Easter Weekend

The Wades paid us a visit this weekend to celebrate Easter and have the kids hang out. It was a great weekend where the kids played and played and played.......They are both on such even playing fields that it is nice to see them get along so nicely! We tried to capture the holiday spirit and color eggs, fill eggs, find eggs, eat eggs.....you get the picture......

Coloring in full swing.....

It takes a very steady hand....

Mixing and creating.....

Our friends hosted a great hunt for the kids.......240 eggs.......needless to say it is looked forward to by all...... Here are the kids breaking free after the adults caged them for a fair start.........

And their off..... I love how not one of them waited until the garage door was fully opened....

Brady bugs breaking in the opposite direction of the crowd.....smart thinking!

I love that her eyes are looking for the next one as she barely can concentrate to pick up the one she has in her hand.......

Brady boxing out ......

Everyone came out victorious, how can you not with 240 eggs! Thanks Calcateras....

Brady checking out his loot......

Brooke always comments to me "Mom isn't it weird that our best friends are from the same family" Sydney and Brooke get along famously and have determined that they are best friends, Rachel and I have known each other since 5th grade so it is really cute to watch their friendship blossom even though they don't see each other often. We just recently found out Sydney did a speech in her 2nd grade classroom all about her best bud Brooklyn. Cute. I hope they can always remain friends.

Fast forward 30 some years........

Anyone wondering where the boys fit into all this? I forgot to mention Paul and Chris also get along and bond over sports (do they really have a choice? Rachel and I aren't breaking up at this point.....) So they have been trying to get to a Tiger game for YEARS but scheduling and long drives it never seemed to work out until this weekend. Paul bucked up after a 3 hour drive to visit us he hoped in the car again for 2 more hours to land in Detroit and watched the Tigers play the White Sox.........

So yeah they were super bummed that they missed the Annual Calcatera Easter Hunt however hob-nobbing and sitting in front of Chris Chelios wasn't a far second choice.......Yeah I said sitting "in front" of Chelios.....I am sure those were Chris Munson's ORIGINAL seats........haha.

A few more years and these boys will be joining their dads ...........I don't know if it is as easy to scam seats with 4 people.....Maybe that is when Chris will finally buckle down....I doubt it but maybe!

We had our own little "jammie" hunt on Easter morning.......the kids getting ready to go on the search.....

off to the races.....

Counting the loot and making trades....

Ahhh Candy!

Nothing like a jelly bean and peanut butter cup breakfast!

Buckeye Break - 2011

We headed out west again this year for Spring Break to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We welcomed the sunshine and warm climate after a long Midwestern winter! We relaxed and took in the great outdoors as much as we could. The kids had three requests when we asked them what they wanted to do when they got out there:

Brooke & Brady = The Pool EVERY day.

Brady - Wanted to Golf.

Brooke - Wanted to go horse back riding

Luckily we were able to fill every one's requests including mom and dad's that included a night away in Sedona and a southwestern meal full of beans and cheese!

Here are a lot of pictures from the trip.......Thanks again Mom and Dad for hosting!

First morning: there the kids up early with a 3 hour time change, jammies on and were outside soaking up the vitamin D!

Brady immediately found some mischief...... Park time before the pool opened......

Ahhh Finally Mike and Emily made it to the Pool! (their new names for the entire trip!)

AHHHH I wonder what my classmates are doing in School???

Happy as EVER.......

Well Brady's wish came through, we got to golf, play basketball & mom and dad tried their hands at Pickleball.

Tee Time....

Getting some snuggles as we watch the golfer go.......

Golf soon was taken over by a lot of silliness.......

Look Grandma - No Hands! Brady loved these fat noodles they have......they were his security blanket in the deep blue yonder......

Relaxing with G'ma & G'pa poolside....

One of the 486th "Mom Look at me" moments........

Who knew - in the middle of the desert.......

Lake Pleasant......

Heading out for some grub.......

Dad and Brooke dockside....

While Grandma and Grandpa took the kids to the zoo, Chris and I headed to see the Cliff Dwellings, drop some $ at the Casino, Visit a creepy ghost town Jerome, and shop and explore Sedona.......

Red rocks as far as the eye can see......

Also random sightings on our walk home from dinner.......still not sure what this is all about....

Our Hotel........beautiful scenary.......sunshine galore......and morning yoga on the lawn.....Nobody was mad.....nobody.

We got to go see a Coyotes game.......funny how Chris always seems to squeeze these in....

As we walked up to the field to watch Grandpa play

he hits a inside the park homer! He's still got it...... Rounding first.....

Again the main event........Brady was so brave and comfortable in the water......let's hope it continues this summer!

My wet little man!

Here we were fulfilling Brooke's request as we headed to the ranch to take them horseback riding.

Just as we were signing in this woman happen to catch and behead a rattlesnake....neat.

Apparently one little girl didn't mind holding it's skin while his head sat in that white bucket....

Here they go.....Brooke's Horse was named Tango and Brady's was Peanut.

As you can see and only imagine Brady wouldn't let go of my hand so I had to walk with him for a little while......

But than surprisingly he let go and went at it alone! The guide tried to talk to him and you can just guess how that went over.....complete silence.....he was white knuckled holding on.....but he was doing it alone.......

Heading back to the ranch......

Brooke and Tango....

Wagon Photo.....

Tango all tuckered out......

The festivities continued with an early Easter Egg Hunt.....

More pool fun....

This little man o' mine is too much ......he would spend hours talking to imaginary people in the water, karate chopping them, making escape plans for the rest of his power rangers.....he is just too much.....Oh that Mike........

Brooke posing per usual.....

Saying goodbye to Oscar.....

Maxing and Relaxing....

If only I could bottle it up.....

Again with the posing.......

Flowers in bloom.....

Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa for a great time and memories to boot!