Candied Out

Well, Happy Easter everyone  ...

A two-year old's delight - a mountain of candy and a grandpa to make sure a little sampling here and there is in order.

After 2 1/2 hours, and putting all the larger pieces of candy aside for dumping on the ground without an egg shell, the mountain was finally whittled down to this.   Eric was a trooper all the way through, excited to be able to help fill the eggs.   At one point he did try to swim in the large pile, however.  But in spite of it being way past his bedtime, he did really great helping with this project.  

This was the payoff.  Because Tonya was willing to volunteer to take over the egg hunt for their HOA this year, it happened.  And Eric got to enjoy it as much as anyone.

Especially when it was all over and he got his reward!

Saturday afternoon found us at Mike and Makinzee's to celebrate Lilly's First Birthday and enjoy another egg hunt, this time with all the local grandchildren.

Is this an adorable cake or what?  Almost as adorable as the birthday girl, even.   Happy Birthday, Lilly!

I had the wrong lens on for this, and it ended up being really close up, but I love it,  love the smiles, Cheeto faces and all!  Lilly was really ready for a nap, but the kids couldn't stand waiting for her to open up her presents.  So with a whole lot of their help, she discovered the joys of ripping off paper...

Lilly meeting Luke, um er Luke meeting Lilly?  Hi, Cuz...  (yes, he did scratch his face - ouch)

 Birthday party went on hold while Lilly got her afternoon nap.   Now it was time for the Easter Egg hunt!  Makinzee put all the eggs their family had gathered earlier in the day at Smiths into the mix, and so their ended up being a whole lot of eggs decorating the backyard.  Just wondering, what would it take to motivate children to pick up their toys as fast as these kids gathered the eggs and candy?

Tallying up the loot!  Fun Day!

Let's see - where was everyone else?  Leslie was there, but I didn't think she would want me posting the only photo I got of her  (sorry, Leslie, it really didn't turn out - we MUST schedule a photo session for you to show off your fabulous successes!).    Bill was working.  Ashlyn was sick, so Stephanie kept her home and Kamryn and Karsyn rode up with us.  Of course, Sean's family was busy with activities in Maryland and couldn't quite make it.  Dan was working ... in Tennessee.   Brian was taking a test.  And Heather?   She misread the invitation.  Thinking the party was on Sunday, she was busy getting her grocery shopping finished and had left her phone home.   But we had a great time with everyone who could come.

Sunday, Brent and I were delighted to have Heather join us for dinner.  Everyone else was busy with in-law parties and other activities, so we had a quiet dinner of salmon and asparagus and it was good to visit with Heather and spend some time one-on-one with her.  Enjoyed earlier visits by telephone with Sean and his family, and with Dan.

Both Brent and I got to teach lessons in church on Sunday.   It was a great opportunity to ponder about the meaning of Easter, to think of the sacrifice Christ made and of His Atonement, and the blessed importance of that singular event on our lives today.  And what we can do to, with His help,  become the kind of people Jesus wants us to be. 

Happy Easter!

Other Photos from March can be found here.