Happy, Happy Easter!

Easter time is always very fun in our neighborhood.  our annual pot luck has grown and changed over the years.  with most of our littles in soccer, we've started having an evening party rather than a breakfast.  the girls were thrilled to break out the baskets.  (when will they stop "posing" for the camera?)  this was Colin's first bone fide egg hunt, and he was unsure what to expect.  

 this is most of the motley crew that gathered for the big egg hunt.  (Colin is not pictured as he was too busy playing basketball and i am too pregnant to chase after him for a photo op.) 

once he got the hang of the hunt, he found it fun.  he had lots of help from sisters too!

                       

 dinner was delicious!

 and we gathered enough candy to wire these kids for 3 days!

 Easter Sunday we had a fun dying Easter eggs before church.   

church was uplifting and a wonderful celebration of our Savior's life, atonement and resurrection.  and marked Anna's very first performance with the ward choir.  afterward, we hosted out Earl family for dinner, and snapped some pics of these Easter cuties.  

Happy Easter!

we are the pi phis!

these days when i meet people and they discover I was in a college sorority, it usually garners an chuckle of disbelief.  i suppose these days i don't really fit the mold of a stereotypical,  made-for-tv sorority girl. but, i am in fact a member of Pi Beta Phi, and i had a fantastic time in college, and met an amazing group of friends that continue to enrich my life.  

each year, bunch of my "sisters" get together for a girls weekend.  over the past few years babies and nursing have gotten in the way of my attending.  but this year, they came to me!  we rented a house in Scottsdale and played all weekend.  

after picking up out-of-towners from the airport, we gathered at the house and hit the town for a night of shopping and yummy food, and of course late night catching up!

Saturday found us hiking Camleback.
(from left, Elizabeth, Vicki, Erica, Jess, Me, Ali, and Shira)

this was a first reunion of our "London group" from 1996.  Ali and Elizabeth were my flatmates during my semester abroad in London.  how can it possibly have been 16 years?!?! we are for sure doing a 20th anniversary trip to London.  i've got 4 years to save!

our fancy night on the town was both fun and delicious!

 love my Doherty!  we cannot wait so long for another reunion!!!!  (and how is it she looks the same if not better than 16 years ago?)

 Sunday brunch was a sad farewell (but delicious) farewell.  though we took some group pics, this one is my favorite.  Jess is just so beautiful!

Pi Phis!  i had so much fun with you ladies.  it's amazing how so much time can pass but the feelings stay the same.  i have always felt like our group was so special, and I was right.  each of you bring a so much to the table with your individual intelligence, beauty inside and out, experiences, and above all senses of humor!  i count my lucky stars that something as random as  rush, could bring us together!  

here's to many more years of friendship!

October =cooler weather = more time outside!

it was one of our first days outside with the neighbors.  since the temps were dipping into the low 90's we're all celebrating.  a celebration calls for popcorn of course.

 my neighbor Mirium is the town popcorn maker.  when the kids see her with her tray of cups, they come running for that sweet popped goodness!

 popcorn for all!  welcome autumn!