Happy Easter!

We all got ready and headed up to Highland Village for Meeting. After a very fulfilling Sunday Meeting we quickly headed back home so we could be home for Judy, who was joining us along with Megan and Ryan. This year we stuck close to prior Easter menus, including Honey Baked Ham, the yummy potatoes au gratin made in the slow cooker and the apple feta spinach salad which is one of my favorites. This year we tried a new balsamic roast carrot recipe, which was very good and Megan made delicious herbed croissant rolls. Lunch was delicious and is always one of my very favorite meals of the year. It's also fun to have everyone at our table and to visit with Judy, Megan and Ryan. Just fun and easy people to spend time with for Easter, or any other time.

After our delicious meal, we cleaned up and Marco, Stacy and their boys came over for dessert and an Easter egg hunt. Marco and Stacy brought a beautiful chocolate cake along with over 100 plastic Easter eggs to hide in our backyard! CK and Marco spent the next 20 minutes hiding the plastic Easter eggs in our backyard while the kids tried not to peak! After they were all hidden, which included some remarks from CK about there being "too many eggs," the kids were ready to hunt! Given that Sofia is now a 6th grader, I wasn't sure if she would want to hunt Easter eggs with "the little kids," but she was totally onboard. We let Luca get a few minutes head-start and then released Antonio, Olivia and Sofia to search. The eggs were everywhere and the kids had a ball picking them up as quickly as they could and then really had to search for them once they became more scarce. Even with four sets of eyes searching for Easter eggs, I knew I would be finding them for days and maybe weeks after today!

After the egg hunt, the kids went through their eggs, finding candy, toys and even money. I think Sofia and Olivia actually enjoy searching for the eggs more than actually finding out what is inside, although, they both love the little Twix bars. We all had dessert, which included the lovely chocolate cake that Marco and Stacy brought along with carrot cake and vanilla ice cream. I had made a lemon bundt cake the day before, but it ended up being a big disaster and I threw it away. It actually tasted fine, but looked terrible. Too bad! The carrot cake and chocolate cakes were amazing and it was a great end to a perfect Easter. After our guests headed home, we changed and relaxed. A nap may have been taken by soon too! Happy Easter!

The four of us before Meeting!

Sofia and Olivia

Such sweet Easter sisters

The Lee Gang

Love this picture!

Our dining room table all set for Easter!

One of the table setting.

Our Easter Menu

Four kids excited to hunt eggs!

Sofia on the hunt!

Olivia on the hunt!

Four happy egg hunters!

Grandma with her girls.

Sofia going through her eggs.

Dessert with one of their favorite people, Megan.

Yummy Easter candy.

Easter Baskets!

The girls must have been excited to explore their Easter baskets - Sofia was awake and downstairs by 6:45am with Olivia following shortly behind her. The girls loved all their goodies and enjoyed exploring all the items and, of course, the candy. Sofia got some cute character socks and a pretty dress, gel markers, Peeps, the See's chocolate eggs that have a white chocolate chick inside, and a chocolate bunny. Olivia's basket included a few new Geronimo Stilton books, two shorts and workout tops for soccer and gel markers and the same chocolate candy and bunny. They loved all their goodies. Also, Grandpa and Grandma gave the girls each a little basket of goodies, including bunny ears, a cute notepad and pen, a Hatcnhimal and candy! So sweet! The girls loved it all! They spend their morning going through all their new goodies and playing together before it was time to go to Meeting.

Sofia's Easter Basket

Sofia going through her things

Olivia's Easter Basket

New Geronimo Stilton Books!

Checking out her candy

The girls with their new bunny ears and basket from Grandpa and Grandma

With Grandma

Our two bunnies playing with their goodies.

Dying Easter Eggs

We FINALLY dyed Easter Eggs today! It's either been too cold to do it or we've been busy, but today was actually the perfect day to color some eggs. Olivia had a soccer game in the morning, so that afternoon they changed into grubby clothes and we set outside and they worked on their eggs. They each had 18 eggs to color and they are very different in how they go about it. Olivia is pretty quick and has several eggs in different colors at the same time. Sofia is slow and very methodical about what color each one has to be and makes sure that they are each the right shade before she removes them and lets them dry. So, Olivia was done awhile before Sofia. They both had a great time and of course, Sofia made up stories while they worked. They were done in about an hour and we put them all together in a bowl so we could enjoy them for Easter. Such a fun tradition and I love that the girls both enjoying dying eggs each year!

Olivia's first egg!

Sofia's first egg!

The girls are very focused on their task!

Love how much fun they are having.

Sofia writing her name with the wax crayon.

Olivia and the wax crayon.

Olivia prefers to use her fingers which stain them for days!

Sofia working on her eggs.

Olivia and her finished eggs.

Olivia and her very favorite egg.

Sofia and her eggs.

Sofia's favorite egg.

The finished eggs! They are so colorful!

The eggs are all ready for Easter!