An Easter celebration to remember!

Easter is such a special and beautiful holiday - reminding us that Jesus died for our sins and bringsing new life to everything around us.  This year we had some very special visitors in town for the Easter Celebration - Grandpa Butcher and Connie!  Of course we had a jammed packed weekend planned - but we wouldn't like it any other way!  Drew has been talking about the Easter Bunny and Grandpa Butcher and Connie coming for over a week... he was excited!

Grandpa Butcher (or as Drew called him - "Butcher Papa") and Connie arrived on Friday afternoon.  We had fun hanging out at the house that evening and resting up for the remainder of the busy weekend!  

We started off with an Easter Egg Hunt at the Hunter's Green Country Club on Saturday morning.  Ron and Cathy joined us too. This was Drew's first "hunt" and he caught on pretty good!  He got lots of eggs but thought it was just as much fun to dump them out of the basket...we had to work on that so that the other kids didn't steal his eggs! 

 

 Photo opp on the lawn in front of the pond!

 

 Now one with Butcher-Papa and Connie....

And now one with Papa and Grandma....

The Egg Hunt also included breakfast in the club -- we had our own special table! 

  

 Drew wasn't really into hugging and smiling with the Easter Bunny - but compared to his reaction to Santa this was a look of excitement!

 After yummy breakfast and visit with the Bunny, we played on the putting green made a visit to the Pro Shop and then into Fazios...  a trip to the club isn't complete without 'pa-corn!'

 That afternoon we took a trip to the commuity pool (I love that they have a baby pool there!).... here's Drew and Daddy catchin' some rays!

After the pool we got cleaned up and went out to watch some hoops!  Daddy and Grandpa had a good time enjoying a few cocktails while Connie and I did some shopping (with Drew)... fun was had by all!

Easter morning Drew woke up to a few surprises from the Easter Bunny, I hid jelly beans like mom (I mean the Eater Bunny) used to do when we were kids - I think I had just as much fun putting them out as Drew did finding them :-) 

Then we attended 8:30 Mass (Drew got about a C+ during the service :-) but it was a beautiful morning and a beautiful service!   After church we went over to Ron and Cathy's for brunch and another Easter Egg Hunt! 

 

Don't even think about stealing my Easter Basket, Rusty!

"I found it!"  Drew was into the hunt at Grandmas!

We all enjoyed a DELICIOUS brunch at Ron and Cathy's before heading out to Drew's new favorite place in the world... THE BEACH!  And of course we had to go to the SandPearl - one of mommy's favorite places in the world!  We had a reservation for that night and couldn't wait!  

Also  - it was Connie's birthday so we had lots of celebrating to do! 

We seriously have a little fishy on our hands....he LOVES being in the water and especially playing on the beach.  The sand sticking together, the tide coming in and the shells just amaze him.  

In the picture below he was dumping sand on my legs then LAUGHING OUT LOUD when the water came up and washed it away - he thought is was hilarious.  It just makes me smile knowing that the simplest little things make him happy.

Happy Easter!

Buildin' castles with Butcher-Papa!

  

 Then we made some new friends.... that had shovels!  I have never seen Drew so serious in my life.  They let him have one and he could have just dug holes and dumped sand for HOURS. 

After about 3 hours at the beach we cleaned up for dinner.  We went next door to the Palm Pavilion where our rehearsal dinner was.  Brought back some great memories and we had great table to enjoy the beautiful sunset. 

Dreaming of heading back out there in the morning.....

So Drew has become quite the social little guy.  He says hello to everyone in any store we are at, waves hi and bye to people we pass on the street and then this.... he climbed out of his chair, walked over to the table next to us and sat down with them to talk!  

"I suggest getting the French Fries.  They are really good."

 Heading back to the hotel in style......

 Such great memories in the lobby of the SandPearl where I waited with Dad to head down the stairs to the ceremony and be handed off to Ronnie.  We sat in these same spots and faked playing the piano together....can't believe it was 3 1/2 year ago already.

The next morning I took Grandpa Butcher and Connie back to the airport bright and early... then I came back to the hotel to hang out with Drew and Ronnie before heading to work.  We got breakfast at the Clear Sky Cafe - check out this cool chair Drew found! 

 We had such a wonderful weekend and so blessed to be able to spend time with Grandpa Butcher and Connie and Ron and Cathy on Easter.  I think the only thing that could have made this trip better is if Iowa State was playing in the Final Four!  HA! 

We love these trips from family - they make us all so happy :-)