Grannie and Pap Paw haven't been able to join us for a while due to some hip problems. I really want the kids to remember their great grandparents so I think we will have to come to them soon. Grammie came over and Wendy brought all the kids. John Mark has been out of the country so many times lately he really needed some rest before he was scheduled to leave again that Sunday. We missed him but totally understood his need for rest.
We all agreed any pictures of the kids we were going to get would have to be immediately after arrival. We had the kids line up in front of the fireplace and they all sat down. It would have looked much better if they were standing but with toddlers you take what you get. At least they were all on the same wall. :) Abby was wound up probably since they had just got there so she would not look at us. Honestly if we did not have at least one doing something, I would wonder who's kids they really were.
Only Jake and Paige were looking forward...
They were all taking turns looking at Abby crawling away. Ha!
The only little sweet innocent one, Miss Lily.
Dang it! This would have been the keeper if Ethan would have been looking. Oh well, still adorable. I think Jake gets the prize for the only one looking at the camera in every shot.
Only picture of my two dressed up. Not only are they not standing but also I could not get them to look away from the TV. Stood in front of it and they leaned to see around me. You think just turn it off... no, no then the picture would be of them screaming and crying.
The kids had been patient while we hid the huge tub of eggs in the back yard. Wendy and I agreed one dozen per kid ahead of time. Then Debbie told me at work on Thursday that we needed more eggs than that. She said it is no fun without enough eggs to hunt. So I caved and made a bunch of eggs and Wendy called me out on it. Oops! She said she had to restrain and I cheated. :) She was right in the end. The kids could not fit that many eggs in their baskets and we had to pick all the extra eggs up. I found out on the following Monday that Debbie's bunch uses Walmart sacks to fill with eggs and that IS a lot of eggs.
Let the hunt begin...
Ethan, Jake and Abby were running and all knew their mission.
Go Abby! She looks adorable in her dress blowing in the wind. Ethan took most of the eggs on the patio.
Paige was much more particular about which eggs deserved to be in her basket. She walked around looking at them and picking the ones she liked. That girl does not care one bit about what she is 'supposed' to do. Hopefully she still has that trait when peer pressure kicks in later.
I am pretty sure Jake's basket was the first one filled to the top. Once we told him there was no more room for eggs in the basket, he looked for a place to dump it and start over. That is so my brother's son. :)
Abby knew what to do when her basket was full. Sit down and examine the goodies.
We took the kids inside to go through the baskets and they all ran to a specific area to dump the loot. Ethan did not quite make it in his room but more in his door way.
Abby and Paige went to opposite corners of Paige's room.
Thank goodness we only put a couple jelly beans or so in each egg. Those kids opened and ate every single egg right then.
Jake took over the couch to empty his eggs. Look each empty one was placed to the side as he moved on to the next egg. Sorting, stacking and separating runs deep in our blood. Ha!
Little Miss Lily just crawled around looking cute. As well as a girl can crawl in a dress. :)
We changed the kids into play clothes and let them go burn off the sugar in the back yard.
Told them no suckers in the bounce house so Paige just sat down with her ring pop. Look at those boys getting some air.
Miss Lily's first time in a swing. She loved watching the kids from her little perch. We even brought the kids picnic table out for the necessary water breaks.
Jake and Abby liked our swing set even though it does not compare to the awesome one they have at home.
Jake has always loved Ethan's truck.
Why are my kids obsessed with weeds? It was now time to dig.
By the time he was done Jake 1/2 filled the blue water table behind him.
I put the roller coaster outside facing down hill. Since our yard is a big slope, the kids could ride it all the way to the fence. Paige loved it!
Woo Hoo! Up close and snotty
Again with the weeds. I don't know who was having more fun; Paige being pushed or Abby pushing her.
I LOVE this picture of our boys being boys! Lily was practicing her walk.
Seat belts first even for elephant. Time for pizza! Thanks Grammie!
It was a long day of playing and at the end Ethan read them all a story. It was so funny to see how annoyed Jake and Abby were with their little sis touching the book but Ethan did not even notice. Maybe once and he looked at Lily and then at me like does she get to do that cause she is a baby? Yes honey she does. :)
Honestly I think this was one of my favorite times with my family thus far. It was so relaxing and nice outside. The kids had such a blast playing together and I really enjoyed visiting and playing with them. I love my family!
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