You roar and grunt and growl and I think it's so precious. 

When I say 'give love' you wrap your arms around my neck and bury big open mouth kisses on my shoulder.  Then you look at me and laugh and we do it again and again.  You love your DaDa and you love your sissy but so far you have been a bit partial to me and I would be lying if I said that I didn't love it.  You like it on Mommy's hip and I love you being there.

We celebrated your birthday with your sweet friends and family on Saturday and I think you had a fun time!

You loved your cake just like we knew would.  You used your fingers a few times and decided it would be better to just grab it with both hands and bring it to you!

Sweet friends here to celebrate....

The four of us

You are such a happy boy and my favorite thing about you is your smile.  I love that you smile with your entire face!  You are sweet.  You are funny.  You are lovable.  And our family is better with you in it. 

 Happy 1st birthday Keegan!  We love you sweet boy!

Baby in a Basket

This morning Keegan was playing around the laundry basket and decided it would be fun to crawl in.  My camera was nearby so I was able to take a few pictures.  He was so proud once he reached his destination!

As I was watching him, I remembered baby Ava doing the same thing with her toy basket a few years ago.  I pulled these pictures off our hardrive and found that she was eight months old here.  I thought it would be fun to share :-)

Almost One! Picture Post

I can't believe our sweet boy will be one just two weeks from today!  Last month my great friend (and amazing photographer) Laura took Keegan's one year photos for us.  It was an overcast day and it even started raining on us before we left and she still managed to take these incredible pictures that we will always treasure.  I love them so much because I think they capture his sweet and active personality perfectly. 

Oh how we love this boy!  We are so excited to celebrate his first year next weekend!