This has been one of those really good
days; starting with being back outdoors again for Tai Chi by the river.
That was the only quiet we had for quite a
while from that point on because Mom, Dad, Michael, Rebecca, and I were busy
with making breakfast; getting kids ready for the day; juggling bathroom time;
getting ourselves ready; eating; and then cleaning up. There was also another little surprise job –
hiding a lot of plastic Easter eggs all over the yard for the hunt that Mom and
Dad had planned for Ethan, Ehlana, Naomi, and Aiden. They’d changed the plan slightly last night
to accommodate our extra three younger guests; using up some of the Easter
treats that Dad had picked up for the twins and me while he was in the city to
make sure there was enough loot for seven kids instead of four. Okay, technically it was five kids, but Zack
is a bit young to appreciate the game; and couldn’t eat any of the actual
treats – though Mom had some treats she could give him in exchange for his
eggs.
Michael and I helped with the egg hiding;
and then we were in charge of Ethan, Ehlana, Naomi, and Aiden while Rebecca
helped her three cousins. We had the
non-working parents come over to hang out with Mom and Dad while their kids
were playing; and they took pictures and videos to share with their working
spouses and friends. It only took the
kids a half-hour or so to round up the eggs and get their treats – which included
a few prizes for finding certain eggs; and then another half-hour to wind them
up before sending them on their way.
Ehlana went shopping with Naomi and her father; Aiden stayed with Ethan;
and Sylvia Bassett took her kids home with her with some help from Rebecca.
It was time for Michael to head out then
too, but he was delayed a bit with a few goodbye hugs and kisses when we
conveniently found ourselves alone on the second floor and took advantage of
the opportunity. After he left, it was
time for me to do some yard work with Dad; and that kept us busy for the rest
of the morning while Mom and Alicia worked indoors and took care of Ethan and
Aiden. We had extra guests over for
lunch too because Mom had set up a trail ride for the afternoon; and they
needed some baby and toddler support so that Aunt Leanne and Uncle Adam could
come with us. Grandma and Grandpa came
over early enough so that he could run the grill while Dad and I were working
around the yard and Grandma could help Mom with making up some cold salads for
sides to go with the burgers and hotdogs.
We also had Ehlana, Naomi, and Philip back
again, and they stayed for lunch; but then Naomi’s father kept the two girls
for the afternoon so that Grandma and Grandpa would only have Ethan, Aiden, and
Zack with them while we were at the ranch.
The lunch break was fun, and thanks to the beautiful weather; I sat on
the dock with my brother, sister, and their friends while we ate and talked
about everything from the morning egg hunt to our collective plans for the rest
of the weekend.
Rowen and Tim came over shortly after one o’clock,
and while their inclusion for the trail ride had been a surprise for all of us;
we had each found out about it earlier in the morning. Most of the post-meal clean-up was done by then,
so we loaded up into the minivan and truck; collected Michael from the Inn as
we headed west toward the ranch; and then made the quick drive out there. I was really excited to finally get out on
the horses and trails again; and we really had a perfect day for riding. Mom had only booked a one-hour ride so that
none of us would end up too saddle sore to enjoy the rest of the weekend; but
we were still there for nearly two hours including some pre-ride wandering around
the stables and riding arena and a post-ride visit while Mom and Aunt Leanne
booked some rides for the rest of the spring and summer.
As with a lot of things we now do together;
I really love riding with Michael – and he thinks that his girlfriend looks hot
riding a horse. That still seems strange
to me sometimes; but I’m learning to enjoy having Michael think of me that way.
He needed to get back to the Inn after our
ride, but went home to grab a shower and change first to get rid of the trail
dust and horse smell – a requirement Miranda has had for her kids pretty much
since the first riding lesson Rebecca went on with Jenny, Rowen, and me during
my first summer here. Rowen and Tim
moved on once we got back too; though they stayed for the snacks and drinks
before leaving. We still had some time
before dinner; so I took Ethan and Aiden for a canoe ride that included a stop
at the park for some playground fun.
While we were doing that, Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Leanne had run out to
the Emporium and Olde Bakery to re-stock the Easter treats Mom had needed to
use up during the egg hunt; and they’d collected Ehlana from the Seagers while
they were out. They were home ahead of
us, and while Naomi was busy; we kept Aiden until his parents closed the bakery
for the night at six o’clock.
Dinner was leftover salads, grilled
chicken, and a rice casserole that Grandma had thrown together while we were at
the ranch; and Ethan, Ehlana, and I sat on the dock again to eat – and give the
adults a kid break for a while. I was on
the clean-up crew while the twins were taken to the park again; but Dad, Uncle
Adam, and I caught up with everyone else once we were finished the work for the
night. I did some playground time with
the twins and some other kids, but took my bike too; and went for a ride on
some of the trails when the rest of my family either opted to head home or go
for a walk around town.
There were other kids and teens biking on
the trails too, but Rowen and Tim weren’t there; and I only stayed for about
forty-five minutes before heading home again.
Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Ehlana were on their
own by the time they got home too; and we had some front porch time with drinks
before they headed inside and I wandered over to the Inn to meet up with
Michael. He still had some things to do,
so I pitched in to help around the kitchen too until he and Rebecca were set
free for the night. She was going to
hang out with some friends for a while; and Michael and I decided to go for a
walk around the park.
It was still really nice out then, and we
had fun with a walk along the night-shrouded trails at the park. We have the sunrise service at church in the
morning, and needed to be home early; but we still decided to end our night
with some cuddle time on one of the benches by the river behind my house. That perfect little moment reminded me a lot
of some special moments we shared by the river last summer; and I have a really
good feeling tonight that this summer is going to be even better!
By the time we did finally say goodnight
and Michael walked along the river back to his house; Ethan and Ehlana were
already in bed. I checked in with Mom
and Dad in the office on my way upstairs; did hugs and kisses with my brother
and sister; and then hopped into my Jacuzzi to get cleaned up. I’m still soaking in the tub as I write this,
but it’s time for me to get out; do my hair; and get some sleep. We won’t have time for Tai Chi in the
morning; but we’ll still need to be up extra-early – especially since the
Easter Bunny is coming tonight! ;^)
I probably should have offered to help Mom
and Dad with that, but I know they’ve gone to bed now too; so they likely had
most of it ready before I got home tonight anyway and just needed to put the
baskets out on the kitchen table.
It’s going to be a wild, crazy-busy day –
especially for those of us, like Michael and me, who will be juggling
multiple-family events and meals along with two church services and the Easter
Sunday pancake breakfast. Thinking about
that is making me tired, and I don’t have anything else to add anyway; so,
until next time…
…Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the
Light!
