Every holiday gets a little more precious as we watch our parents age.  Easter is no exception and this year we enjoyed a wonderful family time with our parents.  Lauren was home for the weekend and it was all too short, but we packed a lot of fun in those 3 days with our girls.  Easter traditions of egg hunts are so much fun and Parker, at 3 years old now, was primed for getting into the egg-hunting spirit and an egg  hunt was scheduled in my sister and BIL’s neighborhood on Saturday morning, so that was perfect.  Mom had some plastic Easter eggs at her house that we started the egg hunt fun with on Friday and Parker loved it.  We hid eggs from her and she found them, then she wanted to hide eggs from us and let us find them. So fun! It was so fun to see all the joy on her little face from hunting those eggs. Brought back so many good memories of Easter for me and my sister and for Lauren as she was growing up. Nowadays it’s the little things in life that are really the big things, like watching little ones grow.
The girls arrived early on Friday morning in their PJ’s, as Lauren had to wake them for an early morning flight. Â Parker hung in there all day before a late afternoon nap. Â She wanted to hide and hunt eggs over and over again.
It was such a beautiful and glorious weather weekend which I always love for Easter. It was just a perfect Easter weekend with mild temps and spring breezes. Â We spent a lot of time outdoors. Â Mom was in heaven with these two girls home for the weekend.
Baby Iris’s birthday is today and she turns ONE! Â Hard to believe it’s been a whole year, but it has. Â She is a tiny and petite thing compared to Parker at one, but she’s starting to stand to get her balance and will be walking soon. She’s been in no hurry to walk and Lauren isn’t in a hurry either. Â She’s still our little baby.
Coloring eggs was such a fun tradition for us growing up, so of course, Lauren wants Parker to experience that too so we all gathered at mom’s table for egg coloring, the old fashioned way with Paas egg coloring kits.
Parker loved this as you can imagine!
They came out beautiful and some were glittered.
They went in mom’s egg tray for a pretty table display.
The neighborhood egg hunt was the  next day and it was all plastic eggs with treats inside.  It was divided up in age groups, so she had a fair chance of getting lots of eggs and she certainly did do that.
No shortage of finding plenty of eggs. Â Lauren made the girls shirts for Easter with their names on the front on her embroidery sewing machine and they turned out so cute.
Sitting on the front porch at my sis’s house after the egg hunt.
There was baby cuddling going on and lots of outdoor time on the porch. Â They have a really nice covered porch over looking the beautiful backyard with pond and waterfalls.
Iris and Parker in their Easter shirts and Lauren trying to coax them into smiling for a picture.
Baby Iris is so cute, with 2 front teeth and the cutest dimple when she smiles.
We just love this little one.
Here’s a little tour of my sister’s back yard again. This is the porch we gather on so many times for special family occasions. It’s usually very nice back there, not screened in but they have 2 fans if needed.
It overlooks this pretty flagstone patio and the waterfalls and pond.
Straight out from the porch is this koi pond with a waterfall flowing in.
You can’t see the waterfalls very well in this pic, but it’s up the hill and that’s the stream coming down on the right.
Parker decided that playing in the stream was all kinds of fun and spent a lot of time doing this and climbing to the top of that waterfall and then doing it all over again.
Easter Sunday after church, we all met over at my sister and BIL’s house again and had a delicious Easter lunch. Â We all brought something and my cousin, Brenda and her family came too, so it was a nice family time of catching up. Â Mark came with me and we ate til we were miserable, then went by his family to visit for awhile.
We don’t take every Holiday for granted anymore and know that things can change from year to year, so to have another Easter with these 2 wonderful parents is a blessing. We are so grateful to still have them with us. They’ll both be turning another year older soon, Â Mom in May and Dad in July. Â Daddy is about to reach 90 years of age and Mom will be 89. Â It’s amazing to think of all the life they have lived and all the things they have seen and experienced in their years.
Lauren and the girls in their Easter finery.
She was trying her best to get them to pose, but this was as good as it got.
Real life with 2 little girls!
My sister, Parker, Iris and Bruce for Easter Sunday.
Mom made a bunny cake for Lauren growing up all the way until she was in college and then she finally stopped, so this year she brought back the bunny cake for Parker and Parker was thrilled.  She kept calling it her cake.
Lauren dug up this old pic from the last Easter she got a bunny cake from mom (it looks just the same!). Â It was her 2nd year of law school and now she is mom to two little girls!
Mom, Dad and me. Â So nice to capture these memories of our family and that’s what this blog has become too, one of sharing and saving these priceless and important family events.
It’s not Easter for us without a big feast and feast we did. Â We all brought things to share. Â Mom made the mac N cheese, my cousin Brenda made the pineapple casserole in the middle and mom made the sweet potato casserole and the ham and gravy.
