Happy Easter!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! He is risen!

Lily Grace is always leaving these little slips of paper all over the house.  They turn up in the most unexpected spots and are simply labeled, "To: Anyone".  Matt and I love finding them.  This morning, as Matt and I sat having coffee, I noticed one of the slips.  We opened it to find the below message.  

Yes!!!!!  He certainly does!!

Molly and Lily Grace checking out her Easter basket.  

Bunny rolls to start the day

We all took a turn trying out Gracie's new label maker and I didn't want Molly to feel left out so I whipped her one up.  She slept right through it. 

LG loves her origami 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀

Daddy - Daughter Dance

Last night, Gracie's school held a Daddy-Daughter Dance.  This was the first year they've held one in a while so Lily Grace was beyond thrilled.  
She and Matt looked absolutely adorable!  They coordinated and she even got Matt to wear a pink tie!!!  Yes, Matt actually deviated from blue.  
We met friends for dinner before the dance and had a lovely time.  
When she returned home, they were both smiles and shared the highlights of their evening.   According to LG it was simply, "amazing!"

She was so excited!

She asked for a Curled High Pony and that I take a picture to remember how cute it looked.

It may have been 20 degrees outside and blowing snow, but these two melted my heart.

A "fun" pic according to Gracie Cakes and of course Molly had to get in on the action

Dinner with friends before the dance

These girls spend a lot of time together

Throughout the evening Matt sent me pics and videos from the dance.  All smiles!

Pioneer Day

Lily Grace's school had Pioneer Day.  It was wonderful!  They visited different stations where they did quilling, needlepoint, candle dipping and games.  They also enjoyed a catered lunch and even drank lemonade out of mason jars.  Y'all the lunch was amazing and this southern girl felt right at home with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and some green beans on the side.  
The day was topped off with a big square dance.  The kids learned to square dance in P.E.  It was adorable and so much fun!  I'm sorry to say that I don't have any square dancing pictures.  My phone died and so did my camera battery.  

Quilling

Making a talking stick

Trying to walk on stilts

Getting ready for a Pioneer lunch

Gracie and I were in Heaven

Girls Night!

Finally!  After two moves in two years, I think we are finally getting to that point after almost three years in IN where we can say it feels like home.  While I miss TN and our friends there, it's not as hard as it used to be and we now have a circle of friends that I know I could call on as well.  Our house is a revolving door of kids and I stay swamped with school volunteer projects and Matt is happy working only 20 minutes from home.  This fall he has even been invited by Purdue, (who ranks in the top 50 business schools in the U.S) to be a part of their EMBA program. He has a wonderful job who supports him and our family in so many wonderful ways.  Life is good!  Lily Grace loves it here!  She adores her friends and her school.  Again, life is good and we are most blessed.  
Three of Lily Grace's closest friends just happen to be the three ladies who I am closest to and sit on a couple of committees with at school.  It's nice!  
Thank you God for the peace you bring us in everything, for prayers answered, people placed in our lives and your blessings that abound around us. 

Friends

Family Day 2016: 9 Years

On January 30 we celebrated family day.  We actually started celebrating on Friday, January 29 and made it a three day weekend event.   
We went to Indy and enjoyed the Children's Museum, dinner and some shopping.  We also enjoyed a game day and just hanging out and having extra time together.  
Thank you God for the blessing of family and the love that we share.  Thank you for the example of unconditional love. 

1Corinthians 13:4-7,15

 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
 ...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  

Stylish- even among the dinosaurs

Matt and Lily Grace raced each other on the chocolate slide.  

Trying her hand at Chinese 

Gracie was born The Year of The Dog

Exploring the artifacts exhibit and trying her hand at putting a plate back together 

Not often you see Matt a lit up in Neon.  ha!  ha!  Not exactly business attire.

Gracie and I tried our hands at painting our faces like Chinese opera singers.  We both took "smoky eye" technique to a whole new level

Date Night

Lily Grace and Matt have been enjoying date night since Lily Grace was barely three years old.  They do something together once a month, just the two of them and they both look forward to it.  They often go out to dinner, but this time LG requested a "fancy" dinner at home.  She also requested shrimp.  People I despise shrimp and detest cooking it even more.  It's gross to clean and stinks up the house but for these two........well, I would do anything.  
Matt and Lily Grace also share a love for Legos.  It's something they really enjoying doing together.  So when Matt picked Lily Grace up from Lego Robotics after school, he surprised her with a kit they've been admiring.  
They had quite the night eating, playing cards, working on Legos and watching Snow White, all before 8:00.  How sweet!  

On the flip side, I may have spoiled these two. A fancy dinner at home has come up again. Now don't get me wrong, I loved being able to listen to their sweet date ( I stayed in another room for the time doing my own thing while they had their date.) but I am desperately hoping that if they do decide to enjoy another fancy date night at home, they request chicken and not shrimp.  Otherwise, I may lose my status as hostess with the mostess.  

Notice the white dry erase board on the side of the island.  I set it out for them because Lily Grace love long division and said that they would do a little for fun.  Too cute!  And yes, I did hear her quizzing Matt on long division.  Can't say she isn't a fun date!

Table for Two: right down to the the stuffed olives, lemon slices on the water goblets, freshly pressed (and ya'll this blog is called unfolded laundry) linen napkins and beautiful arrangement of tulips.

Molly got groomed earlier in the day and was allowed to hang out on date night.  

Enjoying their shrimp pasta dish

Part of their set done before time for shower and bed

Lily Fest: A Sleepover

Let me start by saying that Lily Grace requested this post title and I am happy to oblige.  It truly has been a Lily fest around our house.  
This past weekend, one of Lily Grace's best friends Lily B. spent the weekend with us.  Lily B.'s parents were out of town and we had Lily B from Saturday to Monday morning.  This was also Lily Grace's first "official" sleepover.  According to her, it's made official by the fact that Lily B slept over without her parents.  
These two had the best time!  Our house was constantly filled with giggles and all things girlie.  They stayed up until about 10:00 Saturday night, (well that is when they were told lights out anyway) and we could still hear giggles and chatter from upstairs.  They enjoyed sharing the queen guest bed Saturday night and they looked like quite the sight with AG magazines, books and stuffed animals piled in bed with them.  
We slept in a bit Sunday morning and enjoyed late service.  Afterwards we enjoyed a snack at  Starbucks and then a little shopping.  They were too cute as they wore matching hair do's with flowers, strapped on their purses and flaunted huge smiles.  
Once back home Sunday afternoon it was more play after getting their studying done and off to separate beds on time at 7:30.  They woke with smiles Monday morning and it was back to reality at 7:45.  
Matt and I enjoyed hearing their laughter and feel so blessed that Lily Grace has people she can call friends and enjoy special time with.  It truly has been another one of those firsts that Matt and I will cherish.  

Thank you gracious God for this blessing.  This precious girl we prayed for and for all the memories that we share in with her. 

As soon as Lily B arrived, they wasted no time getting busy.  This fort evolved over the weekend into a prairie wagon.  

Showered and ready to play into the night and poor Molly just wanted to be a part of the fun

Nothing like a milkshake and cookie to get the night-time fun started

Getting ready to enjoy a movie

Lily Grace made Lily B a "suite" sign and even gave her an old hotel key to insert upon entering her room.

Though there were laughs, they managed to get their Science and Religion homework done Sunday morning before church.

By Sunday evening this fort was really evolving

Off to school bright and early Monday morning

2016 Happy New Year! 2016

Ringing in the New Year!