Happy Easter Egg!

I think I like my toddler’s way of wishing well on this holiday better than mine. As I type this, I imagine that I can hear the drizzle happening outside. You can’t actually hear drizzle but I like pretending. Rain has been elusive and long hoped for and it finally happened today for real. I couldn’t think of a better atmosphere for our first Easter Sunday in our new life…we woke up in a cloud and it still hasn’t lifted. There is a pond out back that is going to be seriously splashed in the morning.

Did you have a good Easter? We did. It wasn’t the production that my Easters have usually been since I became both Mother and Easter Bunny, but luckily my kids didn’t notice. Their first and very own package of Peeps (blech!) may have helped smooth things over.

Yesterday was sunny in the morning so the Easter Bunny was able to visit right after breakfast…

He was going to set up shop in the pine trees, but it was chilly and they were shaded, so the cleared area by the tree-house tree was perfect.

Egg hunting is both joyful and serious business. Naomi had a life lesson in “not finding the very last egg that the Easter Bunny is mostly positive s(he) left out but isn’t 100% because s(he) may have accidentally forgotten to count as they hid the eggs.” It is  a right of passage really.

Later I went to a church function and the kids got to head to the local feed store with Daddy for a gardening/seed planting class. They had so much fun, and if it kills me, they will leave my house with solid green thumbs.

Because we just, you know, moved 2600 miles cross country, and my sewing machine is only barely unpacked,  matching Easter dresses were not going to happen. My mom rescued me in high grandma fashion by making these (and a rocking bow tie for the little man…by the way, isn’t he a stud? so handsome.) She even sent white sandals to complete the ensembles. I am so grateful that my kids looked put together and awesome for probably the most meaningful Sunday of the year. I couldn’t pull it off, but my mom sure did. Love that woman.

Tonight my brother, sister-in-law, their kids, and a grandpa came to dinner. They are the reason we even started thinking about North Carolina in the first place. It was a whirlwind of good food, cousins, and bubble goo…short but so nice to connect with family we love.

You have to understand, when you have kids, deep reflection often happens way after the event. Bedtime is a beautiful thing. As I’ve been sitting here typing and deleting and typing some more and reflecting on Easter here is what I’ve got: I’m more grateful than I know how to express that there was a perfect being who loves me and loves my husband and loves my kids enough that he suffered and died for me so that I would have a chance at Joy. A Joy that will be so lasting and complete I can’t even really understand it, but because of Him I get glimpses of it every so often. It makes me cry every time.

Happy Easter, friends!

 

 

 

Easter means a long hike…

to the coolest spot in Nevada! Mostly it’s the coolest because it belongs to our family. I’ve written about it before but this year it hit me that it’s ours. No one else goes there (as evidenced by eggs from last year, sunglasses left and then found the next year, never any trash) so it is ours…and that is the stuff of Epic Tradition! (You also know how I feel about traditions…)

Between work and dance and nap time…me, the husband guy, and kids had the whole place to ourselves for a few hours before grandma, grandpa and aunts joined us for the Easter Egg Hunt. It was odd to be on our own, but really nice to go at a toddler pace with no agenda other than make it to the spot and eat.

 

First order of business. We take our PJ&J very seriously.

 

Like I said.

 

I admit it. The photo of me was purposefully cropped to limit the vast expanse of belly that was shown. Yup. I’m definitely big. And the other one is because this guy makes me smile a lot and I couldn’t have hiked in a massive picnic lunch, Easter Egg Hunt stuff, and a non-mobile two-year old on my own. That’s why we parent in teams right?

The shenanigans that happened this year were hilarious. Mostly the fact that Naomi insisted that she was a Golden/Silver fox named Aria who had a den in which she took naps and had to take dust baths to keep cool. Garyn is all boy and had fun hunting and exploring and playing mountain goat.

 

She thinks she’s a big girl climber. My photographic evidence of her on her back after rolling down a rock and ending up like a beached turtle suggests otherwise. And in case you were wondering…I took a picture because she thought rolling down was hilarious and she was smiling. While she isn’t quite there yet as far as walking/climbing/Egg Hunting…she had a great time and as always made everything better for the rest of us.

 

These are my two favorite pictures from the Hunt. It was great and just the right amount of holiday commercialism.

Hope your Easter was family and candy filled and that you got to reflect on everything this beautiful time of  year means. I didn’t get very much reflection time…but that’s ok. My kids and Husband remind me every day why I am grateful for Easter.

Easter in the desert

I love the desert. I love the heat and sand and wind. I love the huge sky and stubby, prickly bushes that smell awesome in the rain. I love the rocks. And now I’ll stop waving my freak flag. Every year for the past 20 years (so weird that I’m now old enough to say that about anything) we have been going to Vally of Fire for Easter. We have gone to the same spot for 18 of those years. We eat a picnic lunch and then kids and dads go for a hike while moms help the Easter Bunny hide eggs. It’s kind of perfect. Also we take pictures. Really great pictures that are the only reason I don’t run and hide when cameras come out. Much.

We had the seats like this for the move. No more. I can’t take it.

This is going to be made big and hung up somewhere. It only took 57 tries to get all kids looking at the camera with semi-normal expressions (forget smiling). You know what I’m talking about.

Next face of Gap Kids?

Pretty much the cutest baby ever.

Looking away from the camera = good pictures.

Well except for this one. Also being made big and hung up somewhere. I kind of love this one alot.

Then there is that sweet husband guy. So glad I married such good stuff.

The Easter Bunny has very good taste in basket fillers. Each kid got a new Dr. Seuss book which were the favorite presents. They did like the candy and toys but the books were the favorite. Score! Perfect ending for a beautiful Easter.