Fearfully and Wonderfully: Easter/Spring 2022

As it always seem to do, Easter, spring, and the end of school seemed to come upon us quickly. We did lots of fun Easter things and egg hunts so here are some snapshots of that

Coloring eggs and an egg hunt with the Canales family. We did this last year when there were very few community Easter things due to Covid, and the boys remembered and asked to do this again. Each of the kids got their own color of plastic eggs to find and it worked really well

The boys friend Aela's mom is in charge of family and children's ministry at her church. They were having an egg hunt and she invited people from school. It was fun to see friends, do activities, and hunt eggs. It was so cold though. It was snowing that morning before the hunt. This winter has been weird.

Corban, Gabriel, Aela, and Aiden

Corban's class did a project to make a resurrection scene. They had a pot for the empty tomb, made the three crosses out of sticks, and then planted grass seed all around. It took a while for the seeds to start growing, but he was really proud of what he made. Corban's teacher has continued to be awesome at sending out pictures almost every day of what they are doing in class (also, for whatever reason, Corban loves that shirt)

Decorating cookies

On Easter morning there was an early outside service at church (which the boys and I did not attend because we just couldn't get ready in time). Afterwards there were donuts and drinks before Sunday School. It was so nice to gather in this way, which we hadn't been able to do in the past couple years.

Easter Morning at church

Last Easter we had dinner at the Blacksburg Tavern, which is a family style restaurant in an old house. The boys asked to go there again which was delicious and easy. They both think that "family style" meals are so exciting. Some Saturday mornings they have gotten out multiple bowls and filled them with different cereals and then did "family style" breakfast where we could pick from different cereals to eat

The boys love to give us gifts from their belongings. Our night tables are getting a little crowded but some of these things have even been gift wrapped and given to us, while some they have picked out for us when out with Gammer. The tables are crowded but I love that they like to give us things that are important to them.

Taylor's side. Some happy meal toys, Lego figures, Spider Man, a Gandalf stuffed animal Gabriel picked out to buy Taylor, and a goat that the boys picked out for him when we were getting him a present because they know that he thinks that mountain goats are fascinating. There is also a stuffed Piglet hidden back there somewhere (when Corban got his set of Pooh stuffies he gave Tigger to Gabriel, Piglet to Taylor, and Eeyore to me. He kept Pooh)

My side. Link stuffed animal that Gabriel bought with Gammer, a rock that he painted purple with glitter, a Lego girl and boy that he made playing chess (he gave it to me taken apart in a bag and he drew his own instructions on how to put it together), a small Elastagirl figure, a small toothless stuffed animal from Corban, a creation with building materials that Corban made that is a larger cat and a smaller mouse. There is a small Iron Man Lego with a robot that Corban took apart, but in a zip lock bag, and gave to me with a sweet note. He then showed me how to assemble my present. I also have my stuffed Eeyore and two other small stuffed animals in the storage space below and a Star Wars Lego book that Gabriel wrapped up for me.

Baseball! We didn't play last year because the covid restrictions were going to be ridiculous (wearing masks while playing, sitting spaced in the dugout, parents not allowed in the stands). They ended up not following any of those rules so I'm kinda sad that we didn't play, but if they had enforced those things it didn't sound like a very fun way to play a team sport.

Gabriel missed the "coach pitch" years and went straight to player pitch. There are some kids on his team with a lot of experience, but he has made some good friends and he has had very supportive coaches. He only has a couple games left, but I'm so proud of how hard he has been trying. He's gotten on base multiple times and has really enjoyed being a part of this team.

Corban has been playing T-ball and really enjoying that too. One of the boys who lives right across the street is on his team and it's been fun to see them playing together at the games and also just randomly coming and knocking on each other's door to play catch on other days. Being able to carpool to some games has been nice too.

Mother's Day. The boys both made me presents at school. Corban made me a picture with his handprints and Gabriel decorated a card for a plant. I also got a wallet that I had really liked when we were out as a family doing some errands one day. Taylor had to leave town after church that day but the boys and I got hamburgers and watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (we just finished reading that book together)

Boys doing random things:

Gabriel reading to Corban

No idea. They were doing something involving rolling down the hill in the backyard. Then they started putting their legs in the same shirt and rolling and wrestling while attached to each other

We went to an event at the nature center near us with our friend Aela and her mom. The boys touched snakes, went on a scavenger hunt looking for birds, made a clay bird and bird feeder, drew pictures of their favorite birds, and dissected owl pellets looking for bones (they even found a couple of skulls)

The boys made me breakfast one morning. Yogurt, a couple of cereals, mini m&ms, chocolate, toast with a peanut butter "M" on it, and coffee. I didn't eat it all, but I sure appreciated the thought (the boys helped me eat the chocolate - shocker, right). Corban has gotten really good at making some perfect coffee. He even told me one day that he looks closely at the color when he's adding half and half. I've enjoyed the coffee service on slower mornings at home

We went to see both a piano and violin concert and some Renaissance Singers at the Moss Arts Center this spring

Playing at Aela's church while her mom does some work. No idea what they are doing but they look like they are having fun. I think that Aela has become like a sister to both of them, but especially to Corban. And there is Corban wearing that shirt again. I think if the boys could wear whatever they wanted and not have to worry about weather Corban would wear a short sleeved shirt and athletic shorts. Gabriel would wear long sleeves and jeans. They both always want socks on, even with sandals. I guess their feet don't get hot

Fun in a tree at the park with Dad

Corban is going to need some dental work done this summer. We went for a consult at a pediatric dentist in Roanoke and found a cute ice cream shop very close by. Corban found his favorite ice cream, vanilla, that comes in stripes of different colors

Gabriel trying out some Star Wars treat making from a cookbook from Uncle Aaron and Aunt Tiffany. He was having his friend Aiden over and wanted to be able to make treats together. Gabriel made the cookies, Corban made some vanilla ice cream in the ice cream maker, and the three boys made them into ice cream sandwiches and rolled them in sprinkles