Happy Easter!!!

So it's a miracle I am even alive.... our house was cursed with strep again (how many times will it get us?!?) and then some of the bitties got a mouth virus... who even knew these things exist?!?  It's called Stromititis and it is U.G.L.Y.  Have you ever seen a child crying because they are hungry, trying to put food in their mouth and sobbing because it just hurts so bad....  Terrible! Especially, when that child is yours! We have been surviving on ice cream, milk shakes and pediasure and popsicles...  I think the worst of it is over, but they are still working their momma for ice cream for every meal, but I am so traumatized that I will let them until I know for sure it is gone!

As the only way it is contagious is by drinking after each other or licking each other we were able to spend Easter with our families.  Of course we had to put a strict ban on licking, which they do with shocking frequency... playing dogs or just annoying each other.

The Saturday before Easter, a neighbors church put together an egg hunt in the park right behind our house... They stuffed over 2000 Eggs!  So sweet.... We invited our cousins over and everyone had such a good time.

Walking to the Park

Luke aka Iron Man

Ivy Walking with her Daddy

Get Ready... Get Set... GO!

Showing MawMaw their Loot

Looking for just one more egg with Nonna

Sidney

When I saw confetti eggs at the grocery store, they brought back so many memories of being young that I had to buy them!  I thought 8 dozen would be plenty, but they were gone in minutes.  I don't remember them being quite as hard... I tried to crack one on Luke's head and it was like bonking them with a brick... He looked at me like, "why would you do that to me?!?"  We ended up just crushing them in our hands and they were a hit!  

Briellen

For whatever reason, I always throw things in the air and yell "Happy New Year!"  Fall leaves, packing peanuts, laundry, bubbles, whatever...  Brie picked up confetti and threw it in the air and yelled "Happy New Year"  Loved. It.  Girl after my own heart!!

Ivy girl...

Mitchell

Girl Cousins

Sidney, Briellen, Kaeli, Ava, Ivy

Stephen, yet again, cleaning up after his wife!

We don't really do the Easter bunny, but I do love to buy gifts, so I got them a bunch of pool toys.  (I always just buy them what I need to buy anyway....)
When they saw all of it Luke asked, "Did Santa bring us all of this stuff?"  I told him that no, I did.  Sidney then declared "No you didn't... The Easter Fairy, I mean, Easter Bunny did." I just let it go... if they want to believe in the Easter bunny, they will...  

Ivy, Sidney, Luke, Mitchell, Brie

Sunday mornings are always crazy at our house and Easter was no different.  Our church (Christ Church, PCA) is 40 minutes away and starts at 9:30, so we have to hustle to get out of the house to be on time. But when I tell you this church is wonderful, it's an understatement...  


We went to my mom and dad's after church for Easter lunch...  My brother is FINALLY home from Indonesia, so it was the first holiday in forever that all four of my siblings were together... It felt oh so good!  (Only thing missing was his wife, Alit, who comes at the end of this month.)  I love being at my parents... it is the same house I grew up in and the same table we all sat around when I was little... I love seeing my babies play in the same big yard I did!

This picture, while not the best, represents SO many memories of holidays in Katy...  When there are too many people to sit around the table, we set up a buffet.  We always hold hands around the island for the prayer.

My sister, Margaret and Mom

Stephen, Papa, Uncle Neal (Silly!)

Neal and Nain

Love, Love, Love this pic!!!!

I found a fun Easter cocktail recipe on Pinterest and wanted to try it... Of course I enlisted my sister's husband, Damon, the quintessential mixologist to help! They turned out adorable, but tasted terrible!!!  Note to self: stick with tried and true vodka... cherry vodka should be outlawed.

After substitute teaching the 2's and 3's class for Sunday School that morning, I drank all 5 of these... I kid, I kid.  Well, I probably would have if they didn't taste so yucky.  :)

Me, Nain, Amy

(Before we tried our martinis)

Stephen -- Best husband EVER!

Uncle Damon and Aunt Mimi

Me with GG and Margaret Jr.

Aunt MarMar and Uncle Jim

Yee-Haw!

My parents yard rocks for egg hunts... We hide Margaret's older boys eggs in the front yard in challenging locations and hide the little ones in the back!  Someone put an egg ridiculously high in a tree.  (My guess would be Damon with his freakishly long arms!) Nick could NOT get the egg to save his life, so my mom marched out to lift him up to get it.... Y'all this picture does not even do justice to how funny it was to watch!

Of course, Amy, forever the cheerleader, was like, C'mon, lets get this boy up there! The bucket toss grasp came back and up Nick went! 

It was hysterical watching the babies hunt eggs... Their different little personalities come out!  Ivy is on a mission... she doesn't care about anything other than getting as many as she can in her basket.  Mitchell will only pick up dark blue eggs.  Brie and Sidney shout out to the others if they find an egg in the others favorite color.  Luke just does his own thing and is perfectly content.

Egg Hunt with the Little Ones

More Eggs!

(This old generator is part of my dad's 40 year jeep rebuild project... The kids love to play with it pretending they are working on it!)

And no Easter would be complete without our friend, Mrs. Sandy's, Easter Bunny cookie.  I have to say I am glad that this year the babies ate most of it instead of me like in the past years!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!!