Easter - Yes in May!

No, Easter is not in May.  Yes, my Easter blog is in May.  I've been thinking about putting something up here for weeks, but work, the salon, and regular life is just getting in my way.  Oh to have time to myself!  Or just to work out!  :)

So this was Lindsay's first Easter that she really had any kind of clue what was going on at all.  We kinda begin the celebrations on Saturday morning with our church family with a potluck and Easter egg hunt.  You will notice the eggs are in a large empty field.  This works perfectly for the younger and older kids, but for completely separate and opposing reasons.  It's perfect for younger children because they can see the eggs, run to the eggs, and find the eggs with little to no effort.  It works just as perfectly for the older children, because they can put mass amounts of eggs in the baskets while thinking they are getting more eggs than anyone else!  Success on all parts!  [Pictures to be posted when I get home-la!]

Here's Laney in front of the large field of eggs

Laney knows all about how to get this done.  Lindsay is only moral support at this point

Lindsay was really funny about the entire egg hunt thing.  She of course did not egg hunt last year and didn't quite know what to do.  It literally only took one single egg for her to catch on though.  After we showed her the first egg on the ground had candy inside, she dropped the basket and ran around collecting armfuls of eggs and CANDY (as she says).  She would dump the armful of eggs in her basket held by mom, and run out to pick up another armful.  She would carry about 4-5 eggs in a swipe, so she clearly meant business in gaining eggs away from the competition.  Daddy was nice enough to take pictures while mom encouraged and just held the basket.  We really were not needed in the candy expedition, and mostly just got in the way.

Here's Lindsay scooping up handfuls of eggs at a time

Now she's showing off the CANDY inside the eggs

Candy break of course

We shove the entire piece of candy in - less chance for crumbs this way

I think she's enjoying it, don't you?

Pleased with herself I must say. This Easter business is not too shabby!

Laney liked the egg hunt, even though it was simplistic for her.  She collected her assigned number of eggs and reunited with us to return to our breakfast area.  Both girls began munching down their sweet treasures almost right away.  After about six pieces of candy, I stopped both girls and told them more would come after lunch.  As you can see from Lindsay's picture, the first is when Daddy tells her Mama said no more candy, and the second is when she comes to me to appeal for mercy.  She was heartbroken!

Here's Lindsay asking dad for more...

And here she is appealing to me, after daddy told her mama said NO

We spent the rest of Saturday at Arlin's aunt's house.  It's rather a family compound, as his cousins (3 of them, plus their parents) and their families live on the same street.  Laney and Lindsay loved spending time with all the little girl cousins (and one boy cousin).  We had a small egg hunt there too and petted the rabbits, fed the fish, played with the cousins.  We came home exhausted and went straight to bed in our clothes.  (As you can see from our first thing in the morning picture with our baskets).  The girls loved their baskets and I'm happy to say the Easter Bunny did not buy but a few pieces of candy for the baskets.  The girls loved their special cups, their jump ropes, kites, and toys.

Easter afternoon we ate ham and the standard holiday meal (sigh - so boring, something more exciting next year!).  And we (and by we, I mean Angela) put together a scavenger hunt for the 3 older children.  They loved reading the clues and finding little surprises for them in each location.  I have to say it was a huge success, so way to go Angela!  It was a happy day all around. I am positive Lindsay absolutely loves the idea of Easter because she knows there is candy in those little eggs.  We hid eggs around the house for about 2 weeks after the holiday.  Each and every time she would find an egg she would make a little "Aha!" noise and tell you how she found it.  So cute.  Every once in a while she will still scream out Happy Easter!, so I know she's a fan and will be ready for Easter next year just as soon as it comes.

Now if only mom can be ready in time, since this year we never seemed to find time to dye the eggs or put together our foam egg craft kit, tie the holiday back into the teachings of the Savior (we did a little with Laney), and making something really fabulous other than ham to eat...  Oh well, good intentions right?  :)

Here's a picture of me and Arlin just because we don't have the many pictures together