It’s hard to believe Easter was already a week ago. It’s been such a long week.  A good week. A bad week. A busy week. Nothing like the next two weeks. On Monday the big kids arrive from the states. For two weeks. For Dave’s retirement. For a little travel with mom & dad. My parents arrive on Thursday, technically they are here, but in Holland for me to pick up, to watch the little kids. Cole is having a fit that he’s a little kid. He’s going on 20. A defensive lineman on the German-American team… and a little kid in our house.  He’s throwing a fit to match.

I’ve been battling a cold for two weeks. A cold that would not leave and got in my lungs, my sinuses, kept me up and made me tired. I hate colds. I especially hate them when I’m really, truly, too busy to have a cold. And yet, that’s when those bad boys show up. Every. Time.  Luckily I’ve turned the corner, and barring super stuffy deaf ears, I’m feeling fairly frisky. This is a good thing, I have a little work to knock out and some big house cleaning to supervise.

On Easter my cold was still thinking about knocking me down for the count. I boiled perfect eggs for the kids to color, thanks to my “piep ei” that sings traditional Dutch songs at each degree of readiness.. soft, sort-of-soft, and hard. I love my piep ei! The rest of the house, not so much. I tend to yodel along in off-key Dutch to ‘In holland staat een huis’; ‘Twee Emmertjes Water Halen’ and the Wilhelmus (okay, not this one, they are so lucky).

I finally caved and made my once-a-year-Christmas bavarois on Easter too. It’s a fluffy whipped cream pudding that’s a little tricky and time-consuming to make, but so delicious and light and perfect with fruit. It was a wonderful little treat to have on Easter. I might do it again next year. If I don’t have a cold, of course.

Easter itself was lovely. The Easter pig hid the stuffed eggs, and Dane found all three before finding his, much to Tess & Cole’s delight. No searching for them. They don’t like searching. They just like chocolate. Sigh. Our guests were wonderful, easy, happy, amazing company and good sports in playing a game of Life and Hedbandz with kids. We even took our first stroll of the year through the forest with Ramona and her doggies.

Argo managed to slip his leash, prompting me,  Tess & Dane to race after him and save him from wild animals. Not that we saw any wild animals. Ramona was laughing too hard at me running to tell me that Argo always comes back. And he did come back! He’d rounded a corner out of sight, I was trying desperately to catch up, or get on the same path, and he came tearing back around the corner at Mach speed. Huskies are fast!

I froze. That dog ran right at me, a blur. I felt like a bowling pin about to be knocked down. I almost fell down in terrorized anticipation, but at the last minute he skirted me, ears flapping in the wind, tongue practically dragging on the ground, and spun around Ramona and down another hidden trail. 30 seconds later he was out of oomph, trotted back to walk nicely with the group and obviously couldn’t wait to get home, drink some water and sprawl on the floor for a big rest.

Piep eggs = perfect eggs. Every time.

Bavarois layered with mandarines, strawberries and mango’s.

Kids won’t pose nice.

The orchard is in bloom!

I love bloom!

I don’t know what it is, but I love it!

Khaleesi posed perfectly (100 shots later).

Lonely empty hunting chair… waiting for Fall.

Lone fruit tree in the fields.

Spring = logging season

I spy: civilization through the trees!

Annnnnnnnnd… I’m done. Argo posed beautifully too!

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