Easter 2011

Our family had a wonderful Easter weekend.  We started it off Friday with a trip to the nature center, dinner with our nanny Tiffany and her husband Dustin then all went to our church's Good Friday service.  It was wonderful!  Saturday we just hung out as a family!  Sunday we went to church in the morning and out to Ben's parents for Easter dinner.  This year Easter seemed to have much more meaning to me than ever before.  I don't know if it is because we now have a child and I understand more and more the sacrifice God made for us when he sent his son down to Earth for us to take away our sins.  We have also been studying Isaiah at BSF and the prophesy has come alive as we are studying the words of Isaiah prove true with the life and death of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for the sacrifice He made for me!  I pray that throughout the year I live as though it is Easter EVERY day and live with a spirit of praise for Him!   This verse really stood out to me this week and thought I would share: 

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."  Isaiah 64:4

We also sang the song Glorious Day several times this past weekend and I love the words: 
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming Oh glorious day, Oh glorious day!!

Enjoy our pics!

The Great Outdoors!

Chance LOVES to be outside.  He will pull your hand to help him go outside and insist that you take him.  This past Friday we spent the midday at Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne.  What a beautiful place!  We had a great time just exploring.  Chance also loves the water as well and really cannot handle just looking at but wants to be in it!  As you can see from the pictures we gave in and let him in the water in his clothes!  He then had to ride home in his diaper!  He is becoming such a little boy!  Looks like he is taking after Ben loving the outdoors!  He is also walking so good and saying new words everyday such as cat, truck, and lock (as we were locking the house)!

Playing in out backyard.  He just ate dirt!

Trip to Stacy's!

We went to Stacy's house in Portland (Tx) this past weekend to celebrate Dorothy Grace's 2nd birthday!  Before we left on Friday Chance had his big one year check-up with the pediatrician.  He weighs 20lbs 7oz (15th %) 29 3/4 inches (50th) and 50th head circumference.  He loves going to visit with the nurses and doctor but got really upset this time with his shots.  He got a great check-up though!  We then headed to Stacy's that afternoon.  Probably not the best weekend because he was one fussy little dude.  We also found out much to my dental dismay he is getting a top molar already!  Very much out of order since he currently only has 4 teeth!

On Friday evening my parents went with us to make a quick visit to the beach.  Chance was not the biggest fan of water rushing on his feet but he tolerated it and one for the memory book!  Dorothy Grace had a wonderful party and she knew that it was her PARTY!  She was running around all evening just having a great time.  My Pa even surprised everyone by coming!  He will be 92 and drove himself from Victoria to surprise us!  We were so glad he came.  Chance even got his first taste of strawberry lemonade courtesy of Pa!

They always want what the other one has!

DG chasing Chance in the stroller!  Great entertainment!

Birthday Girl!

Cheese!

Running and jumping for joy!

He figured out how to slide down by himself NO FEAR!

Our four generations!

Chance's 1st Birthday!!!

So...get ready! There are tons of pictures! Stacy and I both had cameras to capture everything about Chance's special day! My parents, sister, and Dorothy Grace made it for the weekend! We had a few friends and family over for a cowboy party complete with roping, bean bags toss, fun games, wagon rides, hamburgers, and of course cupcakes! Chance is such a big boy now it makes me kind of sad. He is a happy little guy with a wonderful personality to match. He had a misfortunate stumble on the back porch this past week so he has a nice bruise to make him look like a tough cowboy sheriff. He loved when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him. He just looked around with such a wonderful smile. He liked the icing of his cake, but really liked to wipe it on himself. Everyone who knows Ben can imagine how excited he was about this! We just love Chance Russell and are so blessed to have him in our lives for this past year and all the friends and family to help celebrate this special day! It is amazing to watch him learn new things everyday! Enough of that! Enjoy the pictures!

Opening his first gift from nanny Tiffany

Mom and Dad

My helper and sidekick



Stacy's sister-in-law Katie made the cake for us, his banner, party favor cookies and cupcake toppers,  She is very very talented! Thanks so much! 



Chance and his best buddy Tyler.

stripped down

Toy from The Millers and my mom and dad. It was a big hit at the party!

Sweet Dorothy Grace

A few of the cowboys and cowgirls, a rowdy group!

Our neighbors cleaned out their attic a month ago and gave Chance a pool.  He got a couple swimsuits for his birthday so today we tested them out.  He really liked drinking the water and splashing around! 



One week countdown....

To his 1st Birthday!!!  Yea!! Chance is really growing up fast it seems in the past few weeks! He is walking more and more and getting more steady with each step.  He is babbling continuously about everything around him.  Hope y'all enjoy a few new pictures.

The captive audience Sealy!  Sweet girl!