Easter

We don't do the Easter Bunny at our house.  Someday my kids may need therapy and blame me for sucking the joy and magic out of their childhoods. I'm okay with that.  I'm also totally okay with those who choose to do the Easter Bunny thing. 

Traditionally, on Easter morning, the kids get a Costco tub of jelly bellies to share, and individually get a church related item (the boys all get a new tie). Another long-standing tradition is to try (and mostly fail) to get a picture of the kids in all their fancy Easter duds.

 

Before you cry tears of pity, you should know that Aunt Deanna more than makes up for their minimalistic morning. 

After attending church in the morning and celebrating the Risen Son, we headed out to celebrate the risen Sun with our Bonus Family. 

Side Note: Nursery is hard for Nellie.  Her leader sent us this picture to show when she finally calmed down.  Clark is known as the "baby whisperer."  I'm not sure if this picture was taken before or after Nellie got bit (hard) on her arm and leg by a nursery chomper.

Not long after we arrived, it was time for the annual Easter Egg Hunt Extraordinaire.  My kids look forward to this event with eager anticipation.  This time around, Mark got to help hide the eggs for the oldest kids, and he enjoyed finding challenging hiding spots for them.

The hunt was divided into three age categories: Toddlers, Bigs (10+), and Middles(4-9).  All three groups took off simultaneously. This property is the best place to have an Easter egg hunt!

 

Mark stayed and helped Nellie hunt while I trekked up the hill after the big four to try to capture photographic proof of the occasion.  

It's a tough task to try to get a picture when they don't want to slow down for half a second!

When Bryce filled his bucket, he emptied it into Thane's bigger bag, then took off to find more.  There were hundreds of eggs, plus assorted scattered toys and prizes.

See what I mean when I say my kids need no sympathy?!

The big kids had money hidden in some of their eggs.  Those kids were persistent!

When I returned from chasing after the bigs, Mark explained that Nellie had no interest in picking up eggs.  Instead, she noticed there were Care Bears scattered across the lawn.  She picked up every single one and adores them.  Who would've thought?

She didn't mind the few treats she managed to snag either.

After the hunt, the kids spent hours outside playing with their new toys, eating way too much candy (and very little dinner), and having fun with their cousins.

One of the toys Bryce picked up was a blow horn. Yikes! Good thing they have lots of property, because he spent the rest of the afternoon constantly blowing it.  Thankfully he managed to lose it before we came home.  I call that an act of Providence.

At one point, the neighbors sent over the Easter Bunny for a quick visit.  Creepy, right?  At least Graham wasn't freaked out.

Aubree brought her violin, and once everyone had eaten, she pulled it out and put on a show.  She found a receptive audience in my cousins, who appreciate music.  She played for a long time, exhausting her repertoire of memorized songs. When she was done, she told me, "I need to learn more songs!" That girl loves to perform.

We had a lovely afternoon with family.  The only downside of the day was the ridiculous traffic on the way home that added an extra hour to our 50 minute commute.