Easter 2014

So I'm not a very crafty person and I'm not very good at all of the hip holiday traditions (it actually crossed my mind last night whether I was supposed to put something out for the Easter Bunny like we do for Santa...don't worry.  I didn't.), but what I really love is the holiday tradition of celebrating with family and friends.  We spent the weekend preparing for our annual Easter brunch with my sister and some of our friends.  Steve and Jen used to host every year, but since they moved to Wisconsin three years ago, the rest of us have had to pick up the slack.   We sure missed them a lot today.

If you look closely, you can see an eyeball in there.

I probably could've gotten away without dyeing Easter eggs (how would Trey have known?), but I'm trying to do some actual holiday traditions.  We did them at the last minute last night (after I cracked a dozen eggs while draining them), and Trey didn't seem too excited about it.  I was the one who had to do all the work, and he was off doing something else within minutes.  I'll try to remember this next year.

Trey was really excited to get his Easter basket this morning.  I continued the tradition of an Easter book in his basket and then added Frozen (already viewed twice today) and a Transformer Rescue Bot.  I threw in a little candy for kicks, and the kid was thrilled.

He's more excited than he looks.

My sister, Tim, their boys, Kathleen, Bruin, their boys, Sarah, Neil, their boys, and Grandma Sue all came over for Easter brunch.  It was such fun to see the boys playing together.  (I asked Trey later what he thought of our "party" and he said, "There were too many boys for just one boy."  It was a lot of boys in one small space, but I thought it was awesome.)

Trey, Garland, and Maclyn checking out the Rescue Bots

Grady wanted to watch Frozen, and the rest of the kids were very happy to oblige.  

It was a good way to keep them quiet while the grownups sat and visited.

We don't have enough space for a grownups' table and a kids' table, 

so we eat in two rounds.  

Works pretty well for me (especially when you turn on Frozen).

Trey, Grady, and Garland

After we all finished eating, we took the kids out back for the Easter egg hunt.  All the kids (except maybe Case, but he's only 14 months so give the kid a break) had fun looking for eggs.

Hanging out after finding all (hopefully) of the eggs

Case and Randy enjoying their drinks

Bruin, Neil, me, Kathleen, Randy, and Sarah in front

We have been spending time together for several years, and it just keeps getting better.  We have had all of our kids together, and it has been a joy to watch the boys get older and play together.  I hope that we have several holidays together in our future.

Spring Hodgepodge

Well, friends, Randy and I leave in three days for our Hawaii trip, so I want to get the blog updated before we leave.  Hopefully, the next blog post you see will be filled with pictures of beach time, stand up paddle boarding, cocktails, sunsets, and, oh yeah, a wedding.

The past three weeks since spring break ended has felt a bit stressful.  I have learned that I will be laid off or transferred from my job, so I have been job searching for something for next year.  I'm not thrilled about this change as I really like my job, but maybe unwanted change will lead to unexpected joy.  Only time will tell.

But even with all the job uncertainty/stress, the past few weeks has felt especially busy.  Spring term has started at PSU, so I am teaching on Monday nights.  My job is stressful during the spring (not even counting the stress of losing my job), and weeks go by in a combination of way-too-slow and way-too-fast.  I have felt like I've been neglecting Trey during the week and our meals have been for shit.  On the plus side, I've challenged myself to a perfect fitbit month, and so far I have been 19 for 19 with days of over 10,000 steps.  Yahoo!

Here's an assortment from our past few weeks:

Trey found his pumpkin hat from when he was a baby.  

It looks more like a beanie now, but he still looks darling.  

Playdate with Camille 

Not much better than a Viking being served tea by a princess.

Being taught some new vocabulary by Daddy at the neuroscience conference 

Please don't ask me to tell you what Randy's paper is about.   

Some Sunday swimming with the family... 

Followed by some bubble blowing at Kris and John's house

Playing at the park with Grady and Case...

in our pajamas, of course.   

Sweet Grady 

And fearless Case 

Trey and Case 

Since Trey won't sleep in his bed, I had the brilliant idea of flipping his bed over.

This allows for more floor space in his room 

which has led to more playtime in his bedroom.  

One of my better ideas, if I don't say so myself.   

Kris's colleagues put together a bachelorette party for her to celebrate her upcoming nuptials.  They rented a party bus which took us around downtown.  I'll leave out the pictures of the jungle juice, jello shots, and bachelorette party paraphernalia, but let's just say a good time was had by all.  My favorite part was that Bunny-Con was going on downtown, so there were bunnies everywhere!

Party bus!

View from Council Crest  

Me and Kris 

The bunnies waiting to get in a bar 

Kris and I with a big bunny

On a Sunday trip to the zoo...

Mama lion and her babies

Stare down with the cheetah

Getting my guidebook fix for our trip this week

 I've been teased A LOT by my fellow travelers for my love of guidebooks, 

but if you press them, they all will admit they learn a lot 

from the facts I contribute to our tours.

This trip shall be no different, although I wonder if we'll leave our beach once.

Trey has transitioned, rather quickly I might add, from his early preschool play of Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse, and Blue's Clues to Legos, Transformers, and Superheroes.  Randy is thrilled.  I feel a little left out.

Yesterday was the spring brewfest which we love.  The lines are short, the beer is good, and there is a lot of space for the kids to run around.  Julie, Tim, and the boys joined us this year, and we had a good time.  I even chatted with the brewer at Ecliptic, and I was "this close" (picture Trey putting his hands really close together) to getting a picture with him, but I refrained.

I have some Easter pictures to post, but for Shane's benefit (and only for Shane's benefit - or so I don't have to hear him complain), I'll put them on a different post.  This one is long enough.