Easter with our peeps.

We started the Easter weekend off by dying our eggs. Madison's best friend, Carly,

spent the night with us and when they got up

on Saturdaymorning, I put them to work. They didn't consider it work,

they were

thrilled to do it. They are two very creative young ladies.

~Madi and Carly

~Carly dippin' her egg.

~our organized mess ~We think the girls did a great job on the eggs! While the chicks and hen were in the house working on the eggs, Jack (the Rooster) was outside strutting his stuff in the yard and working on the new beds for our garden. He did a really good job building and laying out these beds. Thanks to Jack's hard work, we'll enjoy a much bigger garden with lots of spacious rows this year. The rocks that litter the back yard in these pictures are not normally just lying around. Along with putting in the garden beds, Jack created four new raised flower beds around the back yard using the rocks as a border. I took these pictures just after he layed the beds out, before leveling them and before he created the flower beds. So, other than the grass still being very brown it looks much better now! Jack worked really hard and I'm super proud of him! He was able to accomplish all of this on a very busy Easter weekend. That tell's ya, he was focused. Focused...like a duck on a June-bug! Like Bella on a cat turd! Focused! Good job honey! I'll take pictures of the completed garden and flower beds and post them, but maybe not until the grass is actually green again! ~ We had our Easter dinner a day early, on Saturday evening at Jack's Mom and Dads. I didn't get any pictures (which I could just kick myself for!) but, we had a great time nonetheless with two of our favorite peeps! On Sunday (Easter) morning, Jack and I gave Madi an Easter basket with a few goodies.

~Madi's Easter love basket.

~This bunny was Bella's Easter gift. The Easter Bunny loves Bella too! ~Madi had just gotten up, so her face is still puffy with sleep...cute. ~Goofy and his Easter card. He was ready to get the Easter gift giving over with so that he could get back in the yard before church.

~Happy Easter Madi!

~Bella getting her gift. Daddy had to hold her so that I could get a picture of her getting her toy.

~Bella wearing (or being forced to wear) her bunny ears. She hated it and they didn't stay on long. She's so cute - looking over at me as if to ask me not to take a picture of her in the silly bunny ears! After church and short trip home to change, we went to my parents house for "Easter Dinner part Two (The Feasting Continues until someone loses a button)". The food was soo delicious and there was soo much of it that we continued to enjoy the leftovers from both our Easter meals for days! Since the kids (Jason and Madison) are much to old for an Easter egg hunt, my sister, Virginia, came up with a really great idea for the kids..... A Pinata!! Jason and Madi took turns "trying" to give this pinata guy a beat down. There were some hilarious moments where they totally missed the pinata and were beating on the tree, thinking it was the pinata! During which my mom and dad would yell - THAT'S IT, YOU GOT IT. Poor tree! ~Jason spinning Madi. Madi's blindfold - a lavender scented, soothing spa-mask belonging to her Aunt Gennie. How relaxing...now give me that stick! I want some candy! I don't care who I have to hurt to get it! ~Other way Madi! Other way! ~And this is right about the point where we had to take a break to rush a hapless squirrel to the emergency vet. Sorry about that, little guy! ~Mom (a little fuzzy in this picture) and Gennie laughing and teasing the kids.

~ and my dad...well, that answers the question as to why my mouth is always hanging open in pictures.....;o) ~ Madi got in a few good hits on the actual pinata. ~Jason's tie-dyed bandanna didn't work very well, so he also wore the spa mask as a blindfold. Nice! ~Madi giving Jason a good spin.

~Jason finally found the target and went to town beating it.

~you can see, the bottom of the pinata is just opening... ...and the candy pours out! YAY Jason! ~that's one proud guy!

~the pinata was full of candy and MONEY that Aunt Gennie stuffed into it. The money was snatched up quick! So quick that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it.

~Jason and Madi picking up the goods.

~Mom watching the kids pick up candy while Leo gives her a hug. Poor Leo had been extremely sick the whole weekend so, he wasn't feeling like doing much other then laying in moms arms. Poor guy, we were really worried about him, but thankfully, he is much better now.

We all hung out on Mom and Dad's gazebo and I tried to get a picture of some hummingbirds. Those jokers are just too quick and so, I was only able to get a few. I got one of a hummingbird setting in a tree, which I forgot to attach to this post (it's too complicated to attach it now, so it will have to wait) and this one...

~you can barely see it, but it's there, drinking from the feeder. It's on the left side of the feeder almost covered by the bush.

~Dad and Jack chewin' the fat.

While I was patiently waiting for the hummingbirds, a small group of Cedar Waxwing birds came flying in to eat the berries on one of the trees. It was amazing sight to me! I had never seen one of these beautiful birds before and was thrilled at the opportunity to capture pictures of them!

Mom made a delicious coconut cake for dessert which we enjoyed with coffee and conversation.

We had a great Easter weekend with our peeps! It really made us happy to spend it with Mom and Dad Johnston, Mom and Dad Lewis, Gennie and Jason and Carly! You guys make all of our holidays extra special and memoriable! Thank you. ~ I wanted to share that on the following Monday, I came home from picking Madi up from school and saw three Cedar Waxwing birds in our Wax Myrtle tree! Wow! It was pretty amazing that we saw them just the day before at my Mom's. Even more amazing that we don't have any berries to offer on our trees and have never noticed these birds in our yard before so, they obviously liked having their pictures taken so much that they followed us home. What camera hogs!

We hope you enjoyed your Easter weekend!