Emptying the nest

No fooling, decades of Easters fly by

Yesterday, I promised myself the snow would melt, and April 1st would bring us green grass.

Just kidding…Mother Nature’s April fools jokes are in full swing here in Wisconsin.  There’s no green grass, just white snow…!

And it’s eery in our house this morning.  The toxic spirit of winter is hovering over the house and holding back my desires for the arrival of spring.  It’s no joke – winter is not letting go.

Look at the proof…it’s cold outside!

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It is Easter 2018, and the ghosts of the past are haunting me, too.  My memories of how Easter morning was so different at 5:00 am when the kids were little are tugging at my heart.

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We had so much fun hiding the eggs for the kids early Easter morning.  The Mr. and I would get up at 5:00 am, scramble around in our dazed states and hide the eggs before the kids woke.  By the time they were up searching for the eggs, we forgot where we hid them.  Memory is a funny thing.

I hope the kids enjoy those early Easter morning memories as much as I do.

With the arrival of the last snow of the season yesterday, I couldn’t sit out on the deck to enjoy the sunshine to warm my spirits.  So instead, I grabbed my camera and took photos of the drifts, icicles, and the snow trying to leave via the winds of March.  It remains stuck to the ground and here I am, still hibernating in the house.  Even the deer who have been outside enjoying the melting snow went into hiding again.

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Last night, while I was feeling sorry for myself, I told the Mr. I was sad about not having any decorations out, or not coloring eggs, or not getting into Easter.

Me:  Remember how much fun it was to decorate and hide eggs with the kids?

Mr:.  Uh, huh, why?

Me:  I’m missing that today, aren’t you?

Mr.:  Really?  When was the last time we decorated eggs and hid them for the kids?

Me:  Yeah, you’re right.  I should be over that by now.  I’d say it’s been 5 or 6 years, right?

Mr.:  At least that?

Me:  Uh, huh.

This morning, still wondering how long ago it was, I looked back through pictures and found my answer.  No joke, WTH?  Holy crap…it’s been 8 years!  2010 was the last time we decorated eggs together as a family.

The beginning of our empty nest Easters started 8 years ago…

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Way back then…wow!  Let’s see, what else am I missing out on?  Not only did I color eggs, but I also colored my hair.  I’m glad I’m over that habit.  I had colorful taste in clothing, but no skinny jeans back then.  And, I had the same decorating scheme in the kitchen as I do now, too.  Oh, my, the things I’ve gotten used to seem so obvious in retrospect.

On a lighter note, now that I think about it more, I was a bit thinner and the skinny jeans may have been a good choice?  Damn.  Missed out on that opportunity.  But, I wasn’t alone in the thin category.

Our cats were thin.  But, they had a good excuse, they were only a year old at that time.

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And, dagnabit, I was right, it was warm outside, and here’s proof there was green grass in 2010.  And, I could sit on the deck and enjoy the sunshine.

Spring in Wisconsin can be warm – I knew I wasn’t remembering wrong.

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In 2010, that’s when I had a hankering for Leinie’s Summer Shandy.  Two years later, in 2012, that beer won a Silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival® in the Fruit Wheat Beer category.  I have great taste after all!

Cheers to me!

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Ah…the good old days.  Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.  Life as an empty nester with happy memories is a good thing!

Happy Easter to you, and yours! 

PS:  If your kids are still little, give them an extra big hug or two!  If they’re home for the holiday, give them hugs, too!  Hugs never go out of style!

xx

 

5 thoughts on “No fooling, decades of Easters fly by

  1. I still miss coloring eggs and hiding them in the yard. It was always warm enough in CO to be able to do that. Happy Easter

    1. I loved the years it was warm enough to hide eggs and baskets in the yard! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Happy Easter to you, too!

  2. Super nostalgic, and makes me think back to all the fun Easter activities we had with our girls. Loved seeing the photos, and hope the snow melts soon. Happy Easter. 🙂

    1. I appreciate your kind words! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I hear we’re in for another couple weeks of snowy weather, so send sunshine my way if you’ve got an extra dose available! 🙂

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