April showers....but I don't think it ever rained.

April flew by with lots of sunshine and time outside. We rode bikes, ate snowcones, played at the park and stayed busy. The girls both had fun events at school and Ben was the WatchDog at school one day and made Belle so proud. We played family Rockband, babysat Leo, baked treats and visited multiple pet stores to hold guinea pigs. We have enjoyed a lovely Spring for the deep south of Texas and I am always so happy that I get to spend my days with the ones I love best.

Izzy the soccer star

Isabelle had a great Spring soccer season. She played on the same Rush soccer team as Fall season and really seems to grow and thrive under Coach Chris. He is the perfect balance of tough and serious mixed with fun and silly and his coaching really seems to click with Belle. (He calls her Izzy which is always funny to hear.) This season she moved from her usual defensive position, which she prefers, to a great offensive player as well. She learned to love playing forward and scored goals in multiple games. She even managed two goals in a single game one Saturday. She loved going to both her team and professional practice each week and most of the time Ben drove carpool for her and BFF Abby which made it even more fun for the girls and by default made Ben an assistant coach. Olivia has gotten to know the little siblings of Belle's teammates and spent a good portion of her time playing in the dirt and eating snacks with friends. She asked us several times when her season was going to start again, but Ben and I just couldn't bring ourselves to face another round of 3 year old soccer. (We will revisit soccer for Olivia in the future.) As luck would have it, this Spring was cooler than normal and the games were quite lovely for the most part. We love watching Isabelle learn and grow and her passion for sports continues to burn. Undefeated two years in a row...no wonder they call themselves The Dream Team.

Easter

Spring is always a favorite time of year. With warmer temperatures and things blooming in color, you can't help but be happy. One of the highlights of this time of year is always the Easter holiday. This Spring was no exception. We colored eggs on a sunny morning, Livi had a hunt with other preschoolers and made several Easter projects at school. We enjoyed a fun Easter hunt and BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's and woke up on Easter Sunday with baskets and lots of chocolate eggs from the Bunny. It was a whirlwind of a holiday but we enjoyed every activity along the way. And of course, we are grateful for the reason of the season. We enjoyed watching the scripture story DVD with the girls about the Crucifixion and Resurrection and felt like they understood it all just a little bit more this year. What a beautiful time of year.

Fair are the meadows,

Fairer the woodlands,

Robed in the flowers of blooming spring;

Jesus is fairer,

Jesus is purer.

He makes the sorrowing spirit sing.

Checking off Month 3, March.

Lots of busy and important days during the month of March. The weather turned warmer and we spent mounds of time outside enjoying the sun before the real heat set in. The girls love to play together and are happiest when they are busy. I think the old saying is true...Time flies when you are having fun!

Baptism Day

Isabelle chose to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on March 29th, 2014. It was one of the most important decisions she will ever make and she made her parents very proud. She prepared by reading and writing in a Great to be 8 booklet that her Primary President gave her and she had an interview with Bishop Ryan all on her own. A few days before the big day, she confided in us that she wasn't sure she was ready to be baptized! She knew she would then be held accountable and sweet Belle worried she may not make the right choice with every decision. We promised her that doing her best was good enough and hopefully calmed her jitters.



Her baptism day was perfect. She started with an early soccer game and then changed her cleats for a beautiful white dress that Grammie made. Most of her favorite people were able to be there with her and even her BFF from school, Emily and her family were able to come. After the short and sweet ceremony, we celebrated with the family out to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. That night happened to be the first ever General Young Women/Relief Society Broadcast and girls 8 and up were invited to attend. It had been a long day and Belle was spent, so we opted to watch it with Grandma Ruth and Great Grandma Nathala in the comforts of our own living room in our pjs. It was fun to see Belle listen and sing along with the speakers and that night when her heavy head hit the pillow, I knew she had felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost. A special day for a sweet girl. We love you, Isabelle.