Special Kids and Families Bunny Run

The Saturday before Easter, we run/walk the Bunny Run benefitting Special Kids and Families - the preschool that all our kids have attended.  We love this place!  They serve kids with special needs alongside typical kids.  A great program full of wonderful people!   The route for the run passes our house, and we have done this race for about 9 years plus a few here and there before we had kids!  It's really amazing to see so many families coming out to support such a great cause.

The annual appearance by the Easter Bunny is always a hit!

Susanna and Owen and their teacher Ms. Kate.

Eli and Nate finishing up the 1 mile fun run!

Susanna holding her own on the one mile fun run! She passed me!

There she is one the far left! 

So excited to finish her one mile run!

Lindsey finishing up the 5K...

Madeline finishing the 5K...

My friend from high school, Amanda, was passing through town on her way home from St. Louis back to Mobile!  She and her daughters ran the race, too!  Here she is with Edie!

Lilith had already crossed the finish line!  I missed her crossing -she is speedy!!

So glad we got to visit with them!!

Face painting!

After the Bunny Run, we have traditionally died eggs!  

It was so nice outside that we died them on the deck!

Happy Easter!

Coon Creek Fossil Dig

We have joined the Pink Palace Museum the last couple of years - our local science museum, planetarium and IMAX theater.  We enjoy the traveling exhibits, and  Eli, especially loves the science displays.  This is the first year we have been able to go to Coon Creek - in McNary County -  a few hours away - for a fossil dig sponsored by the museum.  The event is free for members, and Eli has been asking ever since we renewed our membership, "When do we get to go hunt for fossils?!"

So, this Saturday was the day!

There was a telescope set up where you could safely look at the sun!  That was pretty cool.  It looked like a big yellow circle!  You could see a few sun spots that looked like pepper specks!

Picking out hunks of dirt from where a backhoe had turned over a large area of land.

looking through our dirt!

We took any finds over to a table to use more detailed tools...

Tim found a shell piece ….

And, Eli found a crab arm!  There were fossil experts there to help us identify our pieces.  Tennessee and much of the southeastern part of the US was covered by water millions of years ago.

Searching in that dirt!

Clay impressions of Tennessee's state fossil: the ptero.

We had a fun time finding fossils!

  

Bridal Shower

My awesome cousin Jake is getting married in May to his awesome fiancé, Morgen!  My mom, Tiffany and I hosted a shower for Morgen for our family and hers!  Unfortunately, Tiff had a chorus out of town competition - we were so sad she didn't get to come!  But, she helped with the planning and printing!  On a side note, her chorus won 1st in its size category and 2nd prize overall! Pretty amazing!!!!  Although, not surprising - they have an incredible sound!

Madeline and Morgen...

Opening gifts…. My mom got them the one above from a vendor at the 

Tea Party (Burlap Squared)  -- so adorable!

Our cutie patootie girls!

Morgen's mom, Jackie, and Aunt Stephie.

Our side of the family at the shower!  Definitely missing Tiff and our cousin Wendy (in MN, but who will be coming in for the wedding!)

The lovebirds with some of their loot!

Jake and Morgen with Non!  She has so much energy!  

I hope I can keep up like she does when I am 92!

6 weeks and counting down!!

After dinner, we headed to Ted Drewes!  The best frozen custard in the world!!!

We had a great time!

The next morning, Madeline showed Mimi how to make scrambled eggs!

Pop, Mimi and their cute little puppy, Baby Girl!

Theater Class Performance

Eli and Madeline took theater class for the past 9 weeks at Playhouse on the Square.  They went for an hour on Saturday mornings where Madeline learned musical theater skills and Eli brought a children's book to life with his classmates!

At the end of the sessions of classes, there is a performance to see all the kids' hard work!  The Mangusos joined us to cheer on the kids!  One of Tim's coworkers, Timorie, also came!  We all had a fun time watching the kids do their stuff!

Madeline loves getting up there and singing!  She really has a good time. 

Here comes Eli!  He is a duck on Farmer Brown's farm.  They acted out the book "Click Clack, Moo!" It was really cute!

Love his little duck bill!

Love that smile!  

He asked and asked to take the class.  The first couple of classes, he was really timid.  By the third class, he went right in and was excited to go each week.

Still quacking as he exits the stage!  This is his friend, Gabriel, who is a total ham!!!

Lots of fun!  We'll see if they want to do this again in the fall.