Happy Easter

 I swear it was just Easter - and here it is again!  The last in the parade of winter and spring holidays.  Grandma had to leave just before the big celebration so we made sure to do all of the fun preparations while she was still here.  First on the list, coloring eggs!

 We let Ella get started with the coloring while the boys were still napping.  I'm still not brave enough to let them around open containers of colored dye.  Call me crazy!  Ella anxiously dipped each one, checking, checking and checking again to make sure they were just the right color.  Somewhere in the middle of this process, she got the giggles like I have never seen before.  She could not stop laughing no matter how hard she tried.  Something in the dye, I guess.

 When the boys woke up, they were excited to pick out an egg to decorate.  They carefully peeled off each sticker.  Most of them ended up on their bodies or shirts though instead of the egg.

 Next item of fun, making baby chicks.  I love this tradition!  We used to do it when we were little and I completely forgot last year so I was glad Grandma remembered.  They make a great table centerpiece for Easter breakfast.  That, and they're the silent type. :)

 And finally - as if we had not had enough excitement already - bring on the cupcakes!  Another plus to Grandma being here, she is a much better and more creative decorator than I am.  She painstakenly rolled out and made each individual bunny ear.  Amazing - Cute - Delicious!

 Easter morning was full of quick excitement.  With church at 9am, we had to be up and hopping by 7 (Scott and I by 6 - ugh!).  The Easter Bunny left an egg trail (some of them hidden) for the kids to find their Easter baskets.  Ella got it!  And headed right to hers.  So smart that girl is - I tell ya!  Cade and Cole were way more interested in eating the goods inside the eggs.  Duh!  Candy for breakfast!  They weren't going to waste that opportunity!

 All I can do when I look at these photos in their Easter Sunday best is smile!  I don't know how many times I said, "Hey, look at mommy!  Look over here!  Smile!"  Oh, someday!  Until then I will treasure the smiles I do get from Ella (even though she is "bah humbugging" underneath her breath) and the far off glances and bucket digging I get from Cade and Cole.

 Oh, and the I'm going to poke you with my rocket launcher moments.

 After a much needed nap and sugar withdrawal, it was time to do it all over again with our neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  We were missing some of our dear neighbors but carried on in our quest to find the most eggs without them.  Scott worked hard to get the boys psyched out to run and collect the most eggs.  Cade - mission complete!  Cole - I wanna eat some more of the yummy goods in these hidden babies!

 Our quick attempt to get a photo of all of our egg gatherers - thanks to those who glanced our way!  Ella with Jessica and Alivia - our totally awesome girls down the street who are so wonderful with our kids.  And little Bea - who dressed up in her special bunny hat for our event.

And now that dessert is over, it's time to finish the night off with some yummy dinner.  And maybe a few more jellybeans just before bed.  You only live once, right?!