We love Spring!

We are loving this Spring weather and having lots of fun playing outside....The girls would literally spend 24 hours a day swinging if they could - therefore, we have had lots of sibling rivalry over the swing - Big girl Ali still likes to have her turn in the baby swing - so, Rhodes just hops on the big girl swing! Something is wrong with this picture....(but completely defines their personalities!) :)

If one of the girls is getting attention from something, then of course, the other one immediately wants to do it too! Ali giving the big girl swing a try...
We had fun yesterday at Fanfare - CEE's school fundraiser! Ali taking a shot at golf with her daddy.... (they actually ended up leaving from here to go play golf together for the first time! Ali loved riding in the golf cart just the two of them!)
Rhodes immediately went to the bounce house and loved running around, running into walls and cracking up and climbing up the slide and sliding down the ladder. :) She had a blast and we never thought we'd be able to get her out!

Fearless!
Ali also loved the Big kid bounce house!

After golf with Daddy, Ali got ready for ballet class pictures! Prettiest ballerina I've ever seen! :)
Dressed and ready for music class (Not sure why the lighting looks so weird in this picture?)
We are having lots of fun in the sun around here - it is going to be one busy summer!

18 months of Rhodes...

Rhodes hit the year & a half on Good Friday - 18 months old...hard to believe. We had her check up today and everything looked great. She weighed in at 27 lbs and 11 oz (90%), 33 inches tall (75%) and 19 1/4 inches of head circumference. I was a little surprised that her height is only in the 75th percentile b/c I feel like she is soo tall. It's hard for me to think about my little baby turning into such a big girl - but, she is! She already, in her head, believes she is a big girl and I am pretty sure that she thinks that she is the same age as Ali and all of her friends. If we are in a group with Ali and her friends and Rhodes and her age and younger - Rhodes loves playing with the big girls! She keeps right up and might even be more adventurous than them all! :) She is so full of life, energy, appetite, beauty, smiles, tempers, and is one brave little cookie! Her favorite word right now is "No" and the way she says it is so cute - as much as I hate the word, I can't help but smile when she says it. There is probably not a day that goes by without our Rhodes doing something to make us crack up - no matter what kind of day we are having! We love her so and know this summer is going to be a wild one keeping up with her - I am just trying to soak up these moments and enjoy each day with these two. As we all know "they grow up before our eyes" - and as much as I wish I could just keep my eyes closed and slow this life down - there's no time to do that with these two!

Zoo Atlanta 2010

Today we had a fun play date at Zoo Atlanta. Given the fact that it is Spring Break and a pretty day - it was wild there! Tough getting around with strollers and especially with a littlest one that would rather be running about on her own! :) But, we had a great time with friends and I am so glad we went. Crazy to think that the high was in the 60s today and the girls were bundled up in sweaters when we got there - Ryan and I went to the Masters on Tuesday with a high in the 90s! This crazy weather needs to make up it's mind!!

The girls, waiting to go inside!
Sweet friends, Ali and Caroline - they walked around holding hands most of the time...so sweet!
Trying to take advantage of the photo op - although Ali may need to grow a few inches!

Rhodes really wanted to be a big girl and get in on the hand holding...
Group shot - minus a few - Ali had hit a tired/hungry point and was in the stroller in a daze, with her mind on food!
My sweet 18 month old!!
Sweet Ali B next to the kangaroos
Caroline, Pres, and Ali checking on the flamingos - I ended up getting a lot of pictures of everyone's back!
Ali, Caroline and Rhodes....telling the zoo and flamingos goodbye!!

Easter 2010

We had a fun Easter weekend filled with family time and Easter egg hunts with friends! Enjoy!

Easter Egg hunt at our church....

Shoeless Rhodes was an Easter egg champion - she ran around and picked up eggs and had a basketful by the end!
Ali loved hunting eggs too...
but her main focus was trying to find her best buddy, Bennett! Whenever we were apart from him she would say "Where's Bennett?" We will soon be learning to skype since in a few short months Bennett will be moving to Japan!
Rhodes, especially, LOVED the Easter bunny!! Made me so excited for our trip to Disney World coming up in September - she is so fearless and kept running up and giving him bear hugs!
Patrick girls and Tidwell boys
Easter Egg #2 of the day - thanks to the Lowery's!! This was their 2nd annual Easter Egg hunt and it was so much fun! We decorated cookies, hunted lots of Easter eggs and played with lots of fun friends that were there!!
All lined up and ready to go....Rhodes does not have much patience and tried to get a little head start....Ali is linked up next to two of her buddies, John Logan and Maggie Beth. (Love the double names!)
And they're off!


