Easter

It's been a few years since we have gone camping over the Easter weekend, and over the past several weeks we kept talking about the possibility of making that happen again this year. But, by the time we discussed the pros and cons and were ready to make the commitment, all of the nearby campsites were spoken for. So, we did the next best thing ... we planned a campout in our own backyard!

Tara arrived Thursday night to start the holiday weekend. Friday she and I met Lee at his new office for lunch and a tour of the new ExxonMobil campus before hurrying home to get the ham in the oven and the homemade rolls started. The Vernons and the Cosbys brought their tents and got them set up, and Lee got the campfire going in the fireplace. This year we enjoyed our traditional Easter ham dinner on paper plates sitting around the fire! Ben popped up his movie screen on the patio, and the kids loved having dessert while they watched a movie outdoors.

First thing Saturday morning Lee got the fire going again and we warmed up with hot chocolate and a yummy french toast breakfast casserole that Alex had made. It was a special treat for me to take my morning run with all three girls, while Lee hid 84 filled eggs. I had an idea this year to put numbers in some of the eggs, then have some little prizes. Turned out to be a real hit with the kids! They were so excited to open their eggs, find a number, and pick their prizes. Plus, Tara brought Easter bags filled with surprises for everyone!

Easter Saturday would not be complete without a hot dog roasted over the fire, so Lee put another log on the fire for lunch. Tara was assigned to make the deviled eggs from the "real" Easter eggs that Leo & Alex had colored, and Alex put together a fun twist on s'mores by filling sugar cones with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, strawberries & bananas, then wrapping them in foil and putting them in the fire.

Our Easter campout in the backyard was a fantastic idea!