Between the Raindrops

We managed to squeeze in some outdoor playtime in between rainstorms today. The girls had fun exploring the puddles in their rain boots...

(Someone please get this poor child a scooter that fits her.)

Easter 2014

 Saturday...

Easter 2014 was the year/holiday we found out that Julia LOVES hard boiled eggs. Too bad it took us this long.

Caroline surveying the field at the Westwood Easter Egg Hunt.

Tongue out and ready to compete! 

She cleaned up!!

Julia had a bit of a rougher start.

She got frustrated....

...and had a bit of a meltdown.                   

Relocation was required and big sister was called in for assistance.

And then all was right with the world :)

Margaret and her trusty sidekick, Bunny Lovey, had a more practical approach to egg hunting:

Slow and steady...

...wins the race.

After the egg hunt, we visited with the Easter bunny. Julia was too scared to say hello.

While the babies napped, Caroline dyed our Easter eggs.

This year, she chose a kit that included glitter and sequins!

After nap time, the twins helped  decorate Easter cookies with approximately 20 pounds of sugar on each cookie. 

Easter Sunday...

Someone was not happy about having to wait until after church to find her Easter basket.

The Easter Bunny brought some yummy treats... 

...some fun toys...

...and even an educational gift or two.

               

The girls worked hard to make their traditional bunny cake just in the nick of time!!

So proud of their finished product!

Happy Easter from our house to yours!!

Time Flies

It has been another few weeks since I last updated the blog, and while I've enjoyed the break from taking, uploading and editing pictures, I realized how much life flew by in the minutes, hours, and days during which I did not post. It was a reminder for me of two important elements of my life: why I choose to blog and why I choose to stay home.
I blog for two reasons: to keep our friends and family near and far updated on our day to day life and to create a record, both online and in hardcopy (I print the blog into a book twice a year), of my girls' childhood. I want the girls to be able to look back over their childhood and see a concrete picture of what it was like.
I want them to know that they were loved deeply and unconditionally. I want them to know that they were cherished and adored. That we laughed with them and laughed at them. That we tried to captured every special moment and some not so special moments. Does a blog capture all of these sentiments perfectly? No. Is it the only way a parent can express them? Absolutely not. It's just one of the ways I've chosen, and it works for me.
My hiatus has also reminded me that I stay home with my children because I need to. I cannot bear for too much of their lives to go by without me being there to witness it. Time flies. It goes too fast. And in the blink of an eye, I know they will be grown and gone. This does not mean that there are not (many) moments when I want to run screaming from the building (or the car). This does not mean that I judge working mothers (I don't). I just need and want to be home with my girls right now. I cannot stand to miss a moment. Except when I need a babysitter so I can go to grocery store alone, or meet a friend for lunch, or just be by myself for a while. I am human, after all. :)

So, long, long story short, here are a few pictures from the past few weeks...

My beautiful, amazing daughters

Sweet Margaret sitting pretty

Rainy day solo shopping trip with Julia

Caroline and Mommy went on a very special trip together to surprise Marmee for her 60th birthday!!! It was so much fun!

Caroline had a blast with cousin Sophia...as you can see. :-)

                                                 Mommy, Marmee, and Aunt Allison

Julia has (very successfully!) transitioned into her big girl bed...more on that later once we finish working on her room! 

Caroline and Daddy on the swings at the Collegiate Village Green Fair

Julia hamming it up in the pool during Caroline's swim lesson. 

Caroline getting her...wait for it....2ND haircut EVER. 

Three sisters on a seesaw

And finally, a little preview of the Easter 2014 post...

Someone's Easter egg hunt did not start off eggs-actly as she'd hoped it would ;-)

Easter morning...

Finally!!

Spring weather has finally arrived in Richmond, and this handful of Heppers couldn't be happier about it! The girls have been outside today exploring the new blooms, slugs, and mud puddles in our backyard, and this mommy is enjoying the feeling of the warm sun on her face.
Here are a few pictures from today's spring time frolic. Also, Caroline and Daddy went to their first Daddy-Daughter Dance last week.

Caroline and Julia off to explore.

Margaret wasn't far behind.

Mud puddle!

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You know it had to be warm if Isabel was outside. She spent over an hour sunbathing on the deck.

Miss Caroline dressed and ready for the Daddy-Daughter dance at Westwood.

Warming up and showing off some ballet moves. 

Margaret and Julia really wanted to go too,  but neither was appropriately dressed (or old enough) to go.

Daddy and his date.