Happy Everything This Month!

Happily wishing all my blog friends a very Fun Festivus, Lovely Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Jolly Boxing Day, and good wishes for whatever else, if anything, you are celebrating at the end of this month. 

May your days be merry and bright. . . 

November: The Unpredictable Month

Apart from Thanksgiving in the U.S., can anyone really pin much reliability on November? To me, it is a busy month and it's over before I know it, leaving me even more harried before the December holiday season. It could be sunny and 60. It could be snowy. Mostly it is just drab.

Pumpkins on the china cabinet

I haven't shared much home dec these days because for the most part, I haven't had a lot of clear surfaces to photograph! But some of the photos here are from this year's decor, most of which got up late! 

A Hopping Easter Weekend

A year ago on Easter, it was just Rick and me. On Good Friday we had decorated eggs, as we always do that evening but instead of doing it with our friends, Mark and Jan, we did them by ourselves and later Zoomed our finished products with our friends. This year -- back to normal!

After a wonderful dinner (I brought some of the shortbread I made earlier in the week, along with lemon bars) we got to work. Mine were both hard-boiled and raw, Rick's raw and Mark and Jan's were boiled. (It gives me a great kick to open my fridge to make eggs and choose from bright happy eggs!

After our traditional "Life of Brian" viewing, we picked up our eggs and headed home, eager to enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.

Saturday was one of those get-ready days, lots of house tidying and prepping. We had big plans -- Kevin and Cam, who will be three this summer, were coming. So, I filled  loads of eggs with chocolate and goldfish for an egg hunt and made him a little basket. And I got the table ready!

Not long ago, Carol showed this very cute bunny cake on her blog and since Cam was coming, I thought I'd make one. I chose a lemon cake and modified the recipe, using ideas from this post from Home is Where the Boat Is. I was thrilled with the results!

Later, Rick made challah bread, which we have each year on Easter Morning with our French Toast. As always, yum!

We started Easter morning with a basket -- it wouldn't be the first! Then our challah French Toast!

But the real action of the day came when Kevin and Cam arrived. We started out with an Easter basket with stickers, play doh and chocolate. (I think there was a tad too much chocolate on Easter!)

 Then, a walk to the park a couple of blocks away...

...where there was loads of play time.

Sometimes I wondered who was the biggest kid. Well, we know the "biggest."

But it's hard to top the joy on this face!

After we returned, we did a little egg hunt in the back yard. 

Nothing is better than hearing the words "I see one!" as little legs run to collect yet another egg! 

 

 It was quite a haul!

Then it was time for dinner. Three of us were hungry. The fourth? Not so much. All those M&Ms, kisses and goldfish can fill a boy up. After opening and closing the fridge at least 50 times to look at the bunny cake, this guy was too full to enjoy it!

I never thought I'd have kids and then I met Rick with two ready-made boys. But they were a little older. It's almost like magic to see how they change with every visit when they are this young. It's all the more radical after so many months of no visits during our pre-vax Covid times. 

So, forgive me a bit if I jump for joy when I talk about this little munchkin and his brother.

I may not jump so well as I did when I was this age, but the pure joy is all there!

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Wishing You A Lovely Easter and Passover

I know many of you who celebrate Easter or who are in the midst of Passover are experiencing it in different ways than in years past. It all causes me to be rather nostalgic.

So, in honor of Easter, of days past and less distant times, a few memories.

I wish I could remember the times above, with my cousin, David. But I do remember this big rabbit below.

By the time I was  a little older, my mom and I were turning out eggs for our Easter egg tree. My tree came out for Easter, or one of them and I'll share those pix soon!

There are some big gaps until adulthood in the Easter photos! One of the things I'll miss most this year is not doing our annual Easter egg dying with our friends Mark and Jan. This is from a few years ago.

Every year we dye eggs, enjoy dinner and then watch "Life of Brian." We know all the lines -- it's almost like choral speaking!

This year we'll did eggs on our own and a ZOOM show and tell.

I'll have to get creative with Rick's Easter basket. I feel some baking coming on. But no plants or seeds this year.

We've had Easters when it's just the two of us, which will be much like this year.

But we'll miss times when we are all together.

Oh, that was a tasty Easter!

This was our first Easter with Carson.

And last year we loved Carson's first egg hunt...

...and Cam's first Easter.

The weather was so nice we enjoyed a walk to the Ditch.

There may be chocolate, but it won't be wrapped in pretty foil.

And there will be colorful eggs (which will make wonderful deviled eggs for dinner!)

There will be memories of long ago days in church choir 250 singers from age five to adulthood with a big breakfast between the two services.

And memories matter. This year will be unforgettable for many of us. For some, very sad. For most, very different. Whatever holiday you may be celebrating this season, from my house to yours...

... and from sweet Lizzie too...

...all good wishes for a healthy, happy, lovely holiday and spring.

An Unexpected Weekend

Normally, going to the lake over the fourth for a week is no debate. The house is there, the fireworks right across the lake so we have ringside seat and the weather is usually good.

But this time we had issues. Namely, we were expecting Baby Grand 2 on July 3. Rick was going to ride his bike up, a two day trip with the second day largely in no cell coverage and should we get the call then or even while we were at the lake, the ride to the hospital was four hours from there, a little over an hour from home.

So, we opted for more or less a staycation. Since temps were predicted in the high 90s and higher heat index, we thought movies might be nice. And then we shamelessly invited ourselves to Rick's Aunt Carol's cottage, about an hour from here -- and closer to the hospital, too!

Let's hear it for Carol, who was incredibly gracious and welcoming. It was the gateway to a few days of fun, water, fireworks at a lake and family.

I've always loved time at Sand Lake with Rick's family. Carol may be Rick's aunt but in truth she's only about six years older than I am, so it's more like spending time with a good friend. Cousins Stephanie and Brian and their kids Abby and Jilly added to the fun.

Think hours on the dock, talking, reading, laughing.

And just as many hours in the water, playing on floaties and minding the little ones to be sure all was well.

They are like fish, loving the water. No worries.

Our time included a short jaunt to the farmers market for strawberries...

...and saw some enterprising "slime" sales, too!

We eagerly awaited the fireworks (or the "fiery") ...

...some more eagerly than others!

Actually, we learned from Jilly, age two, the correct pronunciation is more like "fieyawee."

All glorious.

 There were bedtime stories...

...wet suits...

...and bubbles!

Flowers on the walkway...

...and a golf cart ride.

Stephanie opted to carry Jilly up the hill, as we were on the back end of the golf cart and it seemed like a good idea. But a hot one on a hot day!

There was time to read...

...time to try out toys...

 Some of enjoyed wine on the porch...

...others tunes to dance to!

Shortcake with whipped cream...

And a fashion parade.

It was all over too soon. Our suits are now dry...

...Rick made it home on his bike...

 And we're still waiting for the baby. We know he'll be as cute as this one and worth waiting for!

So, I leave you with the grand finale ...

... and wish you a Happy July Fourth!

Linking to: Let's Add Sprinkles    /   Share Your Cup  /   Pink Saturday