Easter 2012

This was our fifth Easter in Chicago and yet it was the first we actually celebrated here. Our first year we went to Cleveland to visit Ben's aunt and uncle. The second year we went on a spontaneous road trip and drove south without looking at any maps or making any plans. We ended up in Louisville and eventually Nashville where I believe we ate BBQ for Easter. Then our third year we were in Austin visiting Ben's grandparents. Our fourth year we were in Ireland at a Catholic cathedral then restaurant with Ben's grandma. This year we hosted it at our place with 3 other families. We brought the dining room table outside in the sunny weather. Set up a kid's table so they could quickly eat and run around while we hung out. It was a lot of fun and relaxing... once I stopped running around cleaning, decorating, and cooking.

The weekend itself was really busy. Friday we had an Easter-themed playgroup and then Ben and I went and saw the Hunger Games that night. Then Saturday we went to a Cub's game for the day. When we woke up Sunday morning I realized we hadn't dyed eggs yet. Oops...

So at 7:30 that morning Charlotte hunted for her hidden basket, dyed eggs together, then went outside to hunt for them... after our neighbor went and hid them for us.

Good thing she's so young. She had no idea we were running around behind her back.

She was most thrilled about her princess paper dolls and "crotchet" (chocolate).

Isn't she darling?

Here she is hunting down her freshly dyed Easter eggs before we headed to church.

(I made that scrap skirt by the way)

And Ben actually had the ENTIRE WEEKEND OFF!

I don't remember the last time that happened...