Happy Easter

For once, I'm going to do something on time if you can believe it! We've had a really nice weekend, although it's been seriously exhausting with all the travel and festivities. The biggest reason that we were so busy this weekend is that my cousin got married yesterday, so we drove to Blythe, Ca (about 2 hours from here), so watch her get married and then hung out at the house for awhile with the kids swimming and visiting with family before heading home. This is the second time in two months that we've done this trip for one of my cousins getting married, so we were really happy to be able to be there for her on her special day.

A couple of our traditions were changed or dropped this year, one of which was dying our Easter eggs. We knew Saturday was going to be crazy, and the kids have become experts at finding the eggs inside the house, so we convinced them that we should get plastic eggs so the bunny could hide them outside and make it harder for them to find. So when we got home Saturday night, we had to get ready for the bunny. I got out my Sharpie markers and let the kids decorate their plastic eggs and then put their initials on them so that they would all be able to hunt their own eggs and not throw fits over another kid getting more than the others, or the older kids finding all the easy ones and leaving the younger one with the harder eggs.

When that was done, Lindsay put out a huge plate of carrots for the bunny and then we got the kids off to bed. Another of our traditions that we did without this year, I have a love/hate relationship with. When they were little, the Easter bunny used to leave footprints around the house as he came to check on if they were sleeping. It was getting harder as they got older, to make sure that the tracks made sense, but it was always fun for J and I to get it ready, and the wonderment in their voices as little babies was so much fun. But, it's always been a pain to clean up (and especially the last few years with wood floors), and there's no awe in their voices about it anymore. So, while I'm sad to see that one pass us, I'm not sad to not have to clean baby powder off my floors today.

This morning, the kids had to wake us up before being allowed to go downstairs (and while I'm usually lucky with my kids not waking us before seven, they started in on us at six today). My parents will laugh, but when I figured out what time it was, I told them not to come back before seven. Of course, once it was seven, that meant I really had to get up, not something I really enjoy doing--I know, I'm lazy, but I'm such a night owl that seven is really early to me. So as we were getting ready to go downstairs, I went into Bailey's room to see if she was going to come down. That was greeted by grunts and moans. I swear she has turned into a teenager overnight. While walking downstairs, the two younger kids decided to strike poses for me:

 And then they had fun checking out their loot.

 Bailey finally made her was downstairs a few minutes later. I think the thought of an unopened gift is what got her out of bed.

After chatting with them and making sure they got some breakfast, J and I went back upstairs to lay down before getting ready for church. Unfortunately, I think the travel the day before on top of the two early mornings in a row had its way with us and it was really late before either of us woke up again. So we dragged ourselves out of bed to let the kids hunt down their eggs in the backyard:

 Cole wasn't too thrilled to find that the bunny decided to put one on the table in the pool.

 All smiles fishing it out though.

 I have to say I was pleased that she wasn't able to find all of hers, I had to give her hints. You're never too smart for your mom. :D

 No matter how she tried, she just couldn't reach.

 A little help from big sister got it out.

 I caught Bailey and J goofing around on the patio.

 And then loving his little girl.

While we all had a good time, Charlie decided that he needed a treat too. A wounded bird landed in our yard, and our hunter was in heaven. We've found bird bones before, but this was the first time the kids had to witness it, which was a little traumatic for some of them. Cole, of course, thought it was fascinating that Charlie actually wanted to eat the bird. He even got aggressive with J when J was stopping him from burying his treat, so that was the end of it for Charlie. Little doggie forgot his place in the family for a minute, but at least J got rid of the poor bird.

 I think one of the nicest things about the Easter bunny bringing presents is that the kids have all played really nicely together today, no bickering or fighting. It makes for a much more pleasant day that what we've been experiencing normally which is made even better by the holiday we're celebrating. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter day!