letters to Beth {running out of gas & EASTER}

{this picture is a christmas miracle on easter 

b/c everyone was crying and whining before and after 

in all of the other shots we took. don't know how we got so lucky. 

in a last desperate plea we told them the easter bunny was hiding in the camera 

and 

SNAP! hooray! can't believe it actually worked.}

.....

Dear Beth,

i tore apart my entire house for over 2 hours on saturday night, 

organized two dressers, 

one closet, 

and gave away 4 bags of clothes to the goodwill 

in search of the little white coat i wanted chase to wear on easter. 

my kids were all asleep, but i turned on the lights in their room {max and B} and rumaged around.

they didn't move a muscle.

love that about them.

at midnight i decided to call it quits,

but i was feeling so disappointed that i couldn't find it.

and it was bugging me b/c i knew it was somewhere.

the next morning sean even looked through our dresser to try to find it for me,

but to no avail!

and then, it came to me.

the bin under the big bed in max's old room.

i hadn't looked there the night before b/c chase isn't the deepest of sleepers yet, 

and i didn't want to risk waking him up.

but there in all of it's white linen glory it was!!!

among 10 pink baby girl outfits and blankets.

5 minutes before we left for church on easter morning. 

i was jumping up and down screaming i was so excited.

{and also pretty happy that all of the dressers and brennan's closet was cleaned out too.}

{i'd been meaning to do it for awhile now.}

i was so SO SO happy to have found it. 

it was brennan's at this age.

remember here?

it's one of "those" coats that i will never part with. 

when i die you will find it in MY dresser i love it so much:)

in all of the excitement max snuck on a pair of green fairy flip flops to wear with her dress and hopped in the car.

we didn't realize it until we had already left.

and it was just fine.

but it was funny.

b/c you had this pretty pink toole dress {is that how you spell tool/toole???} and these green and purple fairy flip flops.

we like to keep things classy around here.

i ate two chocolate dipped peeps and a banana for breakfast before we left.

and a handful of reese's pieces.

then we jammed to sean's parent's house for our 3rd hunt of the season.

it was grand.

otter pops, eggs, silly string, candy, and ring pops gallore!

we went to church with them and then came home to a ham, potato, and deviled egg feast.

and then the most exciting part of the night was when we ran out of gas on the way home.

yep. we did.

i have never run out of gas in my life.

you're sitting there and you're begging your car to just go a little bit further,

but it just won't.

and you wish you would have stopped for gas earlier.

costco gas doesn't stay open later.

in case you didn't already know.

i think we forgot that we knew that already.

too bad we didn't remember that while we passed the 5 gas stations on the way TO costco gas.

and we literally ran out pulling up to the coned off and closed down costco gas.

i 

kid

you

not.

so we rolled the car down to the bottom of the costco parking lot,

and i waiting in the car with the kids while sean ran back to the prostop for a gallon of gas. 

while he was gone i rationed max's sippy cup of milk between the three kids.

we had been gone for 8 hours and everyone's sugar high had worn off.

i made the mistake of giving chase the milk first.

and then i made another mistake of giving max the milk second.

i think brennan got about a teaspoon by the end and everyone but him was bawling by the time we got home.

and then when we walked in the house he started bawling.

everyone had a bowl of cereal and grapes and big glasses of ice cold milk.

we all collapsed and went to bed early.

also, i now own a 6 foot tall vermont teddy bear.

my parents are completely responsible.

my kids have never loved a present so much.

i secretly love it.

you know me though, always love a BIG surprise.

brennan cried and cried last night that he couldn't have "Coolie" {that's what he named him, b/c "he's cool"} sleep with him in his bed.

this morning they are all sitting on him {Coolie} watching tee-vee.

and i am running back and forth from the little stairs and the kitchen trying to teach chase how to go up and down the stairs. 

he always tries to go head first.

but then once i flip him around and he crawls backwards to the bottom.

