Last Friday around 3 PM there was a quick flurry of phone calls to finally determine what, if anything, everyone was doing for Easter. 

All we knew for sure was that Magoo, Emmy, and Grace would be around for the weekend.  But, the SIUE contingent of AUBS!, Frank, and Bud was definitely up in the air.  Bud had a ton of homework, and F&A both were scheduled to work on Sunday.

 Singing Sally and I proposed everyone meeting in Springfield for a Saturday Easter dinner.

AUBS! reaction was “But what about decorating eggs, and the Easter egg hunt?”  (She’ll be 21 in June.)

I called Bud and asked if he’d be able to come home for a quick trip:

Bud: “I don’t think so.  I have too much homework.”

Me:  “There will be an Easter egg hunt.”

Bud:  “OK, I’ll come.”

The plan was set into motion.  The SIUE trio was here for less than 24 hours.  But, we made the most of it.

First, Friday night we started with the traditional combination of late night home-cooked chicken & noodles and the movie Undercover Brother in the barn. 

Beautiful Saturday morning began in earnest with egg decorating.

Of course, we couldn’t help but conduct a photo shoot of Saje.  This dog has had more pictures taken of her in 1 1/2 years of existence than me, a human, has had in my own life.

Generally messing around outside, while SweetGuy the Easter Bunny did his thing.

An uber-competitive egg hunt.

A failed attempt at getting two anxiety riddled dogs to sit together for a photo.

A classic Easter dinner, home movies, Rock Band, and four loads of Bud’s laundry rounded out the day.  The SIUE kids headed back less than 24 hours after their arrival.

Spontaneity wins the weekend.

For anyone interested, here’s an Easter Saturday slideshow on Flickr.  Click HERE.

A longggggg time ago, my siblings and I got together with some awesome family friends to bake some Christmas cookies.  It was supposed to be an evening much like many other people hold every December.  People get together.  They bake Christmas cookies.  More fun to do in a group, right?   Normal, right?

Somehow, before this initial evening ended, we had completely abandoned the idea of making ordinary cookies.  We began making “theme” cookies, throwing cookie dough, wiping flour on people’s faces, and launching a rolling pin across the room (may cause injury, proceed with caution).  And, the random get-together was forever dubbed the COOKIE WAR.

Over the years, we’ve held the Cookie War a number of times.  Seven, eight times, maybe?  Our themes have inexplicably included pregnancy, medical procedures, and oddly enough:  a holiday scene!  Themes aren’t thought of ahead of time; they just emerge naturally.

Last night was our not-so-annual Cookie War, this time taking place in our barn.  It’s the first time our kids have ever participated (it’s not always been “G” rated, if you know what I mean), and they managed to take to it like naturals.  Before long, a theme emerged.  It was decided we would all depict, in cookie form, those things that had been stressors in our lives throughout 2009… difficult relationships, evil professors, malicious bosses, health problems, and so on.  I highly recommend this type of counseling!  Take your problems, shape them into extraordinarily ugly cookies, bake them, then smash the heck out of them.  It’s surprisingly therapeutic.  And, well…. weird.

Below, are a few of my favorite pictures from last night.  I had originally planned on writing a single Cookie War post.  But, a single post couldn’t possible suffice.

So, I will just leave you with a few random pictures and let you either guess what they are about, or comment in advance of my explanations which shall follow in later posts.  Both would be appreciated and hilarious, I’m sure.  Here you go:

Please stay tuned.  More Cookie War posts to follow……………..

So as you might have read earlier, I’m a bit worried about things of interest I might find to post about come two weeks from now when almost all the kids in our lives leave us.  You should be worried more than me.  You may soon be reading about such incredibly exciting things as what we’ve eaten for breakfast, or how many times the dog barked at a passing car.  Woo Hoo!  I am on pins and needles myself.

