A Beautiful Easter

I had to laugh when I opened up my blog and saw the title of my last blog post. There was no snow to be seen. In fact Easter in the Pacific Northwest usually requires rain boots and this year we had SUN! It was a beautiful day. Couldn't be better, in fact! I worked really hard to make it nice and be well prepared, since we are so busy, it is often really hard to pull it all together. Of course it wouldn't be a holiday (for us anyway) without working the night before into the early AM. But it's worth all the effort. My kids love the holidays and they are growing up fast and it won't last forever now that Evie is nearly a teenager. Plus it was nice to be able to make use of our beautiful yard for the enjoyment of our family. It makes the hours spent working in it feel more worthwhile when it gets used.

I feel like I owe you some pictures, so get ready, here they come.

When the kids woke us up at the appointed time (we agreed the night before) we opened the curtain to find Ainsley sitting up in bed. She needs help being disconnected from her equipment. I sure wish she could talk so we could hear what she thinks about all of it.

 

Based on her expressions though I'd say she was very excited.

Evie and Adrian still love to sleep together on non-school nights, so the Easter bunny set their baskets side by side in Adrian's room. I was pretty impressed that the kids didn't mess them up before I got up and took a picture.

It's our tradition that they "open" their baskets in our bedroom while we have coffee.

Blowing bubbles. Check out Ainsley's sucker bouquet. There are 5 flower shaped suckers wrapped together. So cute! And it's something she can actually eat.

This bumble bee spins and I swear it feels like a buzzing bee.

Evie using Adrian as a human drum to play a song.

Moustache silliness.

Adrian making a top hat from his Easter egg collection bucket.

My favorite springtime vase, little rubber rain boots.

The tablecloths I searched everywhere for. Since Ainsley had been sick the stores were way picked over by the time I could go shopping, and they didn't have the sizes I needed. (Believe me, I checked every single store.) I was lucky to find these even though they are a wee bit too small and likely won't fit after they're washed. I REALLY hope this is the last holiday I need table linens for.

I had people bring desserts so I never got a better shot later after the rest were put out (and after the plastic was taken off) since it was so busy. Shoot. Would've made a great shot. Oh well.

 

These Beatrix Potter figurines are usually in Ainsley's bedroom on a shelf but I thought it would be nice to bring them out for the holiday. I inherited them from my mother. They are quite old.

I mixed up the cheesey potatoes real quick before we started the egg hunt so I could put them in the oven as soon as we finished. Nobody ever goes hungry at my house. EVER.

 

The kids filled 120 or so eggs earlier in the week. The adults hid them with instructions not to make it too easy. I think they had a lot of fun and found some great hiding spots. I suspect we'll be finding eggs throughout the year.

The kids ran around so quickly it was tough to get shots of the egg hunt, and since we hid them all over the yard I practically had to hunt for the kids to get my pictures (we have 3/4 of an acre).

Adrian made me nervous climbing on stuff. The poor kid had a collision at school last week and got a very badly swollen cheek which then turned into a black eye. It was bad enough we thought it might be fractured and I had to pick him up from school and take him directly to urgent care. This was the day before he perfomed a leading part in the school musical, of course. Then Easter morning he slipped on the stone path and did a total faceplant, hitting his forehead on the stone and getting a scrape over the other eye. He was so excited this year. I kept telling him not to run or climb on things. Sure enough later in the day he fell again, and hit the back of his head.  He was a mess on all sides of his head. But he's doing better and made it through the rest of the week without getting hurt.

We set eggs on the patio for Ainsley. Grandma and Grandpa helped her find them and place them in her basket. They had a great time.

I love this picture of Evie bounding through the yard dropping eggs as she goes.

 

We made the kids save this one for Ainsley. It turned out she wasn't content to stay on the patio and she did make her way out into the yard in her walker. I didn't get any great shots though. I was trying to do too much so I missed my photo opps.

The cousins (minus two that didn't make it).

One of the aunts was nice enough to take this shot of our family. Finally I have a nice photo of all 5 of us. Though I have to say I don't look like me, wearing colors and not black.

Afte dinner, during dessert Evie performed on her guitar. I'm so proud of her for being willing to get up in front of a group to play at her young age of 12. I know I can't sing and play guitar at the same time plus I would be too embarrassed. So I think it's great!

 

It was a long tiring day for me as the host. Bless Steve, the kids were begging to dye eggs and he did it. (I'd boiled them the night before after the kids went to sleep.). By the end of a long week and day my feet were killing me so I had to sit.

 

 

Ainsley is able to participate (with a little help) and she loves doing this stuff too.

 

***

Just in case you need proof of how quickly time passes here are some photos of Easter's past.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

2004

This was the year the Bunny visited. Evie was scared. It was Adrian's first Easter. He was cheek pinching cute. I wish I'd thought to get a shot of the two kids together.

2005

They really did have fun even if they look miserable in this photo with grandma.

2006

This was the year Ainsley was born (her birthday's in October). Change was coming and I had no idea. That's the thing about life you never realize how good you had it until things get harder. This year Evie's doll Isabella had an identical matching dress. It was so cute. I wish I could still find those dresses that come with a free matching doll dress, especially in big girl sizes. It's crazy to think Ainsley is now too big to wear this dress.

2007

This was Ainsley's First Easter and I really wish I'd taken a group shot but I didn't. Times were tough then. I remember I barely had time to get Evie a dress so I picked this one up even though it was far more formal than necessary (people here are more casual than in other parts) because I didn't have the opportunity to find something else. I had very limited nursing time then and Ainsley required a lot of care.

2008

Could Ainsley really be only 1 1/2 here? She looks so much older. Well she had been through a lot. She was so close to standing then and needed just a bit of support (We did therapy at a birth to three center.) and I thought she'd be standing independently soon, so we tried to prop her up for the picture.

2009

Ainsley got her walker when she was not yet 3. The sling seat made it safe for her to use even it doesn't make for a cute Easter look.

2010

Dang it why didn't we think to get the Safeway bags out of the picture?! Sigh.

2012

Ainsley's still not standing but I got wise and sat her down for the picture and it made for a better shot.

 

2013

It's turned out that I look at Easter as an opportunity to get a good group shot of my kids, even though the lighting is never ideal (shadowy yards). Surprisingly I didn't freak out when I knew Adrian's injuries would show. I figured I could correct them in my editing software but honestly you have to look close to see his scrapes and bruises. Pretty funny. So I'm glad I didn't get all stressed.

 

***

 

I also wanted to share this sign of progress. Ainsley used to be terribly afraid of all animinatronics.

This is her, deathly afraid of the chick who does the chicken dance, seen in the photos below.

Adrian my sweety. Cheering her up in the way only he can, after the incident of terror.

Ainsley this year with said chick.  She can't get enough of this thing. Notice her eye is wide open (Aside from that it was made surgically too small.) Pretty cool huh? She can use that sling when she wants to so I guess that makes it a success of sorts. She is nearly a year out from the surgery and I suspect things are finally stabilizing. It takes a long time to recover from surgery. I remember my c-section scars pulled every time I got out of bed for about 3 years More on that (the eyes) another time.

I'm wiped and ready for a break. It's my birthday this weekend and I just want to take it easy.   I spent a day in the yard with the gardeners this week and something happend to my foot after being on them too much and I'm limping around today. It's a good excuse, anyway, to stay off my feet. We also start spring break today so when I get back from Ainsley's therapy this afternoon we're due for some family time. Steve has been home for a week or so and it really makes such a huge difference. I'm going to try to enjoy it while it lasts.  Have a great weekend my friends!