Rhodes with two boyfriends, Lee and Webb!
Ali taking a whack at the pinata...
Rhodes enjoying her cookie from the sideline
Sweet friends watching the pinata
Running to get more candy!
Easter morning.....Please note - Ryan and I went out for Scott's 30th birthday on Saturday night after the Easter egg hunt and Grandmommy and Granddaddy watched the girls. We met them in Atlanta and they played hard and when we got home around 10 (with both girls asleep), I noticed the bag of clothes I was supposed to give them with their pajamas in it - so instead of waking the girls, we let them sleep in their dresses. Oops! I probably wouldn't have admitted it if I didn't have pictures I wanted to post from Easter morning on here!

The girls loved their Easter baskets...

And the girls brought the girls a water table - I am SOOO excited about it b/c they would spend 24/7 playing in the sink if they could - but, it is too high up & scary for me! Solution to that problem! Easter brunch at the club....again, they loved the Easter bunny!



Family photo...

This was an especially fun Easter for me b/c Ali was soo excited about the Easter bunny. She had been nervous about Santa Claus in December b/c I think she thought he was going to come in her room...so she was scared to go to sleep. The whole way home on Saturday night, she kept pretending like she was asleep in the car b/c we told her the Easter bunny only came if everyone was asleep...and she'd tell us she thought she saw him, when we passed neighborhoods. It was so cute and so much fun to have so much excitement in our house. Can't wait for next year!

Egg hunts and Easter celebrations...Part 1

Holy week is here and the Easter festivities have begun! I love this time of year - it feels like Spring is finally here and Easter is my favorite holiday! This week, we have been crazy with work and activities - I thought I would put up some Easter pictures early to split up the blogging time between this week and the upcoming weekend's Easter activities. Happy Easter everyone!

Rhodes' teachers invited us to come in on Tuesday this week (since she only goes to school on Thursdays) for her class Easter party. She was so cute hunting the eggs and getting distracted often by the toys all around! :)
Our sweet friend, Ella Kate, was there too!
I picked Ali up from school about the same time the Easter egg hunt started so she came along to help! (and really wanted to pick up some Easter eggs too!)
The sun is warm and bright!
We came home and decorated some Easter eggs! Ali has a bunch of aprons and this is the one she picked out to wear - one we got in the mail from Publix. Ha! Of course I picked the coloring kit for glitter eggs and, turns out, we had to paint them with paintbrushes! (instead of dyeing them!) It was a mess but the eggs turned out oh so beautiful!
Cheese - trying hard to take her eyes off of her masterpiece to smile for the camera!
Hard at work....
Our beautiful Easter eggs...
Last night, while Ryan gave Rhodes a bath, Ali and I decided to make Easter Story Cookies. A friend of mine sent me an email with how to do it and I thought it sounded like a neat idea....maybe a little over Ali's head this year, but I hope to make it a yearly tradition for the Patrick family! Here is the info:

To be made the evening before Easter

• 1cup whole pecans
• 1tsp vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• zipper baggie
• wooden spoon
• tape
• Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important, don't wait till you're half done with the recipe!)

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was Beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Rhodes came to help after her bath! I think it's about time for her bangs to get a trim! (but, then would I still be able to do her Bam bam hair?)Today, Rhodes and I went to a fun little Easter egg hunt at Lewis Park. It was nice b/c it was only the babies around Rhodes' age and most of the older siblings were at school - so they were actually able to get some eggs! It was a beautiful day and a precious group of little cuties!


Trying to take a swing shot of the group - I think this is right before Rhodes took a little tumble - but shook it off fast! :)
After the Egg Hunt, I took Rhodes back to school and stopped by Ali's school Easter party....probably a bad idea since Ali was supposed to stay for lunch bunch, but once she saw me, she was ready go home. Since Rhodes was still in school and we had a fun morning together - I took Ali out to lunch and it was a special treat too! So fun getting a little alone time with both of my girls doing fun things in one day!

Tomorrow is Good Friday and Ryan is off of work....hooray!! He has been working crazy hours and I have felt like a single mom for the past week so we are really looking forward to having him around!!! We have some play dates, Easter egg hunts and then Easter morning to look forward to, so more pictures to come!