Renee made the rest and I made the squash casserole on the bottom right.
As you can imagine, it all tasted as good as it looks! Â I ate too much, but boy was it delicious.
And then there was dessert. Â Bunny cake or this one….
Mom made that Pistachio cake I shared awhile back. When she made it the first time, we all decided it would be a really good Easter cake and it was! Â Everyone loved it all over again. Â I don’t think she added the coconut on top this time, but it was still delicious.
And that’s a recap on our really fun Easter weekend. Â So happy to share it with all of you and let you see how we celebrate and enjoy each other. Â We do love to get together and having those girls now make it all so much better and so much more fun. Â Children have a way of doing that to a family, don’t they?!
Happy Easter week to all of you! Â I hope you all had a joyful and blessed Easter week as well.
Judy Clark says
So good to see your family together for Easter. I know that meal was delicious! Those little girls are precious! Your Mom and Dad look so good. Spending time with family is a precious gift. Paul and I a truly enjoying being with our little girl and family here in Texas. Hugs to you my friend.
Leila Case says
Thank you so much for sharing your sweet family with us
A beautiful and loving group
Leila
Rita C at Panoply says
Family matters! ♥
Vicki says
Rhoda, this is precious. My children and grands came and we have a wonderful egg hunt every year. We have 7 grandchildren – three o them are three, one is two, one is 6 months and our oldest are 13 and 15. Fun. Lots of cooking!
Roxanne says
Beautiful family photos. None of us is guaranteed another day no matter what our age. We all need to remind ourselves to be thankful each and every day.
Rene' says
Seeing that bunny cake and the egg coloring kit brought back so many memories. I always
laugh when I think of the smell of the vinegar with the dye tablets for the eggs. It was the only
time in the year my daughter, Erin didn’t complain how vinegar smelled!
kathy olson says
I really think a publisher would be interested in doing a cookbook of your mom’s recipes/cooking. I know I would buy it.
Rhoda says
Hi, Kathy, I know I’ve been asked to do a cookbook several times by my readers, but it just seems like such a big task to pull together. Maybe it will happen!
Joyce Ostean says
So great to see all of you, LOVE the pics and te bynes! Good Job!
kathy olson says
Maybe someone you know knows someone in the book publishing business? I really think it would do well:)
kathy olson says
P.S. It just seems I can see you and your mom on morning talk shows discussing her book:)
Beth says
Rhoda, I have followed you almost from the beginning. Amazing how you have kept your life moving forward despite all that has happened. Strong faith and family bonds are the key. Love seeing the babies and your family. Love seeing you so happy with your fellow. Life is good!
Rhoda says
Hey, Beth, it has been quite the journey and I’m so so grateful to be where I am in life now. I couldn’t be happier and all that mess seems like so long ago now.
Lauren@SimplyLKJ says
What a beautiful celebration of family and life. Perfect for Easter.
Connie says
Precious!!! Thanks for sharing your family. I am reminded that my mother made that same bunny cake for me and then my daughter as well. It certainly made Eastern special.
Rebecca says
Such a special time with special people. Thanks for sharing!
Debbie says
Precious family! I miss my parents. Please keep sharing yours with us.
Arlene@Nanaland says
Loved seeing all the pictures Rhoda…your parents look amazing and they are an inspiration to so many!
Lindsey says
Thank you for sharing your precious family with us, this is one of favorite posts you have done!! I love seeing your sweet parents & family, plus all the yummy food!! It reminds me so much of my own family, I have 2 little girls who did lots of egg hunts over the weekend. Happy Easter XOXO
Judy says
What a wonderful gathering ~ beautiful family, precious children.
Martha says
I have been cooking a bunny cake since our oldest was born in 1984. Now, the adults expect the cake more than the “children!” Love seeing the girls grow up, they are a treasure!
Patty says
May God always keep you and your family in the palm of His hand.
gina says
Happy Easter!
The sweetest days…still having all the family there. Thanks for the reminder, I used to make the same bunny cake! I’ll have to restart the tradition.
lori says
I love your family posts. Thank you so much for sharing. This is so uplifting. My Mom made me a bunny cake for my 5th birthday and I’ve never forgotten it (mainly because there’s a photo!), so many years I have requested and sometimes gotten another one. It looked similar to Lauren’s and sometimes my kids make me one now. You and Mark look like a great couple. So happy for you.
colleen says
I can’t decide who’s cuter, those baby girls or your adorable parents!! 😉
So blessed!!
Margaret says
Thanks for sharing. Everyone looks so happy and you are blessed
to have your parents. Wishing them continued health and time with
the family.