i've found him grunting and stuck halfway down them head first about twenty times this morning already.

he is so strong and doesn't even cry.

he just sits there grunting with his big muscles holding him up,

and then i run over and flip him around and he crawls down backwards, 

and then crawls right back up to the top.

and then he does it all over again.

i have about 2 minutes between each dive.

or 2 seconds.

whichever.

i am so glad to get back to our routine this week.

i feel like doing absolutely nothing for the entire day today.

except maybe shower.

i'd really love a shower.

still not sure if that is going to happen.

the baby man turns 1 tomorrow.

i can't believe it.

how was your easter?

i hope it was HOPPY one.

no foolin;)

have you ever run out of gas before?

what did you make for easter dinner?

are you understanding any of church in german yet?

the catholic in me always wants to skip our church on easter and go to mass.

and then brunch at the country club after.

we want to come visit.

and let's start our food blog soon.

i've been ALL ABOUT crock-pot cooking lately.

the stroganoff recipe has been my favorite so far.

it calls for half a cube of butter.

that's probably why.

TO.DIE.FOR. and it only took me 15 minutes to prepare. 2 hours to cook. vwallah.

i made two batches and froze one.

here it is.

CROCK-POT BEEF STROGANOFF

ingredients:

1/2 c chopped onion

1/4 c butter

1lb stew meat {i bought grass fed beef. it was AMAZING.}

1/8 tsp paprika

2 c chopped mushrooms

3/4 c sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c cream cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

directions:

1. mix sour cream, cream cheese {room temp or nuke it for 30 sec first}, and mushroom soup in small bowl. 2. add everything else and toss to coat well. 

3. put in freezer bag for a fast meal later 

OR put in your crock pot right now. 

4. COOK on LOW for 2-2 1/2 hours if thawed 

or LOW for 4-5 hours if frozen. 

**i haven't cooked the frozen one yet 

so i'm not for sure on that cook time, 

but that's what i'm guessing b/c when it was thawed it cooked in 2 1/2 hours just fine. 

my kids are all crying again.

they are still tired from yesterday.

do you even have a crock pot with you over there?

love love love love you!

all my best,

emiline

................................................................

family yard hunt #2 on saturday.

i finally remembered to put on sunscreen.

go me:)

THE END.

it must be almost easter.

max started carrying eggs under her chin when her bucket got too full.

brennan found the batman egg, and then had me help him dye an egg with a spider-man face.

chase sucked on an empty blue egg the entire time,

and discovered that he is terrified of swinging.

terrified might not do his fear justice.

the baby man curled up into a stiff ball of trepidation,

while holding his breath.

eyes big as golf balls.

face beat red from clenching every muscle in his body so tight.

we all laughed and laughed and laughed.

who has ever even HEARD of a baby being scared of a swing?!

max swung next to him and would jump off to tickle his toes.

he would laugh for a minute and then get scared again.

finally when the swing slowed down he calmed down and started his happy squawk.

then max wanted a turn in the baby swing so i put chase on my hip and i pulled his hands out to touch her when she went by.

they thought that was hilarious good time fun.

everyone took home a basket of candy filled eggs and a stuffed animal from GiGi.

then the clouds rolled in and the wind felt like it had some sprinkles in it.

heaven bless the family yard.

it must be almost easter.

rabbit race {an egg hunt & feast}

they filled their buckets until they couldn't carry them anymore.

and then we unloaded them, and they went back for more.

brennan wanted the green ones.

max wanted the pink ones.

and squealed when she found the glitter ones.

it was so warm that the chocolate treats inside of the eggs melted.

i put one in sean's mom freezer and forgot it there.

pity.

 chase was the life of the party.

naturally.

my mother in law has a honey glaze that will knock your socks off.

really,

i don't like ham.

and i LOVE THIS HAM of hers.

you had ham right?

we went home fully fed.

and fully exhausted.

i all of a sudden got tired.