Elliot and the Whale!

Elliot had the opportunity to go striper fishing with his good friend Ryan Peeler this week! They traveled to the Clinch River in Tennessee and had a blast! Elliot was sick with allergy/sinus stuff the whole time, but the fun they had, and the fish caught made him forget he was feeling the least bit sick. He caught the biggest fish, one 27lbs and one 28lbs. This was his first guided fishing trip and he loved it! He is not sure how he will be able to go back to trout fishing. Seems the trout are a wee bit smaller than the fish he caught this week! I have been informed that the big one will be on the wall very soon! :) (it seems that my son is always wearing the fat cat tshirt and the camo pants with I take pics of him -- I will see if i can't spice up the wardrobe!)

Easter Fun!

What a wonderful Easter weekend! Friday Elliot, the boys, and I headed down to Troutman to visit my dad, and so Elliot could go hunt for a turkey. (no luck there) However, we had a great visit with dad. We dyed Easter eggs, had a small egg hunt, and ate, ate and ate some more. Wes had a great time on the 4-wheeler (or-eear, as he calls it) . We traveled back Saturday evening and had a great day of worship as we celebrate the FACT that our Savior is risen! The tomb is empty, and He has gone to prepare a place for his children, those who have received the gift of salvation and have accepted Christ as Savior. (That's me! :) ) So, after an awesome morning of worship and teaching, we headed to the Stoltzfus' home for a delicious dinner with friends! The Shelton's, the Stricklers, the Stoltzfus' and of couse the Aiken's (never gonna miss a good eat), sat around a beautifully prepared table and fellowshipped! Then, as if it couldn't get any better, it did! What a georgeous Easter Sunday the Lord blessed us with! Everything was so PERFECT! So, we took the kids outside, sat in the grass and played, shared coffee and dessert and just took in the SONshine! Elliot decided to pretend he was Mr. Dare Devil! Pics will tell! After the children were so tired they began to walk with their heads layed over on the toys, we decided it was time to go so they could get naps! It was such a blessed day! I pray we never forget that the true meaning of Easter is not chocolate bunnies and colored eggs, but the HOPE that was brought to those who recieve it by a God who loved us too much to leave us in our sin state, so he sent a sacrifice, of his OWN son, to take on our sin so that we could live an abundant life on earth, and spend eternity with him! Is that what Easter means to you? Have you recieved the gift? I hope so! Love to all and Happy Easter!

Hanging out with Papaw Mike.







Easter at the Stoltzfus' with wonderful friends!



(Elliot just loves it when Wes plays with pink toys!) :)

Me Time and Family Time

What a great weekend! I was able to go out with some friends while Elliot hung out with the boys. Isn't it amazing what a few hours strolling thur Target, Ross and Marshalls with a Starbucks in hand can do for a weary soul. It was such a refreshing retreat from the regular routine. It was so nice though to get back to smelling spit up all over, tripping over matchbox cars, and cleaning out sawdust filled pockets. Today was just as wonderful. Worship was sweet, the message was challenging, and the fellowship as good as ever. After lunch and naps, we decided to head to Sycamore Flats for some family time. Fishing, rock throwing, and strolling was enjoyed by all. I snapped many pics of our afternoon together. I enjoy days like these, filled with the little moments that make the biggest memories.


Throwing football with daddy.
I made chocolate oatmeal cookies for our time at the river. (Papa Dewey and Gramma Kate....they were YUMMY! )Me and Baby Saw!This is what Wes does when I tell him to praise the Lord.

A little playtime b/w bath and bed.