Happy Easter!

I really love Holidays!  I love all the traditions we have brought from our own childhood to our family and I love having special days to get everyone together to enjoy a delicious meal!  This is what it is all about!

On Saturday night we decorated eggs with the boys.  This year Shaun chose a zoo animal kit.  After decorating eggs, the boys headed off to bed and I started my prep for the big feast on Sunday!  Unfortunately the Doc was on call so he fielded phone calls for a good part of the night and into the next morning.  In fact, unbeknownst to me, he even left at one point in the middle of the night.  Usually I at least respond when he tells me he's going in...I must have been really tired!

Ready to color the eggs!

Working hard on step one ~ color!

The finished product!

Hey!  Look!  The Easter Bunny came to our house!  He left the boys all kinds of goodies, some new kites, bubbles and some books!  Shaun was the most excited about his new Skalamander (or as they are known to the rest of the world Skylander) figurine.

Happy Easter!

After the boys checked out their baskets and the Doc headed back into work, I cranked some Pandora and started working on the rest of my meal prep and the rest of the cleaning.  Everyone arrived a little after noon.  We munched on lots of yummy appetizers and the kids played outside while I finished preparing all the sides to the meal.  I snuck outside while my sous chef Kim took over so I could get a couple pictures before the kids got all muddy!  Our backyard is a mud pit!!

Cousins!

By 2:30, just as I had planned (I'm getting pretty good at this whole menu planning!) the food was ready!  We had two types of ham and a leg of lamb, served with mashed potatoes, spring peas and pancetta, homemade candied yams (which I will make sure get put in the oven earlier - they were a little under-cooked) and green beans.  And not to toot my own horn, but It was absolutely delicious!  And I know for a fact that it's true since my brother Dave didn't have to pretend to like the meal like he normally does!   

The Feast!

My Dad carves the Easter ham!

After our feast, it was time to prepare for the second annual Easter Egg hunt.  We sent the kids down to the circle and I ran around and hid the eggs.  My mom also gets each kid one big egg to find.  And just like last year, there is one special $5 egg and this year it went to David!

Ready to hunt for some eggs!

Ready to check out their loot!

My Aunt and cousins arrived later on for dessert and we decided to take some family portraits.  Back during the campaign my Dad received a card from Mitt Romney.  It was a picture with his entire family and ever since my Dad has been talking about doing his own version!

The "Romney" Portrait

A much smaller version of the "Romney" portrait with the Doc's side of the family!

I didn't think to get one with just me and my boys but there is always the next Holiday!  I hope that you all had as wonderful an Easter as I had with my family!  I'm feeling very lucky these days!