Matthew was in Texas the week leading up to Easter, so Kyndall and I set off for Florida/Georgia by ourselves on Thursday morning. (Matthew would fly into Tallahassee the next day) As always, Kyndall was a perfect traveling companion and never complained about the 10 hour car ride. As long as she gets a steady flow of snacks, lots of DVDs to choose from, a fully charged ipad and an occasional potty break, she's good to go!
She requested a cheeseburger from Dairy Queen and I was happy to oblige!
This little guy was very glad to get out of the car. Unlike Kyndall, he is not a fan of the 10 hour trip
Each year when we arrive at my in-laws' house, Matthew's Mom has a bunch of eggs hidden throughout the house for Kyndall to find randomly over the weekend. She spotted a few as soon as we got there....
She also painted a ceramic egg
The next morning, the hunt continued.....
She found the golden egg, which contained the clues that would lead to her Easter basket from Nonie and Poppie
Found it....
She helped me stuff candy into the eggs for our next two group hunts....
Huckabee tried to help too
Friday afternoon Matthew flew in and we were glad to see him after his week in Texas!
He brought Kyndall this shirt....
The week of Easter was my last week of the weight loss challenge and there was no way I was throwing it all away after being so close to the end. So not only did I resist many of my favorite Easter goodies, I also talked Matthew into making a trip to his parents gym in Thomasville on Friday night!
My trainer will be so proud to see how dedicated I've become!
Saturday morning we awoke to a monsoon. It rained all day without stopping, so we passed the time by making another scavenger hunt. This time it was to find her Easter basket from me and Matthew. Each minion that she found contained a clue to lead her to the next minion....
Her final clue led her here!
Excited to open her goodies from Mommy and Daddy
Her two (current) obsessions--The Minions and Paw Patrol. I really miss the days of Elsa and Rainbow Dash and all those girly things!
I am SO SO excited to try these! I searched high and low for them last summer and couldn't find any but this year I saw them and grabbed two packs. I can't wait to see if they actually work like it says they do! Hurry up, warmer weather!
Our Easter basket this year contained more practical things like flip flops, a swimsuit and these goggles rather than candy and stuffed animals.
She's ready for summer! (And this Mama won't have to spend money on this stuff later on!)
Another tradition that Nonie and Kyndall share is to make an Easter cake....
She cracked an egg for the first time....
And then panicked when the yolk got on her hands (she's totally my kid!!)
Her sole reason for wanting to help make the cake....licking the bowl
Saturday afternoon was our annual "Tallahassee friends Easter Egg Hunt" that my high school friends and I plan for our kiddos each year.
Because of the non-stop rain, we had no choice but to either cancel the hunt or move it indoors. Nobody really wanted to cancel so Betsy took one for the team by allowing all of us to invade her house. We hid eggs inside and made the best of it!
Our group is growing--in numbers and in ages! I love this tradition and hope that we do it for many more years to come.
After the party at Betsy's, I made a stop by my parents' house so that my Mom and Dad could give Kyndall and Wyatt their Easter goodies....
I love these little chairs that my parents gave them!
Getting a picture proved to be a monumental task. Albert the dog jumped in right as I started snapping, and Wyatt lost his patience and was over it before I even got started! Oh well....we tried!
Back to Thomasville we went, where None and Kyndall put the finishing touches on their cake....
Kid-free nights are few and far between when you don't have the help of family nearby. So, we took advantage and grabbed a quick dinner out. It was nothing fancy but it's a real treat anytime I can eat my meal without having to cut anyone's food, take them to the potty or utter the line "not until you eat two more bites".
After dinner we went car looking (car dreaming is more like it)....
Easter morning came EARLY for us and we awoke to another rainy, nasty day. Therefore, pictures inside....
Loves to give her tithes!
As we've done for the past 33 years, we spent our Easter afternoon in Two Egg at my Grandparents' house. The rain may have kept us indoors but it did NOT keep us from holding up all of our traditions!
