Easter trip to KS/Madi's birthday

For Easter weekend we went up to visit my family in Kansas.  My brother, sister, and brother-in-law were able to come in from Utah, so, with the exception of Chris, the whole family was there!  Poor Chris.  Audits were due Monday, so he couldn't leave that close to such big deadlines.  We missed him, but I wasn't about ready to pass up a chance to see my whole family.  

My youngest brother, Seth, turned 17 on April 22 and Madison turned 5 on April 27, so we celebrated their birthdays together.

Of course Jax helped blow out the candles 

Forced smile

I made the boys matching ties for Easter.  The trick: they are velcro in the back. Do you have any idea how hard it is to tie a tie on an 8 month old?  

just posing

My gorgeous 5-year-old

Acting his age, but lookin' good

All the kids look super cute in this picture, just not really the "perfect pose"

Matchy, matchy, I know, I'm a nerd

Easter egg hunt #2 for Madison 

Easter egg hunt #3 for Jax and he still loved it

Snuggling at the ward Easter picnic.  It was FREEZING.  I had to get all the kids' sweaters out of storage.  We haven't needed them in Dallas since February.

Danielle and Madison are kindred spirits

This never happens.  I needed a pic just to remember the occasion.

Playing crazy.  Look at Jaxon and Trevor.  You'll laugh.

Fun with Uncle Trevor

Dying Easter eggs.  Poor Seth had the flu.  Someone ALWAYS gets the flu when we are together.  It's the Porter family curse.

Easter baskets

Easter egg hunt #4

Adult Easter egg hunt.  It was funny.  The boys really got into it.

Saying good-bye to Garrett.  He's going to Wisconsin for the summer.

... and finally....

My dad has a 1964 Dodge Dart.  I wanted to take some fun pictures of the kids posing on the Dart.  We waited and waited and waited and it was cold every day.  So we finally just went the last morning we were there.  The kids were so cold.  I started promising them candy, then chocolate milk, then finally happy meals just to get them to smile.  But we got some good pictures, so it was worth it.

And there is the reader's digest version of our trip to KS.  I had so much fun just hanging out and playing with my family.  We played lots of games of Rummikub and watched some fun movies and ate some great food and I can't wait to see them all again, probably at Christmas.