hop, hop, hop.

when you live away from family and all the friends you've known for ages, holidays are tough. yeah, yeah, yeah. start your own traditions, do what you like without feeling obligated, blah, blah, blah. none of that matters. until you've done it, you won't know what it's like. you know that moving your family to this place is right, you know it's where you're supposed to be. but holidays are hard. but, this past easter, we hop, hop, hopped on over to indio (near palm springs) and spent the afternoon with my dad and karen. it was perfect, it was amazing. there was nothing super, fabulously out of the ordinary, it was just amazingly perfect family time. when karen told me they didn't have plans elsewhere and we could join them for easter, i was so, so, so happy. the easter bunny surprised the kiddo's with easter basket treats and an egg hunt, there was swimming, and there was a fantastic easter dinner.

of course it was fantastic, karen was in charge of it.

anything she does is fantastic.

before we headed out to see papa bill and grandma karen, we had a little egg hunt at home.

coming down the stairs for easter bunny treats. look at will's eyes, already scoping out where the eggs are hidden.

easter basket's found.

this was done all on her own. no prompting.

bye bye bunny ears.

always the first to go.


will and molly are true opposites and this is just another example. will goes for the toys in the basket and could care less about the candy. molly will overdose on candy if we let her and could care less about the toys.

all set for the drive over the mountains to grandma and papa's house we go.

so sad.

just kidding. glued.

glued to his leapster.

the next set of pics are of my adorably silly kiddo's.

really? look at that face. love it, molly. love it.

(oh and yours too, will. the "hurry up mom, i have toys to play with" face.)

a rare moment.

you will rarely, very rarely see pics of me on the blog. but it's easter, so...

dad put up "the walls" (it was super windy that day) and the kids suddenly saw eggs hidden everywhere.

 it was so fun.

this picture absolutely cracks me up. i laugh every time i see it.

it is so my dad.

his expression. it was purely by accident, but it is so right. "whew. i think i have a headache. when is this over. when are the kids leaving. i'm tired. 

already." 

oh, i'm just giving him a hard time. dad loves the kid's, loves them. 

love the true laughter in that smile. look at jeremy's hands.

easter dinner. big girl! look at that fancy place setting.

(it's plastic.)

this picture needs to be framed.

birthday present from grandma and papa.

will told karen he wanted a remote controlled star wars fighter. seemed impossible to find. i should of known. he did tell grandma karen.

who was i kidding.

and last but not least, the real reason we come...right?

And, that folks, is a day in the life of rancho casablanca.