Happy Easter!

For Easter this year, we had a lot of fun activities to attend.  My friend Jan put together an Easter party at her house and coordinated an Easter Egg Hunt for all the kids in our "neighborhood".  Maren got to hide some of the Easter Eggs and some of the spots were pretty tricky.   There was also an activity at the embassy and later a gathering of some of Jane's friends.  Needless to say, Jane brought PLENTY of candy home with her and didn't go to sleep until after midnight last night.  So, did we give our children Easter baskets this year?  No.  We did not.  

We were trying to get Harry to go for the egg (see there at the corner of the step).  He seemed more interested in climbing...

Maren and I made this little basket for Jane.  I made sure it was "small" so she couldn't fit as much into it.  

Nice open space for the Easter Egg Hunt!  The kids had a great time and it was so cute to watch the older children help the younger children find eggs.

At Jan's house, wrapping up the party with the parachute.  All the moms did a great job contributing games, crafts, and treats to make the party really fun!

Easter Sunday seemed like quite a stressful day for a few of us at church since we had a potluck and musical program.  Luckily, Maren made three splendid dishes so I didn't have to worry about cooking anything for the potluck.  We all had fun and my duet went well, thanks to Nils helping me last night with the verse in Russian.   When we got home, we made sure to take a few pictures.

I managed to finish sewing a dress for Jane and a matching skirt for myself!  I didn't think to make them until Thursday.  Luckily I already had all the material.

Birthdays

We've been traveling around India, Nepal, and the UAE (more on that later).  Since we were traveling when Jane and Harry had their birthdays, we managed a little celebration as a family once we got home. No time to plan a big party.  Ah, well.

I'd been working on a princess dress for Jane, which I finished just in time for her birthday celebration.  As we were getting ready for the party, I remembered a little "pea" costume I'd received from a friend a few years ago.  And then it hit me... The Princess and the Pea!  Here are a few pictures of the kids on their "birthday".  For anyone wondering, they weren't born on the same day but three days apart.

Harry, getting a look as I make the frosting.  He's getting really good at climbing.  He'll be walking soon! And sorry, I can't find a picture of the cake. 

Jane in her dress!  I've had the dark pink material and some of the trimming for a long time.  Glad I finally made something out of it!

Jane and Harry playing with Harry's present.

Cute, isn't it?  Maren was able to capture this picture.  Pretty hard with such wiggly kids!