Easter 2015

My original plans for Easter Sunday was the traditional wake up to baskets, easter egg hunt, then church followed by brunch and then I thought better.  I remembered how terrible church on christmas eve was with the kids and how jam packed every brunch place was going to be.

 We are just not at a good age with the kids to attend church on holidays.  I don't want to go to just "say" I went.  Or go because thats what your "suppose" to do.  I want to go to worship.  To grow as a mom, wife and friend for Jesus.  To better myself and those around me.  And when we go with two small kids all I end up doing is shoving fruit snacks in their mouth to keep them from talking or screaming and 99% of the time that doesn't even work.  I leave frustrated, tired and feel like I missed out on what could have been some nice family time at home because I certainly didn't hear a thing the pastor said.  Hunter V just became of age where he can join the children's ministry so their is hope for us in the future but for now...

... we enjoyed some nice family time at home.

The boys woke up and as I was changing James diaper, Hunter V peered his little head over the banister and what to his little eyes dismay but two full Easter baskets on the living room coffee tables.  "Mommy Mommy the Easter bunny came."  These are firsts for us.  It's the first holidays that Hunter V is starting to understand the excitement and meaning of all that is happening.

 We headed downstairs and had fun discovering what the Easter bunny brought as well as finding all the eggs he hid.  After coffee and cinnamon rolls we got showers and started on Easter lunch.

Hunter IV made a picnic ham.  And I made Pioneer Women's Layered Salad. 

Big daddy came over and we ate lunch.  The easter bunny brought Hunter V water balloons in his basket and he was DYING to go out and put them to use.  So, after lunch we headed outside and all had a grand time playing with water balloons for literally 2 hrs.  175 balloons to be exact.  Even little James got the hang of it.  I would hand him a balloon and he would throw it and laugh and laugh.  The boys would throw them together and at their play cars.  They rolled them down the hill and squeezed them until they popped in their hands.  who knew all the fun water balloons could be.

 Church and brunch aside I did want to get some Easter pictures of the boys.  We have the most beautiful cherry blossom trees in our front yard at this time.  My hope was to get them in front of the trees but in case you couldn't tell I'm a TERRIBLE photographer.  The boys semi co-operated but I didn't even get the trees in the pictures.  I'm totally trying again next weekend (after all, the easter bunny brought plenty of bribery candy)  "Hunter smile and I'll give you a jelly bean"

We are looking forward to having more family around in the future for holidays...after 12 years of living in Charlotte I'm finally getting family near by!!! My brother, sister in law and two nieces are moving down to Charlotte next month and we could not be more ecstatic!!!  They are such a fun, light hearted, amazing parents and people.  We laugh ALOT when their around and I'm sooo looking forward to the cousins becoming close.  So much to be thankful for yet so much to look forward to too.  

Kitchen: Before/After

Alrighty - a little late but as promised here is the first part of the house we are ready to show!! The Kitchen and Kitchen eating area are as good as it gets at this point. We are elated with how it turned out. At first the paint color shocked us a bit...it was a bit more green than we expected but over time its growing on us and has given our home this unbelievable coastal feel that we LOVE!! I feel very blessed to come home to this!

Before
After

Before
After



Island fixture found here

Paint Color is Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray

Farm Table and Chairs is from World Market.  Babies table is from Ikea.  20 bucks!!

Farm table fixture found here

And I couldnt' resist some updated pictures of my little buddy.  He's growing so fast! Sits at his own table to eat, loves to color on his easel that Big Daddy made.  This past weekend our neighborhood put on an easter egg hunt at the neighborhood park.  It was a great way to meet some new neighbors and made us very glad we picked such a wonderful family friendly neighborhood.

Jakes a big helper these days too.  He cleans up for me after Hunter's dinner ;)

The next before and after you get will most likely be the Master bedroom and bath. What about the living room you ask? Oh, yeah. We are STILL sitting on outdoor patio furniture, college style, because MACY's has delayed our sofas by 8 weeks. COUNT EM! EIGHT!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR Look for that in May.

