Easter Weekend

Pussy willows

Tulips!

I had better luck with these tulips than I have had before. Aren't they gorgeous?

Have you seen these Goldie Blox? They are engineering, STEM building sets geared towards girls. I have problems with that premise, namely, the idea that girls are only interested in science and engineering if it comes in pink and purple, but these sets had great reviews and were on clearance 85% off at Walmart, so I bought them. They have been pretty popular with the girls and boys. Somehow Elliott and Gilbert are completely unconcerned that the blocks are not the proper boy color.....  (Major eye roll.) 

Saturday morning Marilla and the dollhouse

Cozy cuddling and reading

With Uncle Scott nearby to observe. It was treat to have Scott and Geri around!

These kids know how to spread toys around

Brave Janet Reachfar is quite the girl. 

Abilene is quite the girl too! Isn't she marvelously sweet?

The boy's dollhouse arrangement. 

Walking in the icy puddles

Collecting eggs

Mucking around

George (or Coyote), perfectly camoflauged against the dead grass. 

Cheyenne is a nice big cousin

Elm buds

Steam rolling up the sugar shack roof. 

Although the sugaring season looked pretty poor when it started, it has become a pretty good year. So far, the guys have bottled more than they bottled last year and the season isn't over yet. 

Sugarshack Lincoln

Chickens

The pan

Cousins, clustering around Abilene

Hoyt and his load of blocks

Elliott making the water jump at the playground

I love this kid

I know! Two pictures that are pretty much identical. But they are cute!

Kids!

Aunt Geri, Mom and Clover pontificating

Lily climbing

Elliott being a nut

Geri wanted a picture of the kids around the sign.

Haha!

Elsie thought it was a silly picture.

And then it was.

Sillier and sillier!

Owen heading out to spread manure

Elsie and I snuggled in and read books for awhile, which is particularly precious, since I don't do it with her every single day anymore.

Uncle Scott, Aunt Geri, and Mom playing bananagrams.

My attempt at craftiness with the kids. Rice Crispy birds nest placecard holders.

Sunshine on Easter morning

Ashley's beautiful eggs

The two siblings and spouses

The Douglas kids

Patiently waiting for lunch. And eating candy.

Easter egg hunt

Elsie had to borrow some Hoyt pants, since I forgot outside clothes for her.

Gilbert delighting in his eggs

I love this boy

And this one!

Gilbert and Lincoln with their eggs

Rilla's eggs

Orianna

Elsie's eggs

Aren't they gorgeous? We never got around to decorating eggs with the kids, so we might do that some other weekend. For now, these satisfy my need to take Easter egg pictures. 

And then, after the Easter egg hunt, the kids got thoroughly muddy. Be on the lookout for muddy pictures. 

I really, really enjoy muddy pictures. Not sure why. But I get a large kick out of the kids reveling in mud.