Here comes Peter Cottontail

Happy Easter!  The boys were into it this year.  I had conversations with Landon about why we celebrate Easter and he really seemed to get it.  He told me about Christ's crucifixion and resurrection and what that meant.  It was wonderful to have a meaningful conversation with him since usually I'm graced with strange theories and fart jokes.  

The boys spent the night with my parents Friday night and got to dye eggs with their cousins and have an egg hunt too.  They had a great time playing, but I was happy to have them back.  Friday night I was home completely alone.  No kids, no husband.  It was very strange and I'm surprised I was able to get to sleep.  But I went shopping unencumbered, that was nice!  I kept finding myself tip toeing around the house like the boys were there sleeping.  I just am not used to making noise after 7pm!  

Sunday I was able to watch the first session of General Conference while the boys all napped!  Then we had our egg hunt here and they got their Easter baskets.  Landon did a great job helping Will and not taking all the eggs.  He's really growing up and getting better with those things (when he wants to).  They loved their baskets.  They both got kid sized shovels and garden gloves.  They both love to dig in the garden before we get it all planted and now they really can get into it.   I think they broke all the sand shovels last year digging with them in the dirt.  They got a few other fun little things.  They wanted to play with all of them right away, but we had to immediately leave for Granny and Grandpa's house to celebrate with John's extended family.  The boys always enjoy the holidays there too because there are more cousins to play with.  They did another egg hunt there and Will did great as always.  He had eagle eyes when it comes to Easter egg hunting.  Last year he beat Landon in the egg business. This year they knew how many eggs were out there and so we knew how many they could each find.  Two of their older cousins helped them out too, which was very nice of them.  Gabriel was his very happy self and made everyone feel good by letting them all hold him. Every now and again he would cry because he needed a mommy snuggle or was hungry, but he would go back to happy and off to be loved by his great grandparents and great aunts.  No one could get over his happy go lucky nature.  We had a fun day and were all ready for bed that night!

Isn't he so handsome?

Just chillin' with his basket

This is the face I got when I told him to smile with his eyes open....not what I was going for.

Then I got this.

Trying to get a non squinchy face out of him is so hard!  

You may notice there are no individual pictures of Landon here. Well, he decided to have a huge fit about his clothing while trying to get everyone dressed and ready to go.  During these pictures he was still crying and red faced with his hair in full afro mode.  After he calmed down and had his hair done I didn't have time to get individual shots.

Egg hunt time!

This is the best one I got of them.  Seriously...the best one....you just can't always get good pictures of kids together.  I have to remind myself of that.

Basket time.  Even Gabriel got one.  He dug out the one toy he really wanted and ignored the rest of the basket.  He really loved the soccer ball rattle.

Gabriel and his Great Grandpa.  Grandpa really loves holding babies.  Getting babies away from him is nearly impossible.

Gabriel: 7 Months

7 months?  Time needs to slow down!  Once again I nearly missed getting these done.  It's 5 days before he is 8months, but I made it!  That huge smile is pretty much what you see all day every day from this little man. I have been really blessed to have such a happy third baby. With having to care for two other kids he sometimes has to wait for attention, but he doesn't mind.  He is fine playing on his own on the floor or in his exersaucer and smiling at us as we pass by.  If he gets tired of being ignored he will let you know it, but he's back to happy as long as he gets some attention.  I think it comes with the territory of being the third child.  More laid back and go with the flow.  This month he started eating what we refer to as his cookies.  They are really called rice rusks, but who wants to call them that?  That sounds gross!  A rusk, what is that?  Sounds like husk to me and that is not appetizing.  If he even sees the package of cookies he screams and starts to happy dance for them.  He is also enjoying eating puffies.  He hasn't quite figured out the whole picking them up and getting them into his mouth thing, but he's working on it.  He ends up getting a fist full and sucks on his fist attempting to get them out to no avail.  We are waiting on him to start crawling or something, but he has ZERO desire to do that!  He is very happy to just lay on the floor rolling about and standing in his exersaucer watching the world go by.  Sitting up isn't even on the list of strong desires.  He will sit on his own for a moment or two and then throw himself back, on purpose, so he can lay down and play.  He's such a slacker! You'd think he'd be trying to catch up with his brothers.  Maybe he knows he's safer not getting up with them.  None of my boys have been in a hurry to do anything, so he's par for the course in this family!  He continues to be a little charmer and has the ability to make anyone and everyone melt into a puddle around him.

His first cookie experience. He smiled the whole time he ate them.

My tall boy!

I can't get enough of his smiles!