Easter at the Ranch

Once again we spent Easter at the ranch, well, Saturday anyway.  We had a fantastic time playing a killer game of townball in the sagebrush and rabbit brush flat, but we were too busy playing to take any photos.  So, its the usual 4 wheeling and egg rolling pictures.

 The weather was perfect with a gorgeous sun shining on us, and a little breeze when we needed it.  The wind blew a bit of course, but we didn't notice too much.  We enjoyed a delicious dutch oven chicken lunch cooked by Mark and Emiko with some salads to round us all out.  MMMMMMM.

Matt and I took a little ride to go check on some cows that were in another mountain pasture, and I made him stop so I could get a new homesteading photo.  I love love love old places.  All old things actually. There was actually still wallpaper up on the walls inside!

The kids had a blast playing with cousins, rolling eggs, enjoying an egg fight, and of course riding and driving in all the toys.

We had the usual Easter Egg hunt and this year I put money in the eggs I filled.  Not sure if it was a hit or not, but we were candied out!  Kenna was so excited, she loved finding the eggs and filling her basket.

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Its the first big outing of the year, great times with cousins, treats, good food, and good times with family.  I hope my kids have great Easter memories like I do.

Memorial Day Camping

Sunday after church, we packed our sleeping bags, sausage and eggs, and headed south.

We camped at the ranch on Sunday night.  Thank you Emiko, April, and Judd, who are not pictured but cooked the hamburgers and handled the wild children!

Emmitt and his boy cousins giggled far into the night in their little dome tent.  The rest of us all snuggled in with Kendal and Kelsey sharing a cot.  Kenna wasn't so impressed with the sleeping arrangements.

My kids love going to the ranch, and they love playing with their cousins.

Monday afternoon we went fishing. All Matt did was fix poles all afternoon.

Kelsey and Kenna, soaked in the sun while waiting for magic with the powerbait.

Kendal was a casting fool with her little Barbie fishing pole.  That is all she wanted to do, so that is about all she did. Over and over!

I don't know how many times Kelsey cast her line into this tree, but I can think of 4 times off the top of my head.  She was an expert at getting it out - EVERY TIME!

Emmitt lost interest in the fishing and just wanted to eat snacks and play with the sticks he found that magically turned into swords.

Kenna and I just took in the scenery and enjoyed the day.

Matt loves the ranch.  He loves his black cows that graze at the ranch.  He loves the water he changes at the ranch.  He loves to spend time working at the ranch.  The ranch is in him.  It always will be, and I am glad we get to share it with him once in awhile.

Easter at the Ranch

When I was a little girl, if you asked me what my favorite holiday was, it would have been really hard for me to decide between Christmas and Easter.  Really hard decision.  I have always loved Easter.  It is the first big outing of the year with family and lots of picnicing food, and you can get dirty as dirty and it doesn't matter.  Some of my most memorable times are with my cousins and siblings at Easter. 

I still love Easter for those reasons, although now I also recognize the reason for Easter is to celebrate the Savior's triumph over the tomb.  What a wonderful celebration - a new birth, the resurrection, and the wonderful atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.

So for Easter this year, on Saturday the Crane Clan headed up to the ranch and spent the afternoon doing the things  I love and remember about Easter as a child.  It was a perfect Easter weekend in my eyes.  Some of those things are

rolling Easter eggs down the hill with the littler kids

having the older kids join the younger kids roll eggs, get bored, and then start an egg fight

adults have a conversation about who has the best throwing arm and aim, as we watch from not too far away

contests where the adults enter into competition with the teenagers and show them up

4 wheeling

keeping the babies out of the cactus and pricklies

root beer smiles

older kids involving the uncles in the egg fight and then regretting it

big splash as the ringleader gets rebaptized in the ditch

fun with cousins, the first best friends

Easter egg hunt

sunshine on my face, being with those I love

overflowing Easter baskets

baby's first touch of pasture grass (not very soft this time of year)

eating a delicious potluck picnic

the best memories with cousins