What easter looked like this year........

The above is a traditional kenny easter cake, I grew up making this cake in my home, a chocolate cake covered in chocolate shredded wheat to make the nest, and marzipan chicks made (and eaten) by William....Love that I am starting to carry on traditions with my kids that my mum did with us.

Spot our new lodger (my sis) Christine in the background...it appears she has started to live on our couch.

Hyde park Easter Egg hunt with the kids from church....but most importantly a good social for the mums.

All in all 3 easter egg hunts, a killer easter roast dinner, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, and time with The Dixons on easter Monday. And William mentions the easter bunny in his prayers now.

I Miss his HOT body!

Anthony is away for a few days and with the cold weather that's come in I found my self freezing missing Anthony's body heat! One reason why Anthony and I are a good pair is because I often have icy cold feet and his hot blooded body is perfect to warm them up on!

These April showers are taking the mick when it hails too! Bring back the sun!!!

William and Anna....

Anna adores William, her face follows him round the room and beams at any acknowledgement and interaction from him. William is really quite protective of Anna, he doesn't like strangers holding her and tells them to "give Anna back, mamas Anna, mamas Anna"! A passer by came to coo at Anna and William told the lady "no look at Anna, no look at Anna, go away"!

I love hearing them giggle at each other and discover random games like "catch me Anna", as William runs by her and she grabs at his feet. Both giggling. William can get quite rough with Anna and she is heavy handled every which way but never fusses.

They are quite literally chalk and cheese, he is all menacing and she is a doll, rag dolly Anna......

look see for your self.....

(right before he turned the hose on Anna)

Things I say a lot... "get off Anna, leave Anna Alone William, be gentle, don't pull her, don't push her, no you can't pick her up, no she can't eat that, Anna can't kick the ball yet (as he gets frustrated because she's not playing back)".........

Poor girl gets worn out

love them.

spring is upon us....

It feels like spring just happened over night, one day the trees where bare, the next they where full of blossom. I'm so glad its here, and I'm loving the fluky early warm weather. I was really ready for spring, i find January and February quite grim. And my waistline has suffered, in snuggling up in winter months and defaulting to unhealthy food.

Now summer is round the corner i need to get my but into gear (literally) and get my skinny on. Its time to commit to getting rid of my wobbly bits so here it is:

I pledge that I am no longer allowed sugar in obvious forms (deserts and drinks). except for the odd occasion I have some on the sly because realistically I can't commit to it 100%.

This is the only rule I'm going to make as I am to disorganised to make and keep up with any others regarding food. And I'm gonna up my game in exercise too...should be easier with lighter mornings and good weather!

So there it is. A Pledge with room for mistakes...I'm not too good at commitment...it hurts psychologically...I'm not a hard core kinda person. Sometimes i think i am, and go at something because iv imagined myself to be something I'm not and then quickly realise, no I'm not hard core at all....mainly because i don't wanna be. I like balance....some people are crazy like my friend (Laura), who does triathlons and marathons pregnant??!!!

Anyway some more spring pics whilst walking home through St Peters square.

The week the Barrs flew in....

More reunions the next day When Jo and Tom joined us......

Christine gave us souvenirs from Madagascar and The Barrs brought gifts from Colorado.

Love William in his Madagascar hat.....he loved it too so much he wanted to sleep in it.

All Tom Barr wanted to eat was fish n chips.

On Sunday, Christine did her homecoming talk, Tom spoke and Anna was blessed in the sacrament meeting. It was such a brilliant day.

Hangin' out with the Barrs....

After Liverpool (and overcoming jet lag), they spent the last few days in London.

I can't even describe how much I loved having my American family here, loved the laughter, chatting and just hanging out with these people who we feel such a close kinship with. Love their influence on myself and my family, these people just lift you in every way. And I miss them, we all do. It was such an amazing expression of love and sacrifice to come over here to surprise the family. We are as always eternally grateful and full of love in return. And this trip is something we will never forget.

There were some people missing from this trip, Hayley and Branson (their other two children), and my brother, Jon (traveling round the world). And they were missed.

LOVE YOU BARRS, COME BACK, COME BACK, COME BACK PLEEEEEEEEESE!!!!

Once upon a february morning.......

Members of my Family got up, rolled out of bed and got to Manchester airport with makeshift home made signs by the nieces and nephews.......Christine was coming home from her mission in Madagascar, and we'd all been demanded to be there "with signs and cameras", in fact her words were "i want paparazzi!"

Well she got it.......and much much more.

This photo was taken before we went down to wait at the arrivals lounge and here no one had any idea what was about to happen.......except me and Anthony.

What they were unaware of was that right at that exact moment some very dear people to us where also making there way through baggage claim to surprise our family.

The Barr's had planned to surprise the family for when Christine arrived home from her mission. I helped plan the whole thing, keeping it a secret and now was feeling very nervous and excited.

One by one they came out walked right passed the Family who of course where completely oblivious....and then came the surprise and a wonderful reunion.

My dad still has this speechless expression of unbelief on his face every time we talk about it, both him and mum still can't believe it happened. They are still stunned by it.

Below is the moment my dad finds out I knew all along

We'd all made signs for Christine...arr look at mikes......

Ha no, just kidding, my niece Becky made this one, Mikes just being a good sport.

Loved seeing Christine come through that door, my little sis back from her mish.

Love these photos below, Christine reunited with her family, but in the back ground you can spy Tom and Adele Barr watching on, Christine has no idea whats about to come.

And then came her surprise................ we caught that on film but here's some photos.

(Anthony did well running round after William)

Dad says that this was one of the greatest moments of his life.