Easter

I love Easter! I have so many fond memories of Easter as a child. We had some great family traditions and I have looked forward to starting them with my children. I was a little worried this year but in the end it was fantastic! Ethan was out of town with his mom and so I didn't think I would get a chance to do an Easter egg hunt. (I know I could do it with just Emily but I knew it would be more fun with at least two.) And then Sunday morning, I got Emily and Collin all dressed and looking cute. I was so exctied to get a picture. Then the screaming and crying from both children started. Landon was already at church for an early meeting. Instead of a picture I figured the safe thing to do was take them to church where their was witnesses.... :) At church Emily was given a red sucker.... need I say more. So Easter pictures will be done when I wash her dress and Collin's outfit (which he puked all over when the screaming started.)

Saturday my landlord had called and asked if it would be okay if she put on an Easter egg hunt for Emily and her daughter Carissa on Sunday. We accepted the invitation and Sunday afternoon Meranda, their older daughter, put out LOTS of plastic eggs all over the yard. Emily and I walked up to their house (we live behind their house). Emily ran up calling our, "Rissa, Rissa." It was really cute. I didn't even know she could say Carissa's name. The two were so cute. I couldn't believe how quickly they picked it up. Nicki spoiled them so much and she even let Emily keep the majority of the eggs because she found more. (Like she needed the chocolate) :)

Emily and Carissa
(Carissa is 8 months older than Emily. She has Downs Syndrome and is SOOOO Adorable.)

After the Easter hunt we went to my parents for a family Easter dinner. It was a lot of fun and the time went by so fast. Emily was so proud to show her Grandma all the eggs. We were so busy getting dinner on the table we didn't notice Emily in the living room. She had very quietly opened all the plastic eggs, dumped out the chocolate and gum balls on to the floor, and promptly ate all the chocolate! We only noticed her when she started coming into the kitchen to fill the eggs with cat food. Its a good thing my mom has a sense of humour because there was cat food all over the living room. Needless to say we couldn't get Emily to eat any dinner because she was full. She has a tummy ache by the time bed time rolled around. She was so hyper at my parents and then she basically passed out when she got home.

On Monday morning my friend Cindy called and we made plans to have her meet me at my mom's house so our kids could decorate eggs together. (Her son Greyden is four months older than Emily.) I decided to plan a little Easter egg hunt for the two of them. I also picked up the ingredients for edible Easter "nests" for a little treat from the Easter bunny. My mom and I headed into town and took advantage of the 50% off Easter sales. Candy was a steal! I found some "stackable" Easter bunnies as a little toy for the nests. Emily and Greyden had a blast! They loved putting the eggs in the dye. They were more excited when I told them they could go help my mom in the garden while the eggs dried. My mom got them each a gardening tool and they were right in there helping. It was really cute. I quickly made up the edible nests, gave them each a couple of chocolate eggs, a package of little oatmeal cookies, a juice box and their stacking bunnies. While the two kids were playing on my parents fort (which I didn't know that Emily went down the slide by herself until today) Cindy and I hid the eggs in the front yard. They were so cute while they searched for the eggs. They went everywhere together. If we called out one of their names to point out an egg, they would both come. They'd point them out to each other. After finding all the eggs they went into the house and were so excited about their nests. I had put one together for Greyden's older sister, Emily, so we had to keep the kids out of it. It was an absolutely perfect day!