*Easter Weekend*

Well we had an AWESOME Easter Weekend! Friday both Jonathan and I got off of work early. We went by his Moms and raked up her leaves for her. Talk about leaves galore!!! I didn't think we would ever get all the leaves. Afterwards we went to the pond, and swam. Dawn and her kiddos came out there as well! Once it started getting later we all headed to Uncle Billy and Aunt Carrie's Crawfish Boil. There were LOTS of yummy crawfish and drinks to go around! Everyone had a blast! Rheanna went home with Dawn and Jacob was fast asleep with all the commotion still going on at 9:00.

Saturday Jonathan, Jacob and I loaded up the car and headed down to Hollywood Bottom. (Dawn and all the other kiddos were coming down there later.) Jacob has been on a 'visiting' spree here lately. Everyday he will ask "Kimmie I want to go visit somebody!" Me: " Well, who are you going to visit?" Jacob: "I dont' know, lets just start walking and find somebody..." LOL! That boy just cracks me up! So before we left to go to Hollywood Bottom we just HAD to stop by and visit Aribel. Jacob just had to know how she has been doing since he "missed Aribel so much!" (Aribel is Courtney and Josh's daughter, they are neighbors down the road from us.) We stopped by there but Aribel wasn't home! Oh well, like Jacob said, "We live right down the road, we can always come back!" So we headed to the river. Once we got there the water was clear as can be and the sand felt good between our toes. It was great! We set up around the bend of the river, where me and Jake went exploring. We found a trail that went up into the woods, and then lead us to the front of the park grounds! It was so neat we called it our 'short cut'.



Jacob on the short cut we found!

Jacob going down the steep way to get to the river!
Don't fall!!

"Come on Kimmie!!!"

We made it down safely!!

Then everyone else showed up!!

Me and Jake building a sand castle and decorating the outside with shells!

Cheese!!

The next morning we got up and went to 9:00 Easter Mass. The church was just beautiful! Flowers adorned the altar and lector stands and just everywhere! After church the kids checked their Easter baskets at home. Jacob was thrilled to see gummi bears in his basket, and Rheanna got 3 chocolate Easter bunnies! Then we headed to Grandma Drapelas house!! Where there is always an adventure just waiting to happen with ALL my crazy family! We had lots of fun and Rhea was so happy to see Cassidy and Patty! We ate lots of yummy food and then it was off to the front yard for the Easter Egg Hunt!!

Here is the group that Jake and Rheanna were in! We have such a big family there has to be 3 group of kids for the Easter Egg Hunt!

                              And they're off!! Go Rhea! Go Jake!!

They got lots and lots of eggs!! (At our Easter we only put candy in a few eggs the rest our filled with notes, like 'go see Grandma Drapela, or see Aunt Linda for a prize!) Its different but so much more fun! Who needs all that candy anyway!

Jacob and Daddy reading the note together!

This is why I only give them 1 thing in their Easter basket. Look how full their Easter baskets are now!! At least they are good outside toys, not those cheap ones!!  LOL!

Our family Easter pic! (Notice only me and Jake are wearing sunglasses! LOL!)

I have a short story to tell before any more pictures!! We bought Jacob some sunglasses cause he kept wanting to wear Daddy's sunglasses. I think it was the best $7 investment EVER!! He loves his sunglasses and even wanted to wear them to bed! Silly boy! Anyhow, we were at my Grandma Drapelas talking to one of my cousins, Michelle. She asked Jacob "Jacob can I borrow your sunglasses I left mine in the house?" Jacob: Looking at her crazy. Michelle: "Jacob, its really bright out here in the sun!" Jacob: "Well, go stand in the shade then!!!"    This was one of those Jacob moments.....priceless!!! LOL!



Oh yes! Yes we did have a pinata!! LOL!



After Grandmas Drapelas we headed over to the kids Great Grandma "Nana's" house! They were so excited that we showed up! I didn't think we were going to be able to make it at first, so when I knew we were going to have enough time, we just showed up and surprised them!!

                                           Almost everyone that was at Nana's house!

                                           The kids also hunted Easter eggs at Nana's house too!

                                                             Rheanna with all her eggs!

         Jacob wasn't to sure about the eggs from Nana's house. All her eggs were real, hard-boiled and dyed eggs! I peeled one for him, he ate a few bites and then told me I could have the rest! LOL!

Overall we had a GREAT weekend!! Now its time we get ready for the Fair! I am so excited!!

Until next time......God Bless!

Pictures....The Work continues..

This was from 2 weekends ago. We went to the pond to fish, swim, and BBQ. Little did we know that the weather wasn't going to cooperate with us. The wind was blowing like crazy, and the sun didn't want to come out. :( Thats ok we had fun anyways. Just the water was freezing!


