I've fallen and I can't get up.

from a week of birthday festivities straight into a week at home with the kids, to a lovely holiday weekend... i've fallen straight into summer mode... & i don't know if i will be able to 'get back up.'

 no shorter cups on hand, so we made do (since we're never short on these "cups")

my favorite easter egg :)

the easter bunny has an eye for beauty

...and an appetite for carrots

her easter treat

a glazed ham for the holiday

{remember when i talked about new traditions?  well, this holiday, we started a new one... a ham to enjoy the night before easter (and the morning of :)).  my mom & her husband hosted a wonderful easter lunch/dinner yesterday, but this is the one holiday that tends to change each year- in terms of location/time/food... so our plans are always a bit different from year to year.  but, saturday is always the day of easter egg dying & "bunny prep"... a perfect day for an annual spring feast, don't you think?  and even better- Split. Pea. Soup. Tonight.}

*this will serve as last week's tried & true recipe since i slacked a bit and didn't post one (summer mode, i tell ya)...  it was our first attempt at ham, and this is the recipe we used... ridiculously simple & so very tasty (& fun to score, i might add).  i've made their split pea soup recipe before (with my grandma's leftover christmas ham)... equally simple & delicious, and it's what i'll be using tonight!

                                        

All work & [some] play.

I'm happy to report that we're all caught up on sleep and ready to take on the early mornings, proper bedtimes, and routines (we've never been good at these last two, but swear to change each year).  The mound of paperwork is cleared.  Supplies bought.  Laundry DONE.  Friday Night Lights... 3 seasons in and only 2 1/2 more to go.  Priorities straight.

Amidst cleaning, paperwork- and television, we celebrated a couple of birthdays... and played the funnest* games EVER.  I realize 'fun & games' are not at the top of everyone's mind bright & early on Monday morning, but seriously- keep these in mind if you need to buy a gift for a family, a teenager, or that relative in which you have no idea what to buy- or if you're ever looking for an activity that is both simple (unlike some of the other fun, but long & somewhat complicated group games out there), enjoyable, and laughter-inducing for both kids & adults... the savvy & not-so-savvy player.
                            

 {links to these 5-star rated games below...}

  Image via

Image via

    

Hope you leave room for some play in your week :).

*I am well aware that "funnest" is not actually a word.
                               

Family fun night.

 Family Fun Night image via

In trying to keep our vacation spirit alive we had our first official "Family fun night" this past weekend.  Hailey and I recently bought this book at her school's book fair and it's full of simple ideas for nights of family fun.  Since we didn't have a chance to play many games on our camping trip, we thought we'd start with 'board game night' ... + Jacob has been asking to play his game of LIFE since, ummm- February??

Had a blast re-learning how to play the game, forging on to our retirements together, and eating homemade 'Batali (Mario, that is) family blackberry pie'... but that, I will save for tomorrow's post.