My Babysitting Skills!

For those of you who know me, I have babysat my niece Mikayla since she was four. She is like my own and she has truly grown on me over the years. I would be really upset if I was no longer able to have her everyday. Her eagerness to please and help out with the boys is a blessing and I love her to death.
With that being said, she occasionally has to be put on time out and we have tried several places. None have worked until now...

Just kidding! She found this spot on her own and she is never put in time out. Oh the cleverness of Kaykie!

Easter!

Easter this year was a little different and difficult. Dad was out of town on business, Lulu is at school, Zach is on a road trip with his mustang, Kelly and her kids ate at her moms, Jesse wasn't here, and my kids only got to come for the Easter egg hunt. The Easter dinner table is usually crowded with food, laughter and alot of commotion.

This year, the table sat only 9 people compared to our usual 20. It was hard on my mom to have my dad gone. She commented several times that her and my dad have not spent an Easter away from each other in their 39 years of marriage. I know it was hard on her and my dad to be away from each other.

Besides so many family members missing from the dinner table this year, our family celebrated with the traditional Easter Egg Hunt for the kids that mom puts so much time and effort into. My sisters and mom made a yummy meal that at least the 9 of us got to sit and eat and laugh!

No matter how many empty chairs are at the table, there are "No Empty Chairs". We missed all our family members that couldn't with us today. But believe me when you read this, there is no other family as close as ours no matter how far apart we are. We love unconditionally, laugh, cry, joke, care and enjoy each other like no other family I have ever met. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Like my mom says,"Happy Purple Egg Day". Thanks mom for teaching me and my siblings that family is the most important thing in life.