easter/spring in general

Easter was tons of fun this year. On Saturday we had a little egg hunt at our house with some friends. Fun was had by all.

Audrey, Ava, and Merit

On Sunday, Merit and I had to head to church without Kev because he had to work. We missed him terribly. (Thank you, Pete and Melissa, for Merit's pretty dress!)

20 weeks

That evening we went to Jackson and had dinner with Kevan's family at his grandparents' house. Somehow, I didn't get any pictures, and I am so sad about that! Janice, if you happened to take any (ha!), could you send them to me please?

I can't remember ever being more ready for Spring than this year. Winter is fun for the month of December, then I'm ready to move on. These first few pics are of, who else, Miss Merit having fun outside in the amazingness that is Spring.

learning how to blow the dandelions

pigtails: one of the many perks of having a girl

there's that sass again

and a whole lotta sweetness

playing football with daddy

For the last few weeks, we have been eating supper almost every night out on the carport. On this particular night, Merit was noticing the clouds and the moon. She kept saying, "I wanna touch it. I wanna touch the moon." Kev kept lifting her up like this, she would reach out and then say, "I did it!" Such a sweet moment that has turned into one of my favorite memories.

We have a little bush and a tree at our house that surprised us with the prettiest pink blooms. 

Oh, Spring.

Oh, and warmer weather also means that when you are inside, you don't have to wear clothes. Unless you want to throw on some fairy wings, which I would highly suggest.

catching up - merit's actual birthday

We had such a fun time on Merit's birthday. It was my parents' last day in town, so Merit enjoyed all the spoiling that went on throughout the day. :) We were all sad to see them go the next day!

We started out the day with her present from us - a pink dollhouse. I love She loves playing with it!

She then put on a fun birthday outfit (thanks to Nina and PaPa), struck her new fave pose...

...and we went to get donuts!

Since it was cold and rainy (boo), we then went to the mall for a bit, and Merit got to do, well, anything her little heart desired.

play at the playground...

ride the carousel (at the exact time she was born two years ago)...

...and PaPa rented her one of those car/stroller things. Definitely not something we normally do at the mall. She was ecstatic. And chose the pink one.

She then spotted the Easter bunny. We didn't get the professional pic, so Kev hung back and took pics of our own. Merit LOVED this bunny, told him all about it being her birthday, and then wouldn't get off his lap. ("Hi, Bunny!! I wanna sit lap!")

We then headed home, took a quick nap, and then headed off to see if baby was a brother or a sister!

SISTER!!

PaPa had taken Merit to get some ice cream while the rest of us were at the ultrasound. Here we are telling Merit that she was going to have a little sister. As you can tell, Merit wasn't all that impressed, but my dad was pretty excited...he was the only one out of all of us there that had predicted girl!

That night we got Chuy's to-go (yum), and Merit heard the birthday song and blew out her candles for the second and last time on her second birthday.

Everything about her birthday this year was so fun. If she doesn't remember it, I will just remember it for her. She certainly hasn't forgotten yet. She often talks about her birthday ("I had bir-day. I had cake. I two."), and she thought Easter was her birthday again. Can't wait for birthday #3, baby girl!

Let the planning begin...