Easter in Iowa and Galesburg

Good Friday we spent at Brad and Becky's. The kids played and played and played while the adults got to talk, drink some good beer and catch up. It was a blast! Their house was destroyed with boy toys but everyone had fun!

Then Saturday morning we headed to Auntie Doris' church for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. The kids had a blast making Chickie hats and doing crafts with my cousins.

And petting real chicks and bunnies is always a highlight!But they came to hunt eggs and eggs is what they hunted. The little kids were supposed to go to one side of the church and the big kids to the other. When we got outside, I tried to get both kids to go to the little kids side but as I opened the door, Alaric went running with the big kids, his cousins included, yelling over his shoulder, "I'm not a baby, I'm a big kid!!!!" And off he went!

Mara's basket was too small for all she collected and she loved showing her cousin Alinia and Daddy ( he needed to get a 7 mile run in so he ran from Brad and Becky's to the church to meet us).

JACK IS HERE!!!! Not that we don't love everyone else but everyone was anticipating the arrival of the newest Bechtel. Who doesn't love babies!

The boy kids got their own kids table on the porch

While the 18 of us crowded around the table

Afternoons were spent napping wherever ( and however) you could.

and playing catch in the backyard.

But the Easter Egg Hunts were the best!

The kids ran all over the yard trying to find the eggs

While the parents and big kids did what they could to watch and stay out of the way!

Then the little kids hid the eggs for the parents!

As always, the competition was fiercebut we had a BLAST doing it over and over and overWe did let the little ones have a chance again tooWe did get my cousin, Woody to compete as well!

Woody and Amara play This Little Piggy

Sunday morning the girls showed off their pretty Easter dresses

Look at my cuties!

Alaric is getting pretty good at taking pictures

CousinsOur FamilyWe then drove to Galesburg to meet Brian's family at the Club for Brunch.

We killed time waiting for people to arrive by taking pictures of beautiful little girls

and walking along the brick wall.

After rest time, it was on to the hunting again! This was serious!

Alaric and Uncle Jeff race to get to an egg first!

Then Uncle Jeff and the kids tell the bigger kids ( me and Bri included) the rules to our hunt. We listen intenslyAnd we're off!Me and Brian's cousin Katie

We all loved Katie's new boyfriend, Kenny- especially Alaric, since Kenny took him and the other kids to see RIO at the movie theatreMara and Nana play the piano this morning!

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The weather was great Sunday afternoon so we stayed outside and played as much as we could. Check out Mara's new skills!