Easter Blessings

Claire's First Easter was full of blessings. We began our day with her first Easter basket. The Easter bunny was GOOD this year.

The Easter Bunny even brought a new Sippy in one of her Easter eggs.

After our basket here, we had to stop by Gran's house for a special treat. No holiday is complete at our house without a singing animal. How 'bout an Easter lamb singing Barbara Anne??

Then it was off to church with Gran & Pop. We are so blessed to be able to take our child to church with a group of believers who are growing as an extended part of our family. As I watch her play with all the girls and boys in her Sunday school class, I look into the future and know she will be as lucky as her Daddy and I were with our church family.

No Easter is complete without KY Dam Village buffet with Nana & Poppy and the whole Tucker crew. Mommy and Daddy stuffed themselves silly. Thankfully the Easter bunny came before lunch so Mommy was still full of laughs.

We finished our long blessed day with a grill out at Gran & Pop's Claire loved getting to ride in Uncle Jeff's wagon. Claire's great-grandfather made it special for him, and now it can be special for our next generation.

Our lives are simply full of blessings right now. Easter weekend began Mommy's spring break. I always love breaks, because it allows me to pretend I am a stay at home Mommy for just a little while. I love this time with Claire. I love the routine of getting up and taking things a bit slower than our typical mornings, then working on house work as she toddles along behind me. Of course, I spend as much time taking her little hands from where they should not be going as I do cleaning, but I think it precious how she already understands what I am doing. (I know I owe much of this to Gran who is constantly picking up with Claire.)

The moments of this week are precious. Time is moving ever so quickly. I feel as if I have blinked my eyes and my girl is no longer a baby. Claire simply amazes me how she has grown in the last 10 months. We celebrated her 10 month birthday last Tuesday with REAL LIVE ACTUAL steps. She practiced walking the 6 feet or so between Mommy and Daddy for nearly twenty minutes. She was ever so proud of herself. She has enjoyed walking throughout the last week, but still prefers to hold a finger of someone nearby. It is funny how we learn our comfort zones early in our days.

Our days are moving fast lately, and she is changing daily. She is no longer my infant girl but is transforming into my busy, inquisitive, chattering toddler. She is always busy playing with her toys in her room or in her "cell," as we call her play yard. There are even times when those dreadful moments of silence occur, and I rush into the other room to find her quietly examining a toy with wide eyes. She seems to thoroughly enjoy this time to herself; almost reveling in the moments of solitude when she can investigate all charms her.

Now... don't let us fool you; with this charming inquisitiveness comes GO!!! Claire is always on the go. Always moving, always chatting, always looking, always watching, always going. She goes until a her motor just runs out. Even if I try to calm her down by reading, then nursing and rocking, if it is not time to turn the motor off, it will not shut down. I can remember being this way all my life. We are definitely gearing up for a WILD RIDE with this one.