A Happy Easter

We had a very happy Easter on a glorious spring day! All the little cousins were together (the 3 "big boy" cousins were absent, as was Ava, but only because she lives in CA).

I love how much the cousins love each other! They are so joyous when they are reunited! Whooping, and laughing, and running, and playing, and not wasting a second of their time together. It's wonderful. Teagan watched them departing at the end of the day with tears in her eyes says, "I don't want the cousins to go! I want them to stay! Why are they all leaving at the same time?" Heart break.

How cute are these two?!?

These beautiful girls can hold their own against all those boy cousins!

Along came Peter Cottontail!

Hello Cousin!

But in between the arrivals and departures, there was the joy! And not just for the cousins, but for all the siblings. And spouses. Another thing I love is that all the "in-laws" get along so well. I glanced up during the meal prayer to see all the guys holding hands or having their arms slung about each other's shoulders. They aren't just "in-laws"--they're friends.

We had a fabulous day full of  warm sunshine, fine food, laughter, and fun...and eggs!

A basket of eggs!!! Cool!!!

Sooo...what do I with them??

Hunt them of course!!!

First you fill a couple hundred eggs...

Then you hide them anywhere you can...and set the kids lose:

Did anyone besides Dante find any eggs you ask? Well, just a few....

Lately when you tell Teag to smile, you get a smile like this. :-)

Then the carnage begins: cracking open those eggs~finding toys, candy, money! Fun, fun, fun!

Teagan, who has no idea what money is, got the one and only $5 egg.

Did the kids have a good time? If Cooper is any proof, then, yes, I think they did:

This was under the vest:

As for Teagan, she ate nothing but bacon and chocolate all day! That's a great day, in any book! After cracking open the eggs, it was time to hang out some more, eat some more fabulous food, watch the kids play, and maybe do some playing ourselves...or just kick back and enjoy the sun!

A good nap and a cuddle with Papa Tom or Gramma Sue was how Teagan spent part of the afternoon...despite cousins running about and grown ups laughing and talking all around her. Those must have been good snuggles!!

I feel so very blessed to be part of this large, happy group of family and friends! Hope everyone was blessed to have even a fraction as happy a holiday as we did!

And in the midst of it all, may we always remember the true reason behind the joy and celebration of this:

Three Crosses on a Hill...

And One Gloriously Empty Tomb...

For Our Lord is Risen!