Easter Weekend

Brent had Good Friday off so on Thursday night we packed up the car and headed to Iowa City. Driving down was a dream: Brent and I were able to have a nice in-depth chat and the girls slept pretty much the who way. Once we got to my parents it was another story. The girls were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa it took us hours to settle them down for bed the first night. Brent slept with Liesel who kept crying when she was left alone in her bed (undoubtedly because she felt left out) and I slept with Ireland who kept trying to slide off her bed (undoubtedly because she wanted to keep the party going). We all woke up bleary eyed on Friday morning.

Friday night the girls were lucky enough to spend some time with their cousins Hunter and Harley. I'd planned an Easter egg hunt but was bummed when it rained and then drizzled. The kids barely noticed though and they had a blast running around the backyard. We color-coded the eggs for each kid so the older ones had to work a little harder to find theirs. Watching their enthusiasm made me determined to make this a tradition. Hunter and Harley are impossibly well-behaved kids who are nothing but considerate and polite. I love that my girls get to hang out with them now and again so it can rub off. In the middle of all the fun, Liesel informed me she wanted to stay in Iowa City and not go back to Chicago.
On Saturday mornings, we often eat breakfast at the local grocery story, Hy Vee. It's really delicious and ridiculously cheap. Turns out they were having an Easter egg hunt as well! I told the lady at the check out I wish I'd known because I would have brought a sack or something so Liesel could participate. She whipped a grocery sack out from behind the counter (oh how I love midwest friendliness!) and encouraged me to hurry because it was starting in just a couple of minutes. Brent took the lead on this one and thanks to his swift feet, Liesel was able to score quite a few eggs. Ireland and I watched it all from the window as hot eggs and sausage were placed before us.

Saturday night my parents offered to watch the girls so Brent and I could go on a date. Nothing in the theaters was tempting. Soooooo, what do you do with your Mormon husband in a drinking college town on the weekend? I knew I'd have to get creative. I love Iowa City but it's not a date town. It's a bar town and if you don't drink life can be pretty dull. Driving around running errands, I'd noticed the University of Iowa just completed a new Rec Center this past summer and I found out they have a 52-foot rock climbing wall. I floated the idea past Brent. In spite of his fear of heights, he said yes! He was even more excited when he found out it was a measly $3 per person (WAY cheaper than a movie!).

I've done indoor rock climbing before so I went first. I got about 1/4 up the wall and was ready to get down. The guy bullaying me told me to just let go but I couldn't. I kept hanging onto the wall as he slowly let me down. Much to my amazement, Brent scampered up a full story and took his breath on a ledge. When it was time to get down he had to walk backwards over that ledge and Brent didn't even flinch. Iwas so impressed knowing how strong his fear of heights is. Look for us on Amazing Race someday!

I decided to try it again, determined to at least make it to the ledge but I froze. That may have been due to the fact Brent and the staff member were talking about what kind of bodily damage would occur should someone accidentally fall. Brent tells me I was about 1 and 1/2 feet from the ledge. All I know is I was DONE! When I said I wanted to get down suddenly everyone at the wall stopped what they were doing and stared at me. A few of them tried to cheer me on and one girl even said, "It's FUN!" Now the situation was getting embarassing. I even let go of the wall and the staff member just let me dangle- LITERALLY- as if I'd change my mind. Finally he let me down. Brent and I tried a more challenging part of the wall which in some ways was more fun. It was a great date and I can't wait to go again.

On Sunday the girls looked adorable in their new Easter outfits. We tried to get a family photo which was a complete fail because Liesel started crying out of nowhere. I brought out some bubbles while Brent snapped away and we got some good individual shots.

Ireland making a face. My mom pointed out she looks like a Kewpie Doll with her hair like that.

Liesel full of joie de vivre. This picture makes me smile. Every. Time.

Getting back to real life was a serious downer. Even with the long weekend, the time flew by too fast. The girls were irritable the entire drive back to Chicago. Unpacking was drudgery. Waking up on Monday morning was almost painful. We need another vacation!