Going into Easter this year, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It was the first major holiday we’d be celebrating as a family without my father-in-law with us, and I think it left us all a little unsettled and sad. But just as he always seems to do, Lucas helped so much in making the holiday a great one.
On Friday night, Jay and I colored some Easter eggs with Lucas and we talked about how we’d be hiding them for the Easter bunny. From there on out, it was all talk about the Easter bunny coming to hide eggs and “get presents.” Oh boy.
He had a blast dropping the eggs into the dye, but didn’t really want anything to do with decorating them and was quite upset when we had no more eggs left to color.
So I went ahead and decorated them myself. I know…such an artist, right?
On Sunday morning, we all awoke to a visit from the Easter bunny! Who, surprise surprise, hid all sorts of eggs all over the house.
Jay and I joked because almost every when we were growing up, both of our parents wound up hiding eggs and would then sit back and say, “hmmm, I’m pretty sure there’s one/two/three more…I just can’t remember where?!” Can anyone else relate?!
Thankfully, our “hiding places” still need to be fairly easy, so we managed to retrieve all of our eggs with no problem, thanks to our little eagle eye.
The bunny left him his Easter basket, his new bike and a helmet, and plenty of eggs filled with either m&m’s or “monies,” as Lucas called them.
(“Mom, two monies!”)
After our morning at home, we got dressed and ready to head over to Jay’s aunt’s house for an egg hunt and a delicious brunch that she puts together every year.
They do a great job of separating the yard into the “big kids” area and the “little kids” area, so that they all have a good opportunity to find some goodies.
I think somebody must have been practicing in the off-season because he was cleaning up the place! I mean, his mom wasn’t helping him find any or anything…
All the kiddos with their bags of eggs and goodies <3
Lucas was quite excited, if you couldn’t already tell.
And while it was still a little chilly while we were egg hunting, the sun came out again after we all ate brunch and the adults all enjoyed some sunshine and catching up outside while the little ones ran around the yard.
Our little family just makes my heart so full!
After brunch, we headed back to our house. We were hosting dinner and we also planned to use as much of the afternoon as possible to work on building the swing set that my parents got us when we moved into the house.
The project is a beast; and after about 4 hours of at least 2-3 people working on it at a time, I’d say that we’re all probably about half way there. Talk about a job!
Luckily it was nice out though, and we all took turns working on the project or playing around the yard/neighborhood with Lucas.
And also enjoying some snacks ‘al fresco’ before it was time to eat.
But eventually, it WAS dinner time, and we had quite a delicious spread thanks to everyone!
Turkey, ham (from The Honey Baked Ham Store – SO good!), cheesy potatoes, stuffing, roasted asparagus, and dinner rolls.
And, of course, you can’t forget about dessert! My MIL made some delicious chocolate chip cookies, and I made both a batch of mini cheesecakes and THIS incredible trifle dessert.
The recipe calls for blueberries, but we’re all big strawberry fans over here, so I just subbed in the strawberries and it was AMAZING. Like, seriously, I think I’m going to go get another helping before I go to bed tonight. So good!
And before we knew it, it was time to put Lucas to bed and call it a night. It was a long and busy day, but I think it helped having so much going on to keep us busy, and in the end, it was a really great day. It’s still sad knowing that we’re missing one incredibly important person at these holidays to come, but he’ll always be here with us in spirit and we still have so much to be thankful for.
And next year, there will even be another special boy added into the mix. <3
How was everyone’s holiday weekend? What were some of the major highlights for you?!?
Brynn says
Laughing so hard that Lucas must have been practicing in the off season! Haha. We had a gorgeous weekend that involved lots of eggs, family and food. One to remember for sure!
Marina @ Snackie Bird says
Oh, I think eggs hunting is really fun tradition!
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says
Coloring Easter eggs and hiding them is such fun! Have so many fond memories of egg hunts even as I got older. My boyfriend, Scott, and I still make a point to color eggs. Such great pictures!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona says
I always had so much fun decorating eggs as a kid. I remember one Easter my grandparents were visiting and I did it with my grandma. Sounds like you guys had lots of fun.
Julie says
Yes, it is especially hard that 1st year after a loved one dies to miss them at the holiday celebrations. The babies are always such a huge spirit-raiser though. Looks like Lucas had a blast! I had forgotten how much fun those early Easter egg hunts are (my daughter is 16). Good luck on finishing that swing set…good thing you have a handy hubby & a some great family willing to help.
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Cute family pics!!! it really is all about the kids egg hunt, love it! Oh to be a kid again, living vicariously through my niece and nephew :)
Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers says
That’s a great family photo! And I want to dive right into that trifle; those one some of my favorite desserts. Mmmmmm!
Egg dying, hiding, and hunting with my little man was fun. Holidays with kids are pretty awesome!
Katy @ Savor Life's Flavors says
We hosted Easter brunch for the first time this year which was exciting. I tried out a new recipe that is now going to be a brunch staple!