This is for you Dad

**major Easter catch-up**  lots of pics and it's pretty wordy...  just don't say I didn't warn 'ya ;)
Ay, caramba!!!  I can't believe it's been soo long since I've posted.  What a slacker!!  Instead of posting the usual excuses like being too busy, (but I have!!)  I'll admit that I've become an avid Pinterest junkie.  If you haven't checked it out yet, do it...and then let me know and I'll follow you and feed my addiction a bit more. ;)  I made a promise to my dear 'ol dad this Easter that I would post soon.  I know this isn't soon enough...but we won't go into that. 

Elle-Bell showing off her pretty butterfly

Miracles do exist...Ella sitting on E.B.'s lap

We started our Easter weekend with a egg-stravaganza at the Fairgrounds with a community egg hunt and activities.  Ella had the most fun with the activities, I believe.  She got her faced painted and actually sat on the Easter Bunny's lap for a picture.  Most of you might think, "Sure, what child wouldn't want a fun opportunity like that?!".  Well friend, let me share, not my daughter.  You could've nearly knocked me over with a feather when I asked her if she wanted to get a picture with the Easter Bunny and she said yes.  I naturally had to press my luck and ask the boys if they would have a group pic with the furry friend.   They naturally declined.  Greyson is like Ella when it comes to furry strangers and Cooper was quite preoccupied with not appearing too "babyish", especially when he spied one of his frienemies  from school.  Don't know what a frienemy is...go ask a teenage girl (they're especially good at it).  When it finally came time for the actual egg hunts we were prepared.  We learned from last year to make sure you get a good enough starting spot, then we determined the best way to get the maximum amount of eggs was to stay in one spot and just load up your basket.  When we unloaded all of the loot the kids were a bit disappointed with the loads of Tootsie Rolls Ella brought in.  Greyson turned the tables back in our favor with gobs of free kid's meal coupons.  (he must of hit a coupon filled egg pile to load up on)  Our above theories are not an exact science.  Then, Cooper brought it home with a good mixture of candy, coupons and the lucky egg.  There were two eggs per age group that were "lucky" and you could go and pick up a filled Easter basket if you found one.  Cooper was lucky enough to find one of the two.  Lucky day, for sure.  He was thrilled and was even able to show his frienemy the loot.  Very cool in the fourth grade dept.
The kids were excited to come home that evening and decorate eggs in preparation for Easter Sunday.

When they woke up the next morning we found that the East Bunny left them too much candy this year.  I really don't know what he was thinking.  We're still trying to dig out from under it.  After church Phillip and I took the kids to a botanical garden that they have in town.  It's really beautiful and so much fun to drive by.  I promised, promised the kids that I would only take a couple of shots of each of them and leave it at that.  If you know me, and my kids surely do, taking pictures is like the saying "after one, you just can't stop".  I managed, although difficult, to hold up my end of the deal.  In return they were excellent when it was their turn to take pictures.  Here are a few of the shots that I got. 

Pictures of me are like getting a picture of Big Foot.  I'm not sure they exist all that often.  In my family, if I want a picture of myself I actually have to ask Phillip to take it.  How embarrassing is that?  If I want our family history documented at all on camera I have to be the one to do it.  Poor, poor Phillip doesn't even consider taking the camera to things...or even events like, ohhhh Christmas.

Phillip took this pic w/o me knowing.  He thought it was cute I was doing the "Mommy thing" getting Ella's hair ready.  I thought it was pretty cute Ella was smiling...

All three kiddos.  Ahhh, I love those kids.

After we got the kiddos pic's shot we went home.  The Easter Bunny surprised the kids by hiding the Easter eggs outside for the first time...ever.  Phillip and I were making dinner when the Easter Bunny made his untimely appearance.  We were trying to get Easter dinner on the table, but the kids wanted to go search out the eggs...pronto.  I was afraid if we went outside and looked for eggs the rolls would burn, etc.  So, we waited much to my kids' chagrin.  They were extremely concerned about our mini schnauzer, Henry, eating the eggs.  I saw that there were eggs on the patio and saw the Henry was paying them no mind, so I told the kids that probably Henry didn't even realize that they were there.  I should've listen to my kids.  When the time came to find the eggs, we realized that there weren't that many to find.  Eggs that should've been in places weren't there.  I looked on the patio where I had originally seen eggs and they were nowhere to be found.  We started investigating things a bit further to see egg shells where eggs used to be.  Sure enough, Henry had, we figured, ate 6-8 hard boiled Easter eggs.  No good.  The kids were pretty upset with their nay-saying mother.  I was pretty irritated at the dog.

Ella, in the above picture, is giving it to Henry for eating our Easter eggs.  I can tell he's real concerned about it.  Well, that about wraps up our Easter festivities.  Oh, one more thing before I go...  This year we weren't able to be with family for Easter.  Sad.  We really missed our family.  But...we figured some of our traditions had to go on whether or not we were with our own little family or with all of our extended family.  So, Phillip and I tried to make all the family favorites for Easter dinner.  You know, ham, rolls, twice baked potatoes, I even made Phillip's very favorite pie (which happened to look a little like brain matter.... word to the wise, don't try to make something that is naturally yellow turn pink--it doesn't work).  You know what happened??  Phillip and I worked like crazy people for a couple hours at least, making this "feast".  We sat down, my kids picked at a couple of things and asked to go.  Seriously?!!  Phillip and I just looked at each other across the table in astonishment.  Honestly, if we really thought about it...what did we think was going to happen??  Our kids would want to sit for an extended amount of time, witty chatter abounding all the while gracing Phillip and me with their compliments and thanks for all the hard work that went into making the holiday it was??  Uhhhh, nope.  At least not my kids.  Maybe we'll have better luck next year...or more realistically in about 10-15 years.
I hope you all had a blessed Easter holiday.  Here's to hopin' I'll have another post soon...right, Dad?? ;)