It's Easter Time, it's Easter time....

Oh, how I love the springtime and the Easter holiday!  It may be because Spring Break is here and that usually means warmer weather, playing outside, and no schedules!  It wasn't quite like that this year but we still had a great Easter and Spring Break!  The weekend before Easter, Jared and a few of his buddies signed up to run in the 1775 Marine Corp Race at Quantico, so you know what that means....ROAD TRIP!  My children were ecstatic, of course, because they got to go see their cousins in Virginia for the weekend!  We packed up the little bodies and headed south for some warmer weather and good times.  Unfortunately, Max got a pretty bad cold and cough and was running a fever, which almost made us stay home, but he was a trooper and stayed the course. 

We sent Jared off to run his race EARLY Saturday morning, and due to the Max's fever, he had to go alone.  We cheered him on as he ran out the door and drove away.  He has trained hard to run this 11.5 mile run - nearly a half marathon - and I must say, he did pretty well for not being a runner!  Way to go Daddy!

After his morning of running he returned to Christian and Emily's to find cousins having a ball playing basketball, jumping on the trampoline, arts and crafts, and playing games.

Spencer, Maren, and Max

Kate made quite the art project with all the things she could find outside.  I must say, she is quite the artist!

 Then it was time for the egg hunt!  It was great to come again for Easter time and hang out with our cousins for two years in a row!  The daddy's hid the eggs, making them harder for some than others, while the kids anxiously awaited the hunt.  Then we set them loose.....

Lizzie

 Lane

 Maren

 Kate

 Cole

 Spencer - he challenged us to hide them hard for him this year, and we did!  Christian got so tricky as to hide one egg under a soccor ball that was sitting over this little hole in the lawn.  We kept trying to hint to Spencer that he needed to clean up the balls but he just didn't get the hint and kept telling us that he would as soon as he was done hunting for eggs!  Oh, we got a good laugh!  Thanks, Spencer!

 Jared, Lizzie, and Carson

 A bunch of good eggs

 Carson - finding his lucky egg with money in it!

 Max - he just liked holding the eggs and shaking them.  The chocolate was the bonus!

 All the cousins together....they had so much fun!

 We even managed a trip to the American Girl Doll store, which is literally 10 minutes away from their house, and took the girls for a night out with their dolls.  Morgan got her doll's ears pierced and Kate got some hangers and picked out new earrings for her doll.  They were so excited and loved the late night girls night out!

 We were sad to say good-bye to the Parkers, but hopefully we'll be able to make one more trip down before we head home this summer.  We were bummed that we missed the cherry blossoms by only a week or so.  So close, and yet, so far!

Alas, we headed home, had four days of school and then Spring Break here we come!

This is how the kids spent a lot of their mornings.....they were in heaven....pj's and electronics.  Every kid's dream!

 We had many lazy days, which the kids loved, and playing with friends.  Cole had basketball camp everyday, which they worked him over, but he loved it and is dying for a basketball hoop.

And once afternoon we even dyed eggs to get ready for Easter Sunday.

 

 And on Easter, since church was at 9 a.m., we had them get partly ready for church and then sent them hunting for their baskets.  They were excited to eat chocolate for breakfast, read new books, and look forward to a new swimsuit this year!

 

 

 

 We tried for a family picture, but this was the best we got this year.  It was a little on the chilly side still, but we didn't let that stop us from wearing our spring colors!

 Love my girls!

 Love my boys!

 And then, there's the feast....Ham, cornflake potatoes, carrots, rolls, and sparkling cider. Yum!

 And what would Easter be without a little cake?

 That night, as the kids settled in for a little FHE, Cole had given Max some chocolate candies earlier in the day.  I think Max realized what it was he was eating, found his own "carrot" and liked them so much, he couldn't wait for the wrapper to be undone.  A child after my own heart.

Each year, I am so very grateful that Easter comes and forces me to really focus on the Savior, his life and his sacrifice he made for all of us.  It causes me to reflect as to why we are here, what I am supposed to be doing with my life, and why I love my family so much - even when my children drive me crazy.  They are the best blessing in my life, and my life would be so empty without them.  Happy Easter, my little loves.