Jake hanging out with Daddy on the pier!



Jake, Daddy, and Rheanna with the fish they caught!

This was this past weekend. Rhea got out her bow and was practicing shooting the box. Then she got smart and went and sat in the tree, and pretended she was at deer camp.



Yep, she is going to be my little bow hunter.



 These next few pictures are of the house. Remember the post I did back in March when we first planted the flowers, and tore down some of the siding on the house. Well we haven't got to paint yet, but I did finish the flower beds and we primed the siding. And I painted our name on our Easter yard decor. The kids got to buy eggs and put them in the yard as well.






Moving right along...

Flower bed #1

We added stepping stones all the way to the gate...and Flowerbed #2

Side views...my petunias are about as big as the bushes!

Side view 2

Jake in front of his flowers and next to his bean plant from school.

Rhea in front of her favorite petunia. Look how HUGE it is!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

FROM THE EIDES



Its been a while....Hello again!

WOW! It has been a while since I have been on. I have much to catch you up on! Lets see……

The house is coming along just great! We finished the siding and put a coat of primer on it. But the real task is at hand…PAINT!! I picked out the colors and Jonathan agreed, thank goodness. I was tired of trying to find the perfect colors I wanted. And actually I didn’t find them at the store, a neighbor down the road from us, gave me the paint swatches they used on their house.

The kids are growing up so fast! They have been super busy with the Fair coming up. They both have a bucket calf they are going to show. Rheanna has a black and white bull calf named Mator. Jacob has an all black calf  that he named Buster. Rheanna has done really well with her calf, she can walk it and it doesn’t drag her around. Rheanna is Mators Mommy, he follows her around everywhere, just like a puppy. Jacob on the other hand…..Oh Lord! I don’t think that will be one of my proud Mommy moments when he is in the ring. I can see it now…Jacob trying to pull his calf, getting frustrated and saying, “(sighing really loud) I don’t want to do it anymore. Here you just take it.” Or when the judge asks him a question, the response would probably be “Just don’t tell me.” I swear, when he is in a good mood, he is the most funniest, non-stop talking, kid there is. But if he is in a bad mood, WATCH OUT! He has gotten better about this, but he is just stubborn and hardheaded like his Daddy, and everything has to be perfect. Rheanna has really come out of her shell since I have been around. But she stills needs to open up to other people….therefore she is going to be in the Little Mr. and Ms. Pageant at the fair as well. Maybe this well break her of her shyness to other people. Plus it will be a good experience for her! I have always loved pageants! They are so much fun! For the past few years I have put Shelby, a girl I use to babysit, in the fair pageants. The first year she was a little iffy of the situation, but every year since then she asked me if we are going to do the pageant again. When I was a little girl, I was in every Fair pageant, Little Mr. & Ms. Pageant, Junior Miss Pageant, and then the Queen’s Pageant. I loved every single one of them! Little Mr. & Ms. I won 1^st runner-up. Junior Miss I won 3^rd runner-up, and Miss Congeniality. In the Queen’s Pageant I was 10 season passes away from winner of Queen of Ticket Sales! Hopefully Rheanna can accomplish some of these as well! Oh and Rheanna received her First Reconciliation as well...she was so happy, she loves going to CCE and this just makes me jump for joy! She will also be receiving her First Communion this year as well! God is Good....All the time. & All the time.....God is Good!

Also Jonathan and I just celebrated our 1 year anniversary on April 9! Talk about time flying by! It has been a wonderful adventure, finding the love of my life, and becoming a Mommy all in a years time! God has a plan for us, and I think we are definitely on the right road! May he bless us with many years to come!

Last be certainly not lest, I attended my first ACTS Retreat! WOW! WOW! WOW! It was an indescribable, awesome, refreshing, eye opening, most powerful thing I have ever see, heard of, or been to! If there is one thing you can do for yourself in life, it is to attend one! I had such a wonderful time! And came back renewed in my faith, opened my eyes to the beauty all around us, and knowing just how powerful prayer can be! There are so many things I want to share, but I can't. What happened at the Retreat is where it stays, and you will understand why once you go. I am so glad I said 'YES!' to the Lord. And to see all the wonderful people there to support us was Amazing! I could go on and on about it, but then I would probably write a book about it! LOL! But I will leave you with this quote: "We can do no great things, only small things with great love.."-Blessed Mother Teresa

Until Next time.....God Bless!

P.S. I will post pictures later of the house and yard, and of the kiddos. Have some but need to finish downloading them, promise by next week they will be up!!