I LOVE Easter! The colors, the flowers, the kids' excitement as they search for those little plastic eggs, with, or without anything inside them. And the promise that Spring might actually be coming...it's been a long winter, just sayin'...
Here we are, coloring eggs on Good Friday-one of our many traditions.
Look at that excited face on my girl. She thought nothing of plunging her little hand into the cup of dye repeatedly and tightly clutching the eggs, before dropping them in different places...
I was reminded pretty quickly why i usually wait for Patrick to get home for this-dye was EVERYWHERE. Good choice with the white shirt-not so much.
In an effort to be organized, I had boiled the eggs the night before, and the boys reminded me continually how badly the fridge smelled every time it was opened. And Josh felt so strongly that he just had to make a sign and get it in a picture...
No Star Wars eggs this year, and pretty simple, but still pretty, I think.
And here we are on Easter morning, with Gracie coming out of her bedroom to find the trail of jellybeans that the Easter bunny had left. The boys blew right by them, in their excitement, but not my girl-she stopped at each one, and stuffed them into her mouth as quickly as her little fingers would let her...she was in Heaven.
So we gave her a cup to collect them all in, instead of her mouth.
My girl LOVES her sweets...
And here's what the Easter bunny left...
The Easter Bunny brings seeds every year to help our garden get started...;-)
Easter treats...;-)
And happy boys, who had given up their DS's for Lent-such a sacrifice...;-)
And here's Gracie, happily checking out her loot.
I just love her crazy bedhead. =)
And then, after checking out her basket, she disappeared for a few minutes. I found her hiding under the dining room table, scarfing the rest of the jellybeans she collected-that's my girl.
And some attempts at a nice picture before church...
Most of them looked like this, (actually I did tell them to make some goofy faces)
but then finally got a semi-decent one....Super cute hat courtesy of Nana-thank you!!
And here's another tradition for our Easter-bunny napkins. The boys were really not into it.
But Ben got the blue napkins and was bribed with chocolate-what a difference.
And here are some other favorite images from our Easter day...
huggin' cousins =) adorable hats courtesy of Nana:knitter/crocheter extraordinaire! thank you, thank you, thank you!
The Great Egg Race!
As if the day wasn't full enough, we had some fun with neighbors after all the company left...
Some of the kids enjoying a muddy tetherball game...
Gracie all sacked out in her big girl bed after a very full day. All day long she kept saying "I love this happy Easter day!" And I did, too-couldn't have been much better...=)
We had to say goodbye today to someone who has filled our heads, hearts and home with music for several years... The boys have known him for over half their lives, so his departure is difficult for them, and all of us....
Thank you, Keith, for your patience, your kindness, your quiet, encouraging ways...for enduring toes on the piano keys, backbends over the bench, emergency snacks mid-lesson, for sitting through all of the toy demos, and shenanigans...for feeling our ups and downs almost as much as us, and, for appreciating our newest member almost as much as we do. But most of all, thank you, for giving us all the gift of music....What an awesome gift it is.
We wish you the very best in your new chapter!
Although it has taken longer than I'd hoped to put together, it has been so fun to go back through old photos and videos for this post. I am amazed at how much the boys have grown, both in stature and skill, since the time that they began working with Keith. (Unfortunately my videography skills haven't improved much at all...)
Remembering back to when Ben was about 3, while we were listening to a lullaby CD, he was able to pick out and name the different instruments playing in the song-and correctly, without any coaching or prior discussion with us. I was amazed at his ear for music and really felt piano lessons would be a great thing for him. With the help of my dad (and a few other kind, strong souls) we were able to acquire on old piano, and his lessons began shortly thereafter, at age 5. He didn't love it initially, but I insisted he tried 3 lessons before he decided to quit or continue. I'm so glad he chose the latter, and I'm pretty sure he is, too.
First recital, December 2007, age 6
I just LOVE the looks on their faces in this one...:-)
And look how little he was...
Joy to the World
Recital Number 2, December 2008. Although Josh wasn't interested in starting formal lessons yet, he wanted a part, so Keith let them play the "Linus and Lucy" song from Charlie Brown together-so nice to see the boys working as a team...;-)
Ben age 7, Josh age 6
And Recital Number 3, in December of 2009....
Ben, age 8...
And Joshy, age 7...
Poor Josh looks so nervous that he needed the piano to hold him up...
Part of my favorite all time song-Canon in D...makes me tear up every time.
And here they are again, exactly the opposite of how they are in real life...(Ben cutting up, while Josh looks painfully anxious!)
Thanking Keith with goodies...he always appreciated them. =)
And their final official recital, in June of 2010. Poor Joshy, still not able to relax before his turn...;-)
<
And these final two songs were the last ones they were working on with Keith, and two of my very favorites. I taped Ben doing a perfect version of his on Christmas day, but it wouldn't load because it was too long. So here is his modified version-can you tell he is a little annoyed with me, for making him do another take? lol...
Ironically, before being the mother to two boys, I had always said, only half-joking, my boy(s) would "play piano, not hockey"...whether they decide to continue or not, I'm so very glad they did.
It has been a fantastic journey. Thank you for everything, Keith.
You are missed already....
Look at that excited face on my girl. She thought nothing of plunging her little hand into the cup of dye repeatedly and tightly clutching the eggs, before dropping them in different places...
In an effort to be organized, I had boiled the eggs the night before, and the boys reminded me continually how badly the fridge smelled every time it was opened. And Josh felt so strongly that he just had to make a sign and get it in a picture...
And here's what the Easter bunny left...
I just love her crazy bedhead. =)
And some attempts at a nice picture before church...
But Ben got the blue napkins and was bribed with chocolate-what a difference.
huggin' cousins =) adorable hats courtesy of Nana:knitter/crocheter extraordinaire! thank you, thank you, thank you!
The Great Egg Race!
