Hoppy Easter

This Easter was awesome!  For the last few years we’ve been in Utah and done all the traditional Easter stuff but this year we changed it up a bit.  My grandpa lives on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri so a few months ago Nate started working on convincing everyone to meet us there for Easter.  My grandpa hadn’t seen Kenna since she was 1 and had never met Callie so we thought it was time.  Nate accomplished what no one else can.  He talked 4 different families from 4 different areas in the US to meet in Missouri.  We converged from north, south, east and west for one fun filled family weekend.

Kenna was so excited to see Grandma and Anna that I thought her head might explode in the week leading up to our departure.  At least twice a day she told me, “Mom, I’m so exciting to see grandma I just can’t wait!” 

We headed up Thursday after lunch.  There was no major highway so we were driving through lots of little towns and wondering what people did in such small towns and more importantly where to eat.  We passed about 15 McDonalds and 10 Sonics but unfortunately we’ve become food snobs and would rather not eat than go there.  Things got a little dicey when everyone was hungry and the Nilla wafers weren’t cutting it anymore.  Luckily we passed a fairly large town with a Panera where we all got a delicious, filling dinner. 

We got to the condo just as Callie had fallen asleep.  Both kids fought it until about 8:45 when Callie finally lost.  We were the first ones there so we all got a nice night of sleep.  Matt and his family arrived around 4 am and my parents arrived around 8:30 am after driving 18 hours straight.  There was no rest for the weary though because Kenna and Callie were so excited to see everyone. 

We headed over to grandpa’s after breakfast where Will and Cristen met us around lunch time.  We spent the first day fishing, throwing bread to the fish and ducks, and watching the kids try to throw every rock on grandpa’s property into the lake.  The kiddos had a great time and it was fun to get them together with some new cousins they’d not met before.  Grandpa Brig caught a fish on his line and let Kenna reel it in.  It got away before they could get it out of the water but this may have been the highlight of her trip.

Kenna  and Callie took a paddleboat ride with Nate, Anna, Cristen, Moriah and Danny.  Callie wanted to get on the boat so badly she was screaming when I made her wait until the adults were on the boat.  When she finally got to get on she practically jumped.  Both girls LOVED the rides.  Matt even took Kenna out in the canoe.  She had her own paddle and Matt was nice enough to let her think she was doing all the steering.  It was cute.

 

 Callie loved throwing the rocks!

 

 Grandpa caught a Kenna fish

 

 

 

 

We celebrated Easter the next morning with baskets and an egg hunt.  All the girls got ‘click clacks’ that lighted up and wands.  Between that and the candy they were all in heaven.  Kenna also got some palace pets (Disney invented a small pet to go with each princess) and told everyone who would listen that if you love them enough and they get lost they will find their way back to you.  The people who marketed that obviously have no children and should be shot. 

 

 

 Palace Pets

 

 

 

After baskets and candy we got to go to grandpa’s to take the real boat out!  Matt’s family go a little late start so the rest of us went to a bar on the lake to feed the ducks and fish.  Apparently lots of people do that because the fish swarmed to get the bread.  I remember going there when I was young.   Good times.  We picked up Matt’s family, fed the fish some more and then cruised around.  Callie thought it was so fun she kept yelling “yea!” and “go!” every time we hit a wave.  Kenna later told me that her favorite part was “hitting the rocks”.  Apparently she thought the bumps were rocks in the lake.  The three littlest kids had naps on the boat and we enjoyed the pleasant ride with only minor splashes and bruises with Big Willie at the helm.   We ended the day with a delicious barbeque.

 

 

 Callie Clapping

 feeding the fish

 

 

Unfortunately Callie was sick on Sunday so we left earlier than we wanted to but it was great to get together there.  It was very nostalgic to be with the same people in the same place I’ve been going since I was 10.  It was very weird to see how much time had gone by though.  My little cousins are now nearly 11 and 16.  I remember when they were the small kids on the boat.  Crazy how quickly time passes.  I hope it won’t be so long before we do it again!

And just because here are some other cute pictures -