Later that night, we colored eggs and put out carrots and candy for the Easter Bunny. Reilly made sure that we washed AND dried the carrot, and picked out "Jesus stickers" to leave out for him because she was so thankful that he was coming and bringing treats. Reagan said, "Why don't we just go bwing dis stuff to Home Depot for the Eastah Bunny?" :)
Declan's eggs were all blue, and spread out on the rug for him with cereal and "fishie crackers" inside. He made a surprised face when he opened each one, and it was the cutest.
Reilly is on a princess Aurora kick lately, so Easter bunny brought Aurora dolls!! Reagan was only too excited to have matching with her Sissy.
Reagan could have had no toys, no Frozen bubble bath, no coloring books, and just chocolate bunnies (which she ate INSTANTLY), Cadbury eggs, and jelly beans in her basket. Noted for next year: Reagan just wants chocolate. Funny though, she actually threw away the last piece of her bunny when she saw how messy it was making her hands. Girlfriend loves to be clean!
We went to church with the kiddies, and it was all kinds of adorable. There was an Easter eggs hunt, we saw good friends, we sang together, and the pastor read the children a storybook about Jesus at the front. Taking a few hours to celebrate with the kids about the joy that Jesus brings to our life, and all that He sacrificed in order for us to live such a life, was the most special part of the day.
It brings me all kinds of mama joy to dress up the kiddies. I know some people see it as a chore or a nuisance, but I just love it so much. Everyone getting all spiffy and matching and celebrating, I just love it. Speaking of loving it...this boy! In his ties and suspenders and fancy coat!
He was super mad that we put him down on this bench and tried to get a picture with his sisters on either side. So much so, that he threw himself off the bench. But Spider Daddy used his ninja skills and caught him inches away from the ground. It was kind of amazing.
These girls were so happy to play with their new dolls all day!
(Fun fact: I have a matching dress to Reilly, but I'm waiting till summer to wear it. Funner fact: my dress is from the girls department)
Handsomest men in all the land!
We went to brunch at our favorite place, and had the nicest meal with Uncle Blair!
And then it started snowing (SNOWING) and I tried my hardest to pretend it wasn't. Reilly kept saying, "How is it SNOWING on EASTER!" My girl.
But we took some family pictures to remember the Winter That Never Ended.
We came home and the little ones napped, and Mommy attempted to make a pork roast and we both decided there is a reason we never eat pork. Haha. Kind of a lot of effort, and at the end, we were like, eh? Maybe next time I'll make lamb!
Another memory, is Declan receiving his first basketball, which is the only thing he wanted. He found a big garbage can full of basketball at the girl's gymnastics class, and crawled straight for them every time. He laughs hysterically when he just sees a basketball. He picks them up, throws them, and then crawls after them like a madman. It's like he plays fetch with himself...it's his favorite thing to do. So when he saw his Easter basket with a massive NBA-size ball in it, he freaked out. He picked up the ball, and slammed it down on the ground, smashing a plastic egg to smithereens. It was so funny, and so very Bruisy.
Declan and Reagan loved Peeps, or as Reagan named them, "Dessert Birdies". Reilly shared hers with Declan, which warmed my heart.
Also memorable was me deciding that we should have cinnamon rolls on Easter morning, and then deciding that they had to be homemade. And why should I cut the recipe in half, when I could just freeze them? So I just made 50 cinnamon rolls and used all of my pans (ALL. OF. THEM.) and now my whole freezer is full of cinnamon rolls. But man are they good, and now I have a treat for when we have weekend visitors! So who's coming??
In the morning, Hubby asked Reilly, "Hypothetically, how many cinnamon rolls do you think we need for 4.5 people?" He was trying to tease Mommy, but little does he know I am raising a little mini-me. Reilly quickly answered, "42." That's my girl.
Reagan had her buddies with her at church, as everywhere, and laid Buddy down on the pew while we sang. My little snuggler. ALSO, we had a big day! Reagan said, "I have to go to the bathroom" in the restaurant, and went poopy in the potty!! She kept saying, "Do I get SO much dessert now?!" She's a smart little chicken, that one.
Sometimes these pictures where the girls are tending to their Declan boy are my favorite.
My parents would say, we like seeing you enjoy it. It makes us happy to see you kids happy. I thought it was grown-up stuff you had to say. But now, I know. I know it's true. This magic of seeing them excited, seeing that face light up, hearing those giggles. I don't know how it's better, but it is. Watching your heart, the extension of your soul, experiencing such joy and magic - it's even better than experiencing it yourself. There are many things that you truly cannot understand until you experience it...this is one of those things. Until having children, I couldn't really understand the extent of joy that comes from just watching them. I am so grateful that I get the chance to Mommy these kids. And being the Easter Bunny to them is a pretty cool perk, too.
