Easter time's a'comin'!

I love a good tradition.

Needless to say, then, it thrills me that we made our second annual trip to Lake Junaluska's Easter Egg Roll today. They boys had a ball, finding their fill of eggs in the 1-3 year old area (we decided it was easier to keep our somewhat co-dependent sons together and move them both up to the 4-7 year old hunt next year. Sue us). They loved having Nan and Pop there (just like last year!) to help in the hunt, and I loved the Buffalo Chicken Wrap I had for lunch after at the Waynesville Pizza Company.

For many, many reasons, I love Lake Junaluska. Their Easter festivities definitely add to the long list of things I love about the Lake.

(These are all iPhone photos, because I discovered - AFTER taking what looked like VERY cute pictures of the boys with the Easter Bunny - that I HAD A FULLY CHARGED CAMERA WITH NO MEMORY CARD IN IT. I don't want to talk about it and am choosing to be thankful instead for the back up of my phone camera, but COME ON. I'd give a digit to see those bunny shots.)

Good Friday Goings On

Today, the boys colored eggs and decorated cookies. The plan was for these cookies to become treats for their Nan and Pop. That didn't happen - and through no fault of my preschoolers. As it turns out, Mama isn't much in the kitchen, soooooooo ...

This InstaStory pretty well explains it all.

At least, Jones and Freddie had fun.

Dolly-days

There are precious few things in the world that I love more than I do a day at Dollywood with my babies - ALL of my babies, that is. Sissy and I took the Four I Adore Plus a Couple More to Pigeon Forge today, and we had an absolutely amazing day.

First off, because I know you're all wondering, Jones DID get to ride Pow Pow Bullseye - on his first try. Yes, Virginia. There IS a Santa Claus. Beyond that, we rode all of the usual suspects. I forced my boys on the River Rapids ride, thinking they'd like it. Jones screamed the ENTIRE time, and when we got back to the dock, he begged the worker, "Excuse me, Captain, can I please get off of this ship?"

After all of his screaming, I'm pretty sure he didn't have to ASK to get off. I honestly thought he'd settle in and enjoy it after the first rapid.

WRONG.

Not even Freddie liked it. He told Jeremy when we got back, "Pease don't ride dat boat again."

WHOOPS.

Anyway, they had a great time the rest of the day. So did I. I even got to ride most all of the rollercoasters - some of them more than once! - with the big kids, which made for a serious sense of "just like old times."

I was so grateful - and even more grateful that the boys didn't pitch a single fit (Jones's Rapid reaction notwithstanding). They missed their naps and CLOSED DOLLYWOOD DOWN, and they didn't so much as act a teensy bit "cross."

I think it's because they adore "my Four" as much as I do. In fact, as we drove away, Freddie said he wanted them all to come to OUR house.

And then he snored, LOUDLY, all the way home.