Earl Jam/Easter Weekend

Every year Boopah hosts what he calls "Earl Jam".  People bring their instruments (mostly guitars) and each couple (or individual) who comes is responsible for performing 2 songs.  Its lots of fun.  This year I wasn't planning on doing anything, but boopah asked me to sing one number with him & 2 weeks before Earl Jam I decided to learn a song to surprise Matt with, which ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be since our whole family got sick and I couldn't sing and Matt didn't go to work for a whole week leading up to Earl Jam, so I couldn't practice (or else I would ruin the surprise).  Plus the night of Earl Jam I was still pretty sick, Matt felt crappy enough that he didn't perform anything, but I felt like I couldn't bail out on my # with boopah, so I at least had to do that one, so I might as well do both.  Anyway, feeling like crap aside, it was a fun night. 

By the way, in case you are wondering the song I sang for Matt was Paramore's "The only exception".  Its kinda my life story.

The next day was the Saturday before Easter, so even though we were all sick and completely worn out from acting "well" the night before and pushing our bodies too hard, we dyed eggs for the Easter Bunny.  This was one of my favorite activities growing up (Easter was my favorite holiday), and I knew the girls had been looking forward to it.  They LOVED it, so it was, of course, worth it!

 Daddy entertained Kate while the big girls dyed eggs.

The next day the Bunny had hid the eggs around the house & the girls loved finding them.  Here are some examples.

He also left baskets with chalk, a big candy egg, and drawing pads.  All big hits.  Mom and Dad (Matt and I) also give Easter presents, every year they get a book - this year they got books that go with their Tag readers, and we also gave them some fun socks (which were technically from my mom).

 This is Isabel's sad face, she was showing me that Tinkerbell is sad in this picture

Matt's whole family gathered for Easter dinner and our traditional cousin's egg hunt.  We had a delicious traditional meal (ham, funeral potatoes, homemade rolls, jello, veggies, deviled eggs, etc).  I felt like utter garbage, I had woken up with the crazy ear infection mentioned in my previous post, but Janeal made the delicious giant Easter egg sugar cookie with fruit topping so that made having a celebration here while feeling yucky totally worth it.  It was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me.

The adults went outside after dinner to be the bunny's helpers and help hide eggs.  Aunt Mandy took the kids into the 'extra room' in the garage that has no windows so that they couldn't peek.

Matt and Barry have a fun relationship.  They crack me up.  If you have ever seen the Ryan Reynold's movie "Just Friends", they pretty much ARE the brothers in that movie. (PS that is not a recommendation to see this if you have standards... its not a family friendly movie)

Then the kids lined up to start the hunt!

 The bubbles inside of the eggs were a big hit.  There was an assortment of candy, stickers, and toys. 

Lily has recently become a little monkey climbing the trees

 Brig got himself completely wedged in and stuck in the tree, Barry had to come to his rescue

 Then in Earl holiday tradition the kids got to frost and decorate sugar cookies...

 ...which for Izzie means she got to eat lots of frosting and sprinkles :)

Anyway, the kids had a blast.  It was a good Easter, minus the sickness.