Easter in Joseph

We had a wonderful Easter weekend in Joseph. We left Friday after work about 4pm, stopped in Arlington at the park, picnic dinner in the car, arrived around 10pm. We had a full action packed Saturday, brunch at Nelson's on Easter Sunday and back in the car by noon, arrived home at 6pm, with another stop in Arlington to run and slide in the rain before getting PJs on. So it was a very quick trip but we were glad that we made it.

True to our kids form they didn't sleep most of the 6 hr drive to Joseph. The finally fell asleep in Imbler (Addie) and Elgin (Lily). It's progress though, Lily used to always fall asleep in Wallowa. If you've done that drive you know that Elgin is one hour (tops) from Joseph.

The great thing they did do was sleep in the same room for the first time alone, and they did great. Lily went to bed about a half hour after Addie each night and didn't wake her and was able to keep the talking to a minimum. Addie woke about 10x on Saturday night (later to find out was due to an ear infection and tear in her ear drum). Lily didn't hear her at all. So it was good to know that since they'd like to share a room soon, they were able to sleep well together and not wake each other up.

Saturday we went to the Easter Egg hunt at the City Park. We got to walk there from my mom's and it started to snow a bit. Better than many years in Joseph when there is actually snow on the ground for the egg hunt. There were about 2000 eggs in the girls age group so they both cleaned up with a full bucket. Addie was cute and knew just what to do, getting all of her eggs on her own. Lily had a strategy to go to the area where no one was and work her way back, passing a lot of eggs on the way there. She was very kind and shared some of her eggs with her sis as well as with other little kids who didn't get as many.

Grandma Lanie and her girls

Us

Smiley Sisters

After we got home and ate the ham dinner my mom made for us, we put Addie down for a nap and Lily was getting special quiet time with Grandma Lanie Scrapbooking. (a whole other blog on this topic later). We went to Will's shop and hung out, after shopping around Joseph a little. Leah joined us and we had a great time hanging out, Lawr cut some soap, and wrapped it. Will has an empty spa room in the building which he recently bought, and it was just lovely. The store smells so delicious that it is the nicest enviroment. We came home for Leah to see the kids and then went back out to dinner. My mom was really happy to have the day with the kids to herself mostly. She did say a few times Lily was annoyed that she had to share her Grandma with her sister. She likes to have her at her beck and call.

Easter morning we packed up and went to the Nelson's for brunch. I was a little disappointed that we were in too big of a rush to go to church down the street from my mom's. It is my favorite place for Easter service. It didn't feel quite right missing church for me on Easter, but we really did have a great time and Mandy and Joe's. The kids had fun, another egg hunt, yummy food, good friends and good company.

The ride back was LONG and the girls did sleep for a few minutes at the same time. Lawrence and I listened to Financial Peace CDs and then had a few minutes to talk and a few minutes to just enjoy the silence. Ah the silence. All of the things described above are somewhere in this multitude of pictures. You can click on the collage to see the pictures bigger.