Easter

We were blessed with beautiful weather for Easter Sunday this year. Couple that with actually being prepared with Easter baskets (I forgot last year) and coordinating outfits for the boys, and the fact that we were celebrating the Resurrection, the day was perfect.
We wholeheartedly attempted to do the Saturday evening Mass in an effort to avoid the "crowds" this year. The boys were bathed and dressed, my makeup was done and Josh was all showered after mowing the lawn; but both the boys and Josh were uber tired, so we opted to call it a night and brave the 8am mass in the morning.

Mass was beautiful and poignant and it was a great, early start to our day. Since it was so early Joey failed to even notice that the Easter Bunny left baskets on the mantel before church. He thought they were decorations. Really?! Needless to say, he was eager to get home to see what was left. Van did is normal "I am kind of impressed face." The jelly beans were not a hit for either, but Joey was excited for the $2 he received and even had a good chuckle over the fact the Easter Bunny gave him a Hot Wheels Car he already had. (Insert shameful Mom story here about how I tried to pull a fast one on Joey and re gift a car, I really didn't think he would notice!) Van just liked the plastic Easter Eggs and the shiny new glow-in-the-dark tuckies.

I had Easter pictures done of the boys earlier in the week with the awesome shirts I found at Goodwill and the matching ties I sewed. Ashley, of course took the pictures. I should have known better than to try getting them taken at a park though. Both the boys just wanted to play, but Ashley was able to capture a couple of candid shots along with a lot action ones. Ashley always captures such amazing pictures of my boys. She has quite the eye. I can't wait to use the rest of the shots around the house and have a plan to use some of them in the boy's bedrooms! Here are some of my favorites.

I did pat myself on the back for keeping Joey's size 6 Converse from when he was Van's age because they fit Van swimmingly and Joey always rocks the Converse.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to Yelm to have an Easter celebration with Josh's family. We enjoyed delicious sandwiches, salsa, festive deviled eggs and a very sweet carrot cake I made. It was delicious and rich and oh so wonderful. Mom put on a highly competitive Easter Egg hunt in the front and the backyard and it consisted of some of the eggs filled with gold dollar coins and one very special egg with a $20 bill in it. Josh found the big one! Whoop whoop! Since the weather was so nice the boys also took an airplane ride on Dad's new Twin Comanche while the girls stayed back to chat. After they came back we rounded out the day by playing a very fun game of Whiffle Ball.