Easter

It was a gorgeous Easter weekend.

The weekend started on Friday since the kids didn't have any school.  Todd got off of work early so and I ran out to give blood at the Good Friday blood drive at the hospital.  It has been so long since I've been able to give blood (what with the successive pregnancies and the West Nile Virus episode) and I was excited to get back into donating again.  I've always wanted to donate on Good Friday, it just seems like such an appropriate thing to do.  As always, I got a bit light headed and almost passed out, but as soon as they lowered my head and raised my feet I was fine again. 

I was super wiped out after giving blood.  SERIOUSLY. Wiped. Out.  It was bizarre.  Still, I had to get myself off the couch and get everything ready for some egg dyeing fun.  The kids lined up at the counter and away we went. 

I think I'm going to have to get a lot more eggs next time.  The kids had a blast and a few eggs each just isn't enough.  Of course Grace insisted on all of her eggs being pink, and when we lined up all the boys eggs we discovered that they had all picked the same colors without noticing it.  Funny kids.

The next day we met with Todd's side of the family for our Easter get together.   There was a huge Easter egg hunt that completely made the kids' day. 

The weather was gorgeous and all the kids had a blast finding their eggs.  Each kid had their own color eggs to find so it was fair and easy for them.  Such a great idea!

I tried to help Grace here and there, but she is quite the independent little girl and I think this was the one and only time she let me hold her hand. 

It was a perfect day for an Easter celebration with family.  We spent most of our time outside playing catch and playing games.  Todd and I even managed to get a pic of us together.  A rarity!

The next day all the kids were up super early (of course) looking for their baskets.  The Easter bunny hid the baskets really well this year and it took the kids a good long time to find them.  When they finally did find them all kinds of madness started to happen.  Do you know what happens when kids give up sweets (I mean all sweets- cookies, bars, brownies, candy, chocolate, pudding- they weren't even going to have their birthday cake they were so serious about it) for lent and then get a basket full of candy?   Madness.  That's what happens.

This is the sweet pic I got right before the madness began.

Soon enough it was time to go to mass.  You can see Todd is really in no mood for posing for pictures.  He was paranoid we were going to be late for mass.  Ten minutes early is actually late on Easter Sunday.  The church was jam packed.  There were folding chairs up on the alter and on the sides of church and they were all taken.  Still, somehow we managed to get front row seats and it made the kids behave even better than they normally do.  Whew!

After mass we went out to dinner with my side of the family.  I was so busy getting the kids enough food to eat (and when I say enough I mean two or three helpings each- little pigs) that I don't really remember what I ate, but I'm sure it was lovely.  When we got back home Joey tried out his photography skills and took a pic of Todd and I.  Not bad, Joe!

It was a great Easter weekend!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend and a Happy Passover!