Ryan's First Easter

This past weekend was Easter Sunday and while it was definitely a lot of fun to have a baby to celebrate the holiday with, I also spent some time reflecting back on the past year and where my heart and my life were on Easter Sunday in 2013.

It is crazy and amazing to think about what has changed and where my life is heading now in 2014 as compared to this time in 2013.  All of the blessings in my life this past year are from God and I promise I haven't lost sight of that.  During the hardest times of life, it is easy to have a clouded mind and to think that it will never get better, but with the passing of time, comes perspective.  It is during the storms of life that we grow the most.  Boy have I grown.

Our family of three drove into Bakersfield for the weekend.  It is the last time that we will be there before we move out of our apartment in Redlands (which is only a mere 3 weeks away).  We enjoyed spending time with both of our families and were so excited that my sister Rachel got to fly in from Arizona, where she's almost done with year one of physician assistant school, to see us one last time before we move East to Massachusetts.  Speaking of MA, they have a high of 45 degrees this week.  Um, we are in the upper 80's here in Southern CA.  I may die.  Fair warning.

Anyway, back to Easter.  I had a lot of fun with my Mom doing a mini photo shoot of Ryan with the "Easter Bunny."

Mom Confession #1:  I didn't take Ryan to see the real Easter bunny.  I kind of forgot and then it was too late and I really didn't want to pay $22.99 for a picture of my kid screaming after I forced her to sit on the oversized, hairy, scary bunny from hell.   I mean come on. The child sleeps through the night.  Do I really want to mess that up with nightmares of freaky looking bunny monsters?  Nope.

I had a lot of fun on Easter Eve getting Ryan and Josh's baskets ready, even if I had to run out to Target for some last minute additions to the baskets.  Which for the record, don't go to Target at 9pm on Easter Eve thinking that it will be empty.  It was anything but.  In fact, you'd have thought Armageddon was coming the way people were running all over scrounging for last minute bags of jelly beans and chocolate bunnies.  Here's the finished product.



 

In Ryan's basket:  The Velveteen Rabbit, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Bunny PJ's, Jellycat Bunny, plastic eggs filled with puffs (her favorite of everything in her basket), and a "big girl" set of dishes.

 



Dad's "Man" basket



  On Easter, we enjoyed church, time with our families, good food, and just being together. 

Easter Sunday 2014

By the way, Ryan's Easter dress....I made it!  And I'm opening an Etsy shop here soon called The Dandelion Lane complete with baby dresses, quilts, and more.  I can't wait to try my hand at running a business. :)

Mom Confession #2: I have no idea how to run a business and be a mom at the same time. Really I'm not sure how to do either one by itself, BUT I bought a book called How to Make Money on Etsy and I have plenty of books on raising kids so I should be good to go right?!?!