Hoppy Easter

We did Easter big growing up. We were poor as could be with my mom being a single mom of three, but you better believe we looked amazing on Easter at church. I think those were the years when my mom perfected her sewing skills.

So getting my Easter dress every year was about as exciting as prom. So, I guess it's still the same for me because I bought Landry's Easter dress last Easter before she was even born. I'm thankful that it fit.

And did she ever look adorable and mushable in it. I was just praying for no blow-outs in it. There was a close call but crisis was averted, thankfully.

Our buckets that I made from last year came in so handy again. I bought the buckets at the Dollar Spot at Target and cut vinyl for their names and attached ribbon...cheapest "baskets" ever.

The kids couldn't care less about what the buckets look like, they just care about the loot inside.

Easter morning was pretty insane in our house. To get 5 people ready and out the door looking their Sunday best, is a feat in itself. And now our kids are at the age where there are two different Easter eggs hunts so it's really hard to see both at the same time.

Campbell had been talking about the hunt all morning but then when it came down to it, he did his whole hanging on my leg thing he does where I can't walk.

Landry was as happy as a clam sitting there with her one plastic egg while I snapped pictures of the hunt. I know I'll eat my words later down the road but this sweet girl is the easiest thing ever. Not sure if it's because she's a girl or because she my third and third kids just learn that they have to be laid back.

And it's not Easter without a family picture at the Easter cross. This year's edition? Nose picking.

Next we packed up to my parents house and I was so excited about seeing my nieces and being able to be with them. This is the first holiday without my sister with us. The good thing is that it was also Justin's 38th  birthday so that was a good distraction for us.

Rain threatened us nearly all morning long and the sky grew darker as we got to my mom's. We hurried and got photos and did a record time Easter egg hunt at her house.

Normally the girls hide the eggs for us but Madison was way more efficient and just threw them up in the air.

 

The boys didn't care one bit. I think our Easter eggs hunt was done in literally 4 minutes and seconds within us closing the back door to come in, we heard a loud BOOM! of thunder. So I'm glad that we did turbo style this year, because the next two hours were looking like we might need to build an ark on Easter.

We squeezed in dyeing Easter eggs in about 10 minutes. That's about how long their attention lasts for things like that anyway.

When I asked the boys at Easter if they knew what was coming up, they said the Easter bunny. So I thought it was appropriate that I start reading them about the Easter story at bedtime. I figured Campbell wasn't listening, but apparently he was. It's amazing to see their little brains soaking in these stories and what they actually take from it.

We did it, we made it through our first holiday without Tonya. It was hard but having the girls there made it so much better.

Who we are

There are so many rules when it comes to blogging...be timely, don't put music on your blog, etc. As you can see, I don't really care and don't listen to it. I mean I want this to reflect who we really are. So what if we're procrastinators who write posts a week late and that love to jam to some music? It's how we roll, it's who we are.

Something else we are...people that drive across town to the mall after an exhausting week just to get pictures with the Easter Bunny for Grandma.

Sidenote: Since when does the Easter Bunny charge $25 for a picture? Seriously, I'm thinking I just might buy a bunny suit and give this gig a try.  Not to mention this bunny needed a serious Spring cleaning paw washing. If you're going to charge that much for a picture, please wash your bunny suit. My favorite part is that one inch to the left and Campbell would have been out of the picture. Do we love Grandma, or what?

 

 But the Easter Bunny knows that if you'll just overlook his lack of OCD hand washing and give him a hug, he'll visit your house and give you a fresh and clean bunny that can be perfect for some good snuggle time. 

And as great (or dirty) the Easter Bunny may be, there's nothing greater than heading to church on Easter Sunday for day of church family, our family and celebrating the greatest gift from God.

 

 Seeing this cross full of flowers with vibrant colors...with life, is more powerful and meaningful than any white fluffy animal, chocolate or plastic egg can even touch.

 Every bit of Easter is exactly what I need. It feeds my soul in way that holidays are known to do. They bring back that feeling of knowing that in more ways than one, I've hit the jackpot.

Every plastic egg, every smile feeds my soul.
 

 
And sometimes when you're on the other side of the camera you really look at your life and think, "Oh my goodness, this is one of those pictures that we'll look back and remember so well."

 

 Oh I dread the day when he's too old for baskets and the surprise that each egg holds. 

When you dread that day of no more Easter eggs, the easiest cure? More egg hunts, baby... Grandma and Granddad style.

And when you give a grandma a task of doing a hunt, it ain't a grandparent hunt until two baskets are involved because one just isn't enough.

Double fistin' baskets is another way our family rolls...

I'm so grateful for the gifts that have been given to me. I notice them each day but on days like today those small things are the big things.

Every bubble breath...

 

every cookie decorating moment...

 

make me appreciate exactly who we are.  

Here comes Peter Cottontail

The Easter bunny had to put on his rain boots down here in Texas. I volunteered to do Children's Church on Easter Sunday. I saw this really cute poem that Nolan's school did called the Jelly Bean Prayer and what each of the colors represents. I waited until late Saturday night to go get jelly beans. Bad idea. I didn't realize people actually eat jelly beans! I just always threw those away when I found them in my Easter eggs as a kid. But after a late night run to Target I got the last bag! Whew! I'm in the middle of the Children's Church lesson and we're glueing jelly beans and I'm being so careful not to ruin any Easter outfits of the kids or I knew there might be mothers ready to jump me after church. Outfit crisis was successfully averted. I'm wrapping up and we're cleaning up and the nursery attendents tell me Campbell is having a crying fit in the nursery. Turns out he's exhausted and has not had a morning nap at all. Campbell is asleep in all the Easter pics he was that tired. He had all the Easter he could take and it was only noon!

Church lets out and I'm dealing with him and completely missed Nolan Easter egg hunting. They had to bring it inside because of the rain and the parlor was really crowded so most parents didn't get to see it. Luckily we went out to my sister's and brother-in-law's farm and he went to town in the sunny afternoon hunting eggs. He fell into some puddles a couple of times but didn't let that slow him down.

My grandfather, Big Daddy, came into town along with his girlfriend Mary Lou. It was so much fun to have them there to see the kids go on their Easter egg hunt. You can tell that I don't give Nolan candy very often because in minutes he had downed about 5-6 pieces of chocolate. My sister, Tonya, had hidden money in the eggs too and he just looked at it like, "What is this and where is the chocolate?!" We took him last night to buy a car with his Easter money and now he's catching on to this money thing. In perfect Spring timing, we got to see some new baby chicks on the farm. To see the rest of our pics, click here.