Wagons, Crawfish, and Easter Eggs

 I ended my four mile run with an exhilaration that doesn't come often.  It wasn't quite like a runner's high (I'm guessing because I don't experience these too often)...it was what I can only imagine is even better.  I was so happy to find myself in one of the greatest places from my childhood: Grandma's House.  Some might pass right through Crowley, Louisiana and think nothing of it, but this is where my childhood memories thrive.  

My cousin Claire captured the essence of this place beautifully in her blog post and it is true..."My cousins, siblings, and I all agree that our grandparent's house is a place of solace for us.  Maybe it's because we spent weeks during the summer staying up late playing on the computer while my grandmother did crossword puzzles on the sofa in her robe.  Or breezy walks to the park a few blocks away over cracked sidewalks.  Or perhaps it's the secret hiding spots beneath the bushes where we used to escape the afternoon sun.  Whatever it is, I associate their house with a peacefulness I don't often feel."

It is very important to me that Evan experiences the magic of Grandma's house.  I want him to run down the stairs after a night's rest and find doughnuts sitting on the the kitchen table.  I want him to learn the proper way to crack open a crawfish and dip it in butter.  Matt knows just how important this is to me.  We plan to make the 7 hour trek once or twice a year. Despite the fact that Evan acts like he is being tortured in his carseat, the trip is worth it.  A million times over.

Evan's first Easter Egg hunt

Happy Easter Baby

Every Easter our family enjoys a large crawfish boil.  Thank goodness Evan likes crawfish.  He is a picky boy.  But he has some Winston blood in him.  The Winstons love crawfish.  Thank goodness Evan fits right into our family.  I didn't want to have to ask him to leave.

Precious Cate with my cousin Anne

He studied the crawfish and then ate 6 tails!

One of the best parts of this particular trip was seeing my brother and amazing SIL, Kathryn.  We don't see them often enough and Evan misses his Tio and Tia!

In the afternoon we took a walk to the park.  We loaded the babies up into a wagon.  I am now trying to convince Matt that I need this wagon.  I don't care if it costs $145.  Our family outings depend on this wagon.  How lame is it to ask for a wagon for my own birthday?

We had the opportunity to take some family pictures on Easter Sunday.

Matt and I braved the drive home with a cranky baby and a bad rainstorm.  We were blessed with a 40 minute nap from Evan.  Will we make this drive again?  Absolutely.  Until we can all get together again, I can look back on this memory and smile.

The Grandkids and spouses minus Nanny's children