Thankfully, I still have a backlog of fun things to write about, and the cue lengthened considerably this past weekend.  All of my side of the family was able to find about an 18 hour window where we could be together at FavoriteChild’s place in Wisconsin.  I was initially worried we were trying to fit a round peg into a square hole by even trying to make this weekend work.  There were just so many different commitments and agendas to accommodate, I wondered if it was worth the trouble.

I’m so glad there are smarter people in this family than I.  And people willing to be flexible with their schedules.  Because, as a person who is not very good with words, I can’t possibly describe how wonderful this past weekend was.  But, I will try to hit on some of the major points.  Here goes:

• Elpis (Ellie!), the young foal, was a mere 36 hours old and was a wonder to behold.  Really.  If we had done nothing other than watch this little girl the entire weekend, it would have been totally fulfilling.  Here she is, all legs, a bit awkward on her feet still, and as cute and beautiful a creature imaginable.

• Elpis’ Mama, Salvana, is an amazing being.  She is 1,800 lbs. (did you comprehend that?  1,800 POUNDS.   I seriously have had cars that weighed less than this.  I probably shouldn’t be writing an entire paragraph enclosed in parenthesis so I will stop now) of power, grace, and gentleness.  And, she is an absolutely perfect mother.  Look at her here below.  She did not leave her child’s side and was ALWAYS vigilant to anything that posed the smallest threat to her baby.  I have no doubt, were a true predator to come on the scene, Salvana would have given her very life in an instance to protect her offspring.  NO DOUBT.

Honestly, I could relate to Salvana.  I don’t think there is anything I have ever felt that has run deeper, and more ingrained in my very being than that of being a mother.  It’s an unstoppable force.  Sorry, kids, when that protective instinct comes out it is as if I can not physically keep myself from stepping in and protecting as I see fit.  Poor DustMeister has had to endure some of this lately. 

And, you know what’s funny, I know that EVERY mom that reads this post can relate to Salvana, and to me. 

Look at this picture below. 

You know that I love to take photos, and I’ve captured a few that I think are special, at least to me.  At first glance the photo above might not seem to fit into the elite category.  But, look closer (click on the photo itself to make it larger and focus on Salvana’s eyes) and you’ll know that it does.  Salvana has had six babies and two are no longer with us.  Nanni had 4 babies in 5 years and never complained.  Salvana is a Mom of a newborn and feels the pain and anxiety.  Nanni is just starting to make her way on her own without her husband of 51 years.  Do you see it?  Do you see these two exceptional ladies communicating ALL this and more to each other and SUPPORTING each other?  I do.  And I am thankful for a Mom, and a horse who is  a Mom, and that they can communicate to each other and be there for each other. 

Salvana and Nanni, they are so alike.  And, trust me, that is a compliment – a SUPREME COMPLIMENT – to them both.

Ok, then.  I’ve lots more to post about this weekend.  Here’s a slide-show if you would like a sneak preview:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderfultoday/sets/72157621824312015/show/

SweetGuy, Bud, Magoo, and I were hanging out in the living room settling down for the evening. 

Surprisingly, there was a loud, quick, sharp knock on the glass door.  Berzerker barked and went crazy.  As SweetGuy headed towards the door, we saw lights and heard a vehicle peel out of our driveway.

Upon investigation, to our COMPLETE surprise, some people who wish to remain anonymous had, beneath our very noses, replaced our gazebo furniture.  They decided our (pictured) hand-me-down circa 1973 picnic table could stand to be replaced.

This was one of the coolest things anyone has ever done for us…. the gift itself, the total surprise, the secret agent method of gifting.  We felt incredibly special, and even more so after we called the offenders, made them come back and we all sat on our new furniture talking, laughing, and eating until way past our bedtimes.

I think people should give us gifts more often.  It’s rather enjoyable.

Oh, and our cats are VERY grateful too!

Thank you to the crazy people that did this.  The furniture is awesome, and the gesture and memories of the evening are even more so.