egg smack down!

larissa read about a tradition (not sure which culture its from) where people blow out eggs, fill them with confetti, and smash them on each other's heads. one of the eggs is filled with glitter and whoever's head the glitter egg is cracked on, is the winner!

this was the funnest game ive ever played and will certainly be a browne family tradition. i think it would be fun to spice things up even more and fill them with something crazy like paint and have one with the raw egg! muwahahah!

ellie was the only one who shed a tear or two when daddy cracked the egg on her head, but im sure by next year she will have forgotten all about it and be excited to do it again :)

here are some pics rikki took of our crazy shenanigans

we have a winner!

the aftermath that had to be cleaned in a very special way...

on a side note and just for memories sake: i had to borrow my mom's pants because of an accident i had on the way to their house. no, not that kind of accident! in the car i was holding the ham, which was delicious by the way, and as we turned some corners, the juicy yumminess leaked out and soaked my skirt enough that as i walked up to the front door, my skirt literally slapped against my legs. i smelled of ham and cinnamon the rest of the day. yummy.

easter: 2011 edition

easter is such a wonderful holiday!

here are are this years highlights:

3 happy kiddies

2 egg-cellent egg hunts

and

1 scrumptious ham (my very first too!)

they loved their chocolate bunny pets found in their baskets after church... but they werent cute enough to resist biting their heads off when given the opportunity

the color difference here makes me laugh

we had a hunt on saturday at church and then one at grandpa and grandmas. the 3 older cousins made out like bunny bandits!

trying bunny tails (aka cotton candy)

we also played the best game in the history of the world, which deserves its own post. (thanks larissa!)

and the night ended with sparklers!

charlie gets abused around here. sometimes its hard being so helpless!

eggs, glorious eggs

our first time dyeing eggs!

i was a little worried and made the kids strip down to their skivvies.

auntie rikki came over for the festivities!

all of the "cool" eggs were done by her artistic hand. she is so talented in so many ways. everything she does deserves extreme wootness... can i get a woot woot!

somehow rik is always able to bring out the goof (or doof, take your pick) in me... and i LOVE it!

we took a walk down memory lane and listened to music that we loved way back when. for those that grew up around here- they were songs that made it onto the "high 5 at 9" on b103.9 in the 90's. you know, like, coolio's Gangsters Paradise and mariah carey's Always Be My Baby. it was awesome to reminisce and dance. chris is such a good sport to let me be so silly at times. i just use the excuse that at this stage in life, the kids enjoy it when mom is goofy!

i found these pics of our little tooter on the camera. he was 4 days old and sweet as can be.

our charlie has stolen my heart.

he has created a bond that i have never felt before. i love all of my kids each in their own way... and charlie has a very special way. from the moment we found out about baby #3, i prayed that this little person would have a calming influence in our home. charlie has brought a feeling of peace that i know was an answer to those many prayers. not a day goes by where i dont think to myself that he has a very important work to do on this earth. there is a look in his eye that tells me he is a special son of Heavenly Fathers. there have been many nights that i have stayed awake thinking about what an amazing spirit is in that tiny body. i dont know how we got so lucky to have him be a part of our family, but my gratitude is beyond words. i love this sweet boy of ours.

super swimmers!

you may think that i am obsessed with my children and, well, you'd be right.

i cant help it... when you are surrounded by them every single second of the day, it's hard to have much else going on in your brain.

while swimming this afternoon, rikki took some ah-ma-zing pictures of J, E, and C. since i couldnt decide which ones i liked best i just posted them all :)

these thighs are completely ridiculous and absolutely scrumptious!

needing a little nourishment

these two have pretty much grown gills and fins this past week.

jack is getting really great at swimming. he is now diving to the bottom of the pool (the shallow end) to retrieve toys. he can swim completely submerged and holding his breath.

ellie is getting pretty good too, as of late. she has finally started to let go of the sides and actually swim. with her wings on, she can swim the distance of the pool without stopping or asking for help. she's also fun to watch float on her back. today she even jumped into the pool on her own, without someone there to catch her.

thanks rikki for capturing this fun moment in time for us to have forever and ever. i love them!