Garden Party

My friend Megan called me earlier in the week and asked what I was doing on Thursday.

"Ummm, let me check my calendar." I told her while I pulled up the month of April on my Blackberry.

"Nothing." I reply.

"Do you want to come to an Easter Egg Hunt and Lunch at my Mom's house?"

"Sure!" I mean really, who wouldn't say yes to that?!

So this past Thursday, I followed behind my friends Vernice and Megan and drove 45 minutes out to the country to take Peyton on a very special egg hunt and lunch.

Peyton had no idea what was in store for him, but he sure loved the long sloping {green!} lawn, the tall whispering trees, the circular drive and the winding brick stairway. Notice the bite mark on his lip? Yep, he's 100% all boy.

Getting him to sit still was a challenge; there was just too much to see to be sitting still in one place! As you can see, he is really thrilled to be posing for this picture- because posing usually requires sitting and sitting means you're not moving! :-)

There were so many beautiful children there for the festivities and their Moms were every bit as beautiful as their children. It seriously looked like a photo shoot out of a Pottery Barn Kids catalog or an Ann Taylor Loft catalog with all of those beautiful people milling about. I definitely felt a moment of ugly duckling-ness! 

A few of the ladies were actually Megan's sisters- talk about one stunning family. Even her Mom is gorgeous! I wish I had 'proof', but I brought the wrong lens for my camera so all I could take were zoom pictures which did me no good for close up pictures (unless I was further away!) I learned my lesson this trip; never change your lens the night before a big event, or BRING all of your lenses just in case! :-0

Such a cutie.

This must be big sister; they have the same beautiful eyes.

Another 'thrilled' shot from Peyton. He knew that something exciting was about to take place but he didn't know what!

At last it was time to begin! We were ushered to the dining room where all the children stood looking out the windows facing the back yard. As they watched, along came the Easter Bunny which was a lady dressed up in full petticoats under her dress wearing bunny ears and had whiskers and a nose painted on her face. She was carrying a basket and setting out Easter eggs!

Out like a flash, all the kids made a mad dash for the door!

"EGGS!"

And away he went.

I was shocked that he remembered what to do! At the park last Saturday, I practically had to put the eggs in his basket for him because he wanted to open each egg individually! This time, he wasted no time at all. He went right to it!

It made me laugh that he'd bypass some eggs to get to others. I guess he was attracted to the colors of the eggs more than anything else!

He even ventured out into the tall grasses to see what he could see {and was rewarded for his effort}!

'Are there any more?!'

After all of that hunting, it was time to take a break and eat some lunch. There was cool cucumber soup, fruit kabobs, chicken salad, celery stalks and carrot sticks, peanut butter and jelly egg-shaped sandwiches, pastel colored popcorn in rolled flutes, bunny, egg and chick shaped shortbread cookies as well as punch! It was a delightful spread and one that both the children and the adults enjoyed.

I think it is so darling that Megan's Mom does this every year for her grandchildren and for her grandchildren's friends. I hope to be that kind of grandmother one day, throwing garden parties in my back yard for my grandchildren to love and cherish!