The Easter Morning Wake-Up Call (and the longest post EVER!).

My children have always been the last of the EIGHT cousins to wake. Every year at Christmas, Victoria wakes grouchy, and Justice is in a fog, because the cousins woke so very early. This year was no different. My kids were sound asleep, but six year-old cousin Aubrie woke them up bright and early. They were fine with it, but look a bit "out to lunch."

After digging into their baskets, though, and seeing all the other goodies the Easter Bunny brought, they finally woke up. Justice found the CHOCOLATE and was relieved that he didn't even have to steal it from the Easter Bunny this time. Hallelujah!

After the morning fun, we went to church. Great-grandma Nancy and Great-grandpa Clark joined us with all of the kids. It was a nice service. I hadn't ever been to my mom's church, and they held their Easter service in the outdoor amphitheater of the park. It was a gorgeous day and the kids loved being out and about.

Once we got home, each group of cousins got their own egg-hunt. Jacob and Aubrie hid the eggs for three year-old Justice and two year-old Olivia...


Victoria, Avianna, and Jonathon hid the eggs for five year-old Jake and six year-old Aubrie...

For our third and final hunt, the mean old grown-ups REALLY hid the eggs for nine year-olds Victoria and Jonathon and ten year-old Avianna. I could not believe how excited they still were!

So with the hunts all finished, we were off to dinner. Grandma Diane and Grandpa Russ took (about 19 of) us to an Easter buffet (rather than cook for all those people). The food was great...but Justice didn't care. He was downright "pooped." He slept all the way through dinner...

then during pictures, he woke up, got angry, and went right back to sleep.

What a fantastic Easter! We loved having all of the cousins and grandparents together, and really are happy that Auntie Becca, Uncle Jon, Jon-Jon, Jake, and Olivia are back in the state of California.

Happy Easter, everyone!