Easter Fun!

Our Easter celebration started on Wednesday night with Turner hunting eggs at a sweet friend's house who was kind enough to include Turner in their annual Easter Egg hunt. 

On Thursday night, Mark's parents stopped to spend the night on their way home from visiting Aunt Arlene in North Carolina.  We have enjoyed them being with us for the past couple of Thursday nights as they traveled.  Turner took on everyone in a game of Sorry and she's really learning the rules and strategies of winning this game - she wins on average 2 out of 3 games we play!

Turner was out of school for Good Friday, so Granny and Grandpa kept her here at home until Tootsie and Pop arrived around lunchtime.  Mark came home for lunch to visit and got an impromptu picture of Turner with her four grandparents.  We know how blessed she is to have all four grandparents in her life!

And of course the budding photographer had to get her turn...

Saturday morning we enjoyed a wonderful time at the Parkway Easter Egg Hunt.  The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and as always Turner loves being with her buddies from church!

This picture cracks me up...for whatever reason there was a miscue on when to begin the actual hunt.  Mark and Gary tried to get the kids to halt and begin again...but that was completely ignored by these excited 3-5 year olds with eggs in front of them!

Turner enjoyed the pony ride, but enjoyed brushing the animals more!

We came home and after Turner got a nap, we flexed our creative muscles as we dyed eggs.

Because of my church responsibilities on Sundays and my need to be there around 7:30am, we don't have leisurely Sunday morning time for Easter baskets and visits from the Easter Bunny.  We started doing this on Saturday before Easter, so that it's not rushed and we can enjoy that time as a family.  This year, Turner received a letter from E. B. that explained where she should look for her Easter treats he had hidden in areas where we normally hide Easter Eggs.

It's going to seem like the Easter Bunny brings unusually big gifts in our family...but since Turner's birthday is so close to Christmas this is an opportunity for us to gift her with "bigger" gifts at a different time of year.

She took off running for the front of the house and found one of her treats - a princess tent with some goodies inside.

But, the biggest surprise was a new, bigger bike hiding in our courtyard behind a tree.  She got on it and once we got it out of the bushes she was off!

There was a fun new sprinkler in her tent, and though it was a tad chilly she didn't hesitate to enjoy it!

We spent the entire afternoon outside and as the sun started to set and the grill fired up for dinner, Princess Turner emerged and put on a dazzling performance.  (In a dress I wore as a flower girl when I was 3!)

Turner ended her evening sharing some quality time with Tootsie and Pop, showing off her emerging reading skills.

Tootsie brought Turner two beautiful dresses and Turner's reaction was priceless.  She ran back to the big mirror in my bathroom to admire...

Easter morning we enjoyed a celebration of Christ's resurrection.  Between church services we snapped a few family pictures.  My beautiful girl is growing up quickly!

So frustrating...the best pictures of me, Mark and Turner were overexposed by me...so she was totally DONE by the time we convinced her to take a few more.

Turner has started "posing" for pictures, which is humorous!

What a wonderful Easter weekend!