But look for pictures of my nugget at his first easter egg hunt in a couple days :)

hodgepodge

Life is ALWAYS busy with not much going on if that makes sense :) Last week was teacher appreciation week at Hunter's school so Tuesday night I made Glazed Donut Muffins for the teachers, a recipe I found on Pinterest. They were extremely easy to make and looked pretty. A different type of treat I was reluctant to give away, wanting to keep them for ourselves :) Maybe I'll make them again this week! Last weekend we headed to my parents house in Northern VA. My brother, sister-in-law and niece Riley were there visiting from NY! We take every opportunity to get up to NoVA when they are there considering it allows us to see them in a 6hr drive as oppose to 12! Our parents home is a nice mid-way meeting point. The cousins exchanged easter presents, the boys golfed, while the girls shopped, and saturday night my parents watched the grandkids while myself, Hunter, Joe and Jenny hit up a bar called spanky shenanigans. There was some spanky shenanigans going on in there all right but we had lots of fun singing along to the dualing pianos! Other things keeping us busy...Planning of a girlfriends bachelorette, dinners with friends, weekend visits to Big Daddy's (HL3), job interviewing (another stress of last week that I pretty much just dont want to get into, the day job (naturally), keeping up with household chores...the usual. ya know. AND Baby's first easter this weekend. We've got our decor up! No much planned but I'll still pumped to dress HLV in a sweet outfit adorned with an easter bunny, give him an easter basket and take WAY to many adorable pictures. Oh, and we'll go to church and worship the big man upstairs because well it just feels good :) GAH speaking of which....we still need to get Hunter baptised. On the 2 DO list!!! Speaking of 2 do lists, this is on the list for sometime before this weekend. Making HL5's easter basket liner. Have the goods just need the time. Going to follow this tutorial. Really hoping it turns out! Baby boy turns 5 months this week! Stay tuned for the monthly post! Oh, and my sister in law is having a link party today (she has one every wednesday). Go to her blog and link up your favorite recipes, crafts, organizing tips, or fashion advice. Anything goes and its a great way to get some cool ideas from other people's blogs!

An Easter basket battle

Why does everything have to be a fight? Why don't men or fathers get it? Whoa, starting this blog post out right, no sugar coating it. Are you curious to keep reading?

It's Hunter V's first Easter coming up which means he needs an Easter basket. The unfrugal part of me wants to just hop (no pun intended) online to potterybarn kids and buy one of their adorable baskets with monogrammed liners. All said and done (basket, liner and monogramming) they are over 50 dollars.

I knew Hunter IV would not approve of spending this much on a basket so onto etsy I went. I see baskets like this

Etsy

and this

Etsy

Etsy
all adorable, all I would want for our baby Hunter but still over 40 dollars each. I scroll right past them and set my eyes only on baskets 30 dollars and cheaper. Picking out these two baskets
one for 25

Etsy
and one for 32

Etsy
I send them off to Hunter IV for his opinion, thinking I've done such a good job not overspending on a Easter basket yet still managing to get Hunter V something nice considering I want this to be his basket forever.
Annnnnnnnnnd this is the response I get...
From: Hunter Lunsford
Subject: RE: what do you think? for hunters easter basket?
I think it’s cute but unnecessary. It’s $25 we don’t need to spend just so it looks cute in a picture. Blog about it if you really like them.
From: Lunsford, Kristen
Subject: RE: what do you think? for hunters easter basket?
That’s funny because 25 dollars is the cheapest I can find. Most are 40 and up! Keep in mind this is his easter basket for the rest of his life. No just for one year. It will be used year after year. Im not getting a 2 dollar plastic one from cvs. I don’t think 25 is bad!
And im not spending so it looks cute in a picture, Hunter. Im spending so our son has a basket on easter and next year will actually use it to collect eggs in. Have a heart.


From: Hunter Lunsford
Subject: RE: what do you think? for hunters easter basket?
He’ll want something bigger I’m guessing when he gets a little older though.

From: Kristen Lunsford
Subject: RE: what do you think? for hunters easter basket?
He doesn’t get to pick. I don’t want something bigger cause then we have to fill it! I want to get him one and have it be forever. And it will be special because he’s had it since his first easter. If you think bigger than more like the second one I sent that’s 32 bucks

From: Hunter Lunsford
Subject: RE: what do you think? for hunters easter basket?
Get the bigger one then. Filling easter backets is easy. It doesn’ have to be all candy you know.
From: Lunsford, Kristen
RE: what do you think? for hunters easter basket?

I know. This year I want to get him the pat the bunny book

"unecessary"? Since when is having a cute Easter basket unecessary?? "Blog about them if you really like them." UGH. seriously. YOU WISH blogging would cure my need to buy. Doesn't work that way HUBBY. Okay...I'll blog about how you ticked me off with this convo. grrrr. 25 dollars equals a dollar a year AND heck he can use it on his son too considering he'll probably be named Hunter. hehe.
He ended up coming around but sometimes I just wish I didn't have to ALWAYS explain the need for something. Can't they just trust?
Thanks for letting me vent and in the meantime hope you got some cute easter basket ideas if you were in the need for one :)

Now, that the battle is over, will you help us pick out Hunter V's basket.

What color basket?

and what two fabrics??