Wyatt is all business. So serious!
She loves him!!
The great-grands....Just missing baby Jackson!
Kyndall was proud to show off her masterpiece and share it with everyone
There's nothing I love more than a comparison picture, so we decided to recreate this family picture while we had everyone together....
The photo on the top was taken on Christmas Day of 2013. We didn't know it at the time, but it's the last family photo we would have with Granddaddy. The one on the bottom was taken on Easter Sunday of 2016. We've been blessed by several additions (Sydney, Wyatt and Jackson) but we still sorely long for the one that's missing. So bittersweet.
"All because two people fell in love"
We decided to do a Grands and Great-Grands photo. Can you spot the two who aren't ready in this one?
Grandkids with their spouses and kiddos
LOVE this one of all the Great-Grands!!
Kyndall, Wyatt, Garrison, Bryce and baby Jackson
I got exactly one good shot and then all heck broke loose....
And continued......
Just the Grandkids. I'm the oldest and the shortest. Jeffrey is the youngest and the tallest.
Just because it was flooding outside didn't mean we weren't having our annual egg hunt! This was the first year, however, that the "big kids" decided to just let the littles do the hunting.
Trying to get creative with hiding places....
Carrie corralled the kids in the back bedroom until it was time
Then we set them loose....
These two will be married in just a few weeks!
Uncle Scott had an egg hidden under his hat and Garrison actually found it
Wy was partied out
Checking out her loot
Kyndall was sweet to share one of her glittery eggs with Wyatt
My people
Uncle Scott had all the kids gathered around him as he told some pretty tall tales about the "wampus cat"
Another attempt at the picture with Grandma, but this time Wyatt refused all together
Bryce and Garrison entertained us with their rendition of the whip and nae nae. Lord have mercy.
Sweet cousins!
I could eat him!!
Somebody snuck out into the rain....
The Hughes
The Hughes/Kirkland/Thomas clan
A little more comparison....
Love this!
We headed back to Jackson Monday morning and this cool chick did awesome as usual
So she was rewarded with a vanilla shake!
Life started right back up full force as soon as we returned home. In the midst of our weekly chaos, we somehow found ourselves at the car dealership just "looking". Kyndall found her dream car in the form of a mini van and begged me to get it. She loved the automatic doors and all the space. I told her if she still wants a mini van when she's 16, I will gladly buy her one! But, this mama just can't do the mini van thing.
I was "looking" at this....
And by the next morning we were back again, saying goodbye to my faithful Pathfinder that's been so good to me
Look at that jump shot!
This video makes me laugh every time I watch it because just like her Mama, this poor girl doesn't have a single athletic bone in her body!
Piano practice is getting to be less of a battle as she gets more confident in her abilities. She's doing really well and I'm so proud of her. Her Spring recital is coming up in May!
Check out the faces she makes as she concentrates on reading her music....
Ballerinas get hungry so we hit up kids eat free at McAlister's on Tuesday nights
My friend Rebecca gave us this hand-me-down FSU cheer outfit that belonged to her daughter Kate. Kyndall has worn it twice in the last week. Born in South Carolina, raised in Tennessee but always a Florida girl at heart. She loves the "semi-moles"!
After leaving the gym today we had a Mommy and Kyndall lunch date at Woodstock Bakeshop's new location in the square downtown. It was just as yummy as the original location and we loved dining outside.
They gladly fulfilled her request of a mayo and cheese sandwich (I know...yuck!) which made her very happy. For dessert she chose a Stairway to Heaven cupcake and I splurged on my personal favorite...the White Rabbit. Both so yummy!!
Tomorrow we are off to Nashville where I have an appointment at Vanderbilt followed by a Donate Life event. Matthew and Kyndall are going with me in order to be a part of the event so I'm excited despite it being an early morning and a very long day.
Life is blissfully chaotic and I love it!
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