Back it up

I feel terrible, but keep forgetting to post about our ever so exciting trip to Chicago and Des Moines for Easter!! I got 1 week vacation during internship and it was so much fun to go see our friends and family in Chicago and then Alahna and I took a side trip to Des Moines to see our friends and all their growing children (Alahna's friends)! Alahna had a great time with her cousins! Here are some pictures of them all enjoying eachother... (Donny 10, Allison 8, Annalisa 5, James 2)




A trip to the Brookfield Zoo


Alahna had a great time with the girls. She loved all the necklaces!

Alahna got new rainboots for Easter and had to "try" them out =)

Easter is always a very special time of year. We have had the pleasure of attending the easter vigil at the church that Eric grew up in the past few years. It is an amazing composition of acting, singing, worship, scripture, and pure love/joy for what Christ did for us. It brings me goosebumps every year. We love it and were so glad to be able to come out. We didn't get many pictures, but Eric snapped this one of Alahna and I dancing in the aisle to celebrate the Risen King. This was Alahna's favorite part! We also got a good one of all the kids Easter morning. (Mind you this was after they were up until 1130 the night before at the vigil, pretty good!) Also a couple good ones of just Alahna and the easter bunny, of course...







Some of our great friends, Guy and Lisa Merker, bought a gym and are starting a power tumbling and cheerleading buisness! We had a great time letting the kids play at their gym one of the days. I have a feeling Alahna is going to want to be a gymnast like her daddy!


We got a chance to spend some time with the newest Phantavong. John and Christy's precious Jacquelline was 4 months old and sooo cute!



I got away for a few days and went to stay with Adam, Nichole and Haven Cline. Nichole and I were pregnant at the same time (Haven and Alahna are 2 months apart). I developed a wonderful friendship with her. It is so hard moving to a new place where you don't know anyone. I was very thankful for the opportunity to spend time with some of my good friends in Des Moines. Haven and Alahna had a great time playing together. We went to a music class that a lot of the moms/kids from The Downtown Church go to and then our friend Tammy was nice enough to host a little lunch play date so we could all catch up. I truely miss this fellowship that I had with these girls. Unfortunately the East coast has a quite different attitude toward having children (in general) and there aren't as many younger couples with kids. We are starting to develop some friends through a new church that we are going to and I am thankful for that. I'm excited to see the changes in my life and whom God places in my life over the next 3 years while in Philly. I am also excited to stay in touch with the Des Moines crew and see our kids grow up together! Here are a few pics from that trip...






It was a wonderful trip and we hope that some of our friends/family will be able to make a trek out East sometime in the next 3 years so that we don't have to go too long without seeing everyone!