Our Easter 2018

Our Easter was wonderful. It felt very full of family and yummy food (and eggs....so many eggs.) It was also full of reminders that we serve a Risen Savior that loves us an incompressible amount. 

All the smiles, little memories, laughter, messes, conversations, songs....all of it was and is a reminder  of the blessings he has filled our lives with. 

The kiddos and I officially started celebrating back on Friday. We were out the door by 8:30 and headed to Grove for our annual Egg Coloring Day at the Probst's. I need to go back and count how many times we have done this.

Em is an old pro by now. After eggs she enjoyed playing with Izzy, Addy and Henry. 

Auggie actually did a fine job coloring eggs. He lasted for about three eggs and then found toys. Later on we tried using rice to color them and I kind of want to try the cool whip method. Maybe next year we will experiment!

Egg Crew 2018. (Addy was almost in the picture.) Linda fed us a yummy lunch, the kids got to play and I got to chat with my best friend. Sounds like a good morning, right!?!

Sidenote: What are you supposed to do with your finished eggs? Doug said the Easter Bunny hid theirs. What fun is it to find a stinky hard boiled egg? Friday evening the big kids were playing outside so I just gave them the eggs and told them to hide and find them. Why not.

Later Doug and I looked out the window and saw Emery washing something in the dirty-water-filled sandbox. Hmmmm. She then came in with a pealed egg. 

Em:"Mommy! The eggs were ready to peal!"

Me: "Ohhh....great. Was this what you were doing in the sandbox water? Just make sure you do NOT eat them."

Em: "Welllll......Auggie already ate the yellow part....."

What do you say to that? I just told her to tell him to not eat anymore.

Later Doug went out to pick up the yard a little bit. According to him we have eggs everywhere.

This rain and snow will wash them away......right?

After car naps on the way home from egg coloring it was baking time. I had three desserts to fix and Aug and Em tag teamed the helper spot. I would hire Emery. Auggie just wants to lick everything. 

We made a brownie layer dessert, a key lime pie and a snickers cheesecake. I want to make sure that the Great Cheesecake of 2018 is remembered. Best cheesecake I have ever made!

In between baking and making hard-boiled egg messes, Emery and Auggie got a visit from their long lost friend, Whiskers. Whiskers is from another neighborhood not too far from us and is a roamer. Emery is in smitten. A few weeks ago, after a cat visit, Nana brought over a little baggie of cat food (Doug was super excited about this ha.) So of course on Friday Em could not wait to feed Whiskers. Well Whiskers was rude--she ate and left. Em and Aug were distraught. Like Em was sobbing. 

Whiskers has since been back. I am of course trying to talk up how wonderful it would be if we had our own outside cat. Douglas isn't hearing it.

Saturday we took it slow. The kids played downstairs and I got all the food ready for our first Easter party that night. Food was prepped and house was clean with plenty of time to spare!

This is the only goodish picture I got from the night. Big smiles but blurry because they were excited to hunt eggs downstairs. Emery and Alayna are tied for the best finders--Auggie is slow because he has to open each one before moving on. Nana got all the kids new swim suits and a few outfits. I also appreciate that she fills eggs with Reeses....she knows what I like!

Sunday morning we had to wake the kids. The Easter Bunny had come! We have never done the Easter Bunny--I kind of figured that they got enough candy and gifts from Grandparents so I kind of just ignored the Easter Bunny. Douglas informed me this past week that he had fond memories of the Easter Bunny coming. Fine. He left a little sign that told them to follow the trail of eggs to find a surprise. They did have fun following the trail...to the laundry room! Silly Bunny. He brought the big kids socks and underwear and some bubbles. B got some puffs and some baby food. Essentials ha!

This photo and us being wayyyy early for church is brought to you by Nana staying the night. I think Emery Kayt looks so grown up and beautiful. And my boys! So handsome! All morning I had old hymns of my childhood on the brain and looked forward to church and celebrating the rest of the day with family. Emery has really been soaking in and talking about what we celebrate on Easter and she loved that they sang her favorite song in church. After she elbowed me and told me that it was "her song" I heard Auggie singing too....

"On a hot summer nighttttttt"

He was belting John Deere Green (Red).

I am sure Jesus appreciated his enthusiasm....just maybe not his words. 

Jansen Easter was at noon. We were early for that too--go us! Bennett apparently really missed his Aunt Tari. She got the most kisses. I should mention here that the old B is finally back! He was really sick for over 10 days but his smile, his personality and his appetite are back. That is a praise at our house! 

Em, Katie, Nora and Rube found eggs.

Aug was too busy sitting with his favorite guy.

And the big "kids" played dodgeball. Don't all families play a million rounds of dodgeball on Easter?

Before we got there Doug informed me that he was not going to get all sweaty. Going to take it easy.

That was a lie. 

After the big game of dodgeball we played my kind of dodgeball...kids and moms! I don't know if Auggie has ever been happier. He ran a million miles and totally cheated but his dodgeball joy was infectious. 

And then he crashed. Really all the kids (including Doug) did. Perfect for the drive to Hidalgo.

We kept it simple at Gigi's this year. Pork burgers on the grill and a few sides. The kids destroyed her house like they always do, found even more eggs and they wanted to play out in the snow. Yep. Easter snow. I love this picture. My Easter memories are here. I remember finding eggs in their yard. I got a section of the yard, Austin did, and Avery did. We were always waiting on Avery. I think he was like Auggie and one egg just made him happy.

Today we are picking up the aftermath of egg hunts and sorting candy/keeping Auggie out of it.

They were making messes faster then I could pick them up so I stopped to remember our Easter.

I hope everyone had the weekend they wanted or needed.

Happy Easter!