Balloon Glow

This week is derby week. 

Anyone who knows anything about horses knows this is a big deal. Before moving to KY I had no idea what a big deal the city of Louisville makes for a 45 second horse race!  

We are not going to the derby but have enjoyed partaking in some of the pre-events. 

Last Friday night we went to the fairgrounds and enjoyed the balloon glow. Many companies and organizations sponser hot air balloons and they fill them and light them at dusk for a pretty magnificent display. 

Even though Eli had to stay up late it was worth it and he was a champ. He was so enthralled with the helicopters circling and of course the glowing balloons. It was hard to get a picture with him because he kept turning around. 

It is fun to participate in some of the local excitement surrounding the derby, give us a few years before we get all decked out for the race. 

A few more Easter pictures

Here are a few more shots of Easter before the happenings fade from my memory.

Saturday morning Eli and I decorated eggs. No, I wasn't brave enough to bring out the dye, but Eli was really proud of all the stickers he got on them. A bonus: he's been eating these eggs all week!

Ta da! Only one egg broken in the process!

Eli's Easter basket. All things purchased for a dollar or less and the eggs were filled with coins for his piggy bank. The lion was the biggest hit. I LOVE preparing a basket for a 2 year old!

Sunday, we hosted a brunch with a few of our friends. This included 7 adults and 4 kids. I loved it!  This was our first time since we moved in to host a group of this size, it was so nice to open our home and actually use our dining room table. The kids played until nap time.

Little Kayleigh is only 5 weeks old.  She was so sweet and SO quiet.  I think she slept the entire time.   

 Once we got outside all the kids wanted to do was play, so we decided it was best to just take a group shot at the playscape.  Perfect!

Eli's friend Miles always makes him smile.  They love to play and dance together.  

Even though we are still relatively new here in Louisville we are blessed by the friends the Lord has put in our path.  It is a delight to watch Eli and how well he has adjusted to this new place and just how much he loves life.  Oh, that I would live that way more often!  Yes, we woke up Easter Sunday missing people from places we have lived, but thankful that Easter means Jesus rose from the dead and nothing else matters.  

Happy Easter from the Keith, Eli and Ellie 

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.  But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 & 57

Egg hunting...

This year is the first year Eli has really gotten into finding eggs even though it's his 3rd Easter. Easter #1 he was weeks old and I laid him beside a basket of eggs...that was it. Easter #2 he was not quite walking so I would carry him from egg to egg, put him down, coax him into picking it up and maybe get it into the basket. But this year he spots an egg, runs to pick it up, inspects the insides and throws it in the basket. Of course it doesn't always go that smoothly and he CAN get distracted, but all in all this is the best year for hunting yet! 

This is last weekend at his school, all the eggs had letters on them so he found his favorites. 

The next hunt was at a Playgroup this week, Eli did great and loved hunting with his friends. 

Lastly, this morning we had a neighborhood hunt that was pretty much a mad dash for eggs, but Eli kept up well and filled his basket. 

Not sure what to think about the Easter bunny :). 

My two guys!

It is awesome to see Eli mature into a little boy and all that he does and says! I know all parents say this, but it really is amazing how kids grow and how intricately The Lord made us!  We sure are enjoying every new thing!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter with family near and far!  He is risen!

A trip to the zoo!

So it turns out Louisville has a pretty amazing zoo. Who knew?  In recognition of earth day the zoo had a $3 admission day so we decided to take advantage of it.  Of course the rest of Kentucky and Indiana did too, so we arrived early and left early. It was a perfect morning for our family. 

We saw lions (and heard them roar), zebras, gorillas, polar bears and more. 

At the giraffe house. 

 Up close and personal with the lions. 

Even closer with the gorillas!

The beautiful weather this weekend allowed us to have a great time. We are so excited this place is in our new city, I'm sure we'll be making many more trips!

Visitors

February and March were filled with guests, family and close friends, that all blessed us so much with their visits and sacrificing their time to come spend it with us. We actually had visitors for a solid month but the time seemed to go by so quickly. 

We are going on month 6 of living in Louisville. We survived the winter and (hopefully) there will be no more snow, but as with any new place you live, it can be hard to feel truly at home. Having people come visit allowed this place to feel more like home for a few weeks. 

Shortly after Eli's birthday and the grandparents coming to town my brother and his family came to visit. 

Jadon (3), Caleb (8), Ed and Eli 

Amy, Jadon and Eli painting to pass the time until we could go play in the snow. 

The first day they were here it snowed 6 inches so we quickly changed our plans of going out and seeing the city to staying at home, playing in the snow, drinking hot chocolate and finding new things to do. Overall the kids were fine, lots of new toys to explore and people to entertain them. Eli really surprised me by allowing Caleb (his 8 yr old cousin) to pull him around on the sled. He took it all in stride...

...literally. 

Once the roads were clear we were able to get out the next day. We spent time at the science museum (Eli's home away from home) and Churchill Downs. With the Kentucky Derby less than a month away I am quickly learning what a big deal this race is in Louisville (more on that later). 

The Churchill Downs museum was very interesting and taught me a lot about the race and it's history. There were even mock races that the kids could play on. 

Eli still has a ways to go before he can stand up on the horse. 

It was such a special time to spend with cousins. We are thankful they decided to spend their spring break by coming to visit us and see our world. It was special to see Eli bond with them. He still talks about Aimee and Ed, but can't quite say Caleb and Jadon yet. It was great to have people in the house during day, to talk with during naps and hang out with at night. A definite highlight for Keith and I!

We love you Ed, Amy, Caleb and Jadon and hope to see you soon!

The following week some of our best Texas friends came for a visit (talk about feeling homesick, I truly did this week, but it was worth it). 

Steve, Tamara, Kami, Madi and Tyler Dortch were our family in Austin and it was so fun for them to visit our new home. We also call their kids Eli's cousins because they are so good with him! 

A definite change in the weather this week!

Since the Dortch family also spent time in China when Keith and I were there they have a love for Chinese food. It was so fun to share a meal with them, have them at our house, grill out in the 32 degree weather (a tradition we had in Austin minus the freezing temps) and just hanging out. 

The Dortch family does hope to return to China one day soon so their time in Texas may also be limited but it is fun to have shared 3+ years with them there and continue to stay connected. 

We SO appreciate your visit. You brought Texas laughs, fun and sunshine here for a few days and for that we are grateful! 

I thank The Lord that because we have moved many times we have friends and family in many different locations and have tons of options of places to visit, but it is still hard to see people come and go. I guess this is just a hard part of life. Never really knowing what lies ahead job-wise, with family, friends. Thankfully God knows and for today I will rest in that!