Extended Family Easter

After our trip to sunny southern Utah, our energies turned to Easter celebrations. Saturday morning all the in-town cousins congregated at Grandma and Grandpa’s house for an egg hunt. The festivities started early with the dads hiding eggs all around the yard, then we all enjoyed a delicious family brunch.

Finally, the hunt was on. Big kids and little kids alike combed grass, trees, shrubs, and flowers. The boys circled the orchard at breakneck speed, while the smaller ones ambled past blues, yellows, pinks, and greens peeking out from clumps of grass. At one point the searchers scared a mother duck to reveal a nest full of soft white eggs. At long last bags were filled and things were momentarily still except for an occasional squeal as kids combed through their stash.

Next up was coloring eggs on the back deck. Grandmas helped steer the dozen little hands, managing to keep the cups of colored water anchored to the table, while great-Grandpa shot pictures and Uncle Andy scaled the railing around the deck balance-beam style.

Ever since our Yellowstone family trip, Arwen has been a huge fan of her cousin Teri. During this stay at Grandma’s house she discovered “another Teri” – her second cousin Eliza who lives next door. As much as she loves all her cousins, these two have extra meaning for Arwen. We’re grateful to have such wonderful role models for her to look up to.

On Easter Sunday the whole family was back again for dinner. Ham and potatoes, delicious salads, and a million desserts formed the backdrop for the traditional extended family meal. I remember attending one of these on my first trip to meet Chad’s parents shortly after we got engaged. So many aunts and uncles and cousins to remember – my head was spinning. But even before I got them all straight I could appreciate the value of belonging to a clan like this. It’s still a great privilege and pleasure to take part in such a natural, loving gathering. Twelve years after my initiation, I can say I appreciate much more all the planning and helping hands that go into orchestrating these events.

One of my favorite memories from this trip is the afternoon I spent with Grandma talking about her experiences as a woman spanning seven decades of the 20th century. We recorded an hour’s worth of memories and looked through pictures and scrapbooks together. Particularly in the context of my women’s history class last semester, it meant a lot to me to hear her perspectives and experiences. Then, after stuffing ourselves silly on Easter dinner, we collapsed in the living room to watch a documentary featuring Grandpa and other Utah veterans talking about their experiences in World War II. Having lost my own grandparents before developing many of my current interests, I have adopted Chad’s grandma and grandpa as my own and am so thankful for our one-on-one time together during this visit.

The day after Easter we wrapped up our trek west with goodbyes with the next-door cousins, then hopped a couple of flights before finally returning home at 2:00AM. As great as it is to see family and friends, it’s nice to be home again.