Spring!!

Spring has sprung around here! Oh how we love it!! Especially on a day like today! We've taken advantage of the warmer weather around here! The kids helped pick some flowers from our backyard and put them in a vase for our kitchen window! Love it!

I've also found a great thing for the kids to do while I'm making dinner...watering the flowers or whatever they find to pour water on:) We bought these elephant watering cans awhile back and pulled them out this week. They LOVED it and didn't want to stop when dinner was ready! I LOVED making dinner without having to break up a fight or pulling someone out from under my feet:)

We've already eaten lunch and dinner out on out back porch! Oh how I wish it would stay like this....there we NO BUGS to contend with!! I've been thinking lots about Spring and as a result Easter and new life and how Jesus is alive on His throne. And with that I am thinking of my sweet friend Jasmine. As most of you know she was a student in the Bible study that I lead and she drowned a few weeks ago. I cling to the truth of this Easter season and take great hope in knowing because she knew Jesus she is now in His presence! Below is a picture of the track team of which she was a part of...they came over to watch the NCAA final game last week. I missed her alot that night. I'm so thankful that I will see her again one day!

Where has February Gone?

I haven't updated in a while so here are some pictures of some of what we've been doing around here.... Ava and Cooper are into PRETEND PLAY...that's alot of what they do all day long:) Here they are with their superhero capes on that they received from a friends birthday party back in the summer.

Can I just say I can't wait until spring!!! This is one reason why...look at that static in their hair:) So ready for no more static, no more hats, no more coats....

We started a new tradition here at our house...LOVEY BUNDLES for Valentines Day:) I'm not a crafty person really but let me say I may have found a new hobby.....anything to do with a glue gun! I made these cute little bags from felt and a glue gun. I found them online and they gave a tutorial on how to make them. So...the idea will be as the kids get older we can put little treats/notes, etc. in each others lovey bundle in the month of February. This year I just put some things in there that they opened on Valentines Day.

We also made a fun dessert in the shape of a heart one day...they love wearing their princess and thomas aprons they got for Christmas.

One of my Favorite Things

One of my favorite things is sitting around a table and hearing students talk about how they are doing and how God is meeting them! I loved hearing them talk about the realness of how difficult at times it is to walk with God and I loved hearing them talk about how they've decided to trust Him rather than themselves!

When we returned from our travels over the Christmas break we came home to this group of friends! They are students and some staff from this past summers X-Project. We had a blast catching up, remembering stories from the summer, laughing and just being together again. I love that God changes hearts and lives....mine included!!!

Christmas....

Just in case you were wondering, I do realize it's mid-January and most stores already have Valentine's candy and swimsuits on their shelves:) BUT, I had to post some pics from Christmas! I don't know about you but we here at the Hardy house aren't so sure about Santa as you can tell from this picture:) Coop sat for maybe 3 seconds and decided he really didn't want to be on this strange man's lap! Ava...well, no pics for her because she wasn't even going to be caught in the same room with this strange man!

We had a great time celebrating at our place as well as our families! Ava loves every single one of her babies she received! Here she is with her American Girl bitty baby whom she named Baby Ava. Her cousin Seth received her twin...wish they lived closer together to play together!

Here was one of Cooper's favorites....a box! After opening lots of fun toys this is what we found him doing...it's the simple things I guess:)

It kind of looks like Ava is pretending to be asleep here in my lap but she really is asleep. This NEVER happens....she laid down and was out in just a few minutes....I absolutely love how much fun she has when we are at our families! She wears herself out:)

I asked Ava what was her favorite gift from our family Christmas at home. Her answer, "My princess bucket!" Remind me next year of the pure delight in their eyes as they open their stocking stuffers which include things like $1 princess buckets:)

Our Birthday Princess

4 years ago today our sweet Ava was born! What a precious gift and answer to our prayers! Matt and I have had so much fun retelling the story of that day with her and she LOVES to hear all about it! Last night Matt used her dollhouse to re-create the day she was born, today we looked at her 1st year photo album and watched a few videos from her first year! I think I might have LOVED watching the videos just as much as she did! It makes me sad that I've already forgotten so many of those memories....I guess therefore all the more reason to refresh my memory each year by watching the videos:)

We had a few families over to celebrate...McDonald's Happy Meals were on the menu for the kids and of course cake. But the cake wasn't a hit with the birthday girl...she took one bite, made a funny face and said "I don't like it." What?? How can you not like your birthday cake?? But if the truth be told I'd rather have pie, or cheesecake or a brownie than cake...note to self for next year! What a fun few days to CELEBRATE Ava and who she is becoming!

The First Snowman of the Season

We finally (well, not we, but Matt and the kids) were able to get out to play in the snow a little bit! It was so cold for a while and then Coop had strep throat last week so they have been waiting patiently. We have a picture last year of Ava kissing the snowman they made so they decided to take one this year too. The eyes are blueberries, nose is celery and the mouth is carrots. There wasn't enough time for sled riding so hopefully that will happen over the break!

2 Dates in 1 Week

December 7th, 2002 - Matt and I were married! We celebrated 8 years this week! We went to dinner and had a blast thinking back on that special day and these last 8 years! We've literally gone around the world together and experienced the highs and lows of life - marriages of sweet friends, infertility, seeing college students come to know God, deaths of dear friends, a miscarriage, vacation adventures, precious gifts of children, deep friendships, celebrations of life and the list went on! We see God's hand in our falling in love and we are so thankful! That was the first date of the week for Matt!

The second was tonight...Matt asked Ava if she would like to go on a date with him and you should have seen her smile! I wish I had the video camera on....she lit up! (Side note...I teared up:) ) She ran upstairs and picked out a Christmasy dress, put on her black shoes that she loves and took off with her Daddy! They went to dinner and the best part I think for Ava...cheesecake! He took her picture here in front of a Christmas tree while they were out! Way to go Daddy!! Both of your girls felt so loved by you!