Happy Easter!

We recently opened up our egg carton...

...and discovered that minions had taken over!

Our own little minions took over NomiAnn and Papa Kay's backyard for an Easter egg hunt.

Annie's first hunt.

She preferred taking the eggs out of her basket instead of putting them in.

Eli's certainly turned into a quick bunny...

...but his big sister Talia is still a bit quicker.

After reaching her own egg quota, Brooklyn enjoyed helping her siblings search.

There always seems to be one egg that gets lost for good.

Maybe Annika has it?

"Hey, don't ask me!  I really have no idea what's going on here."

Back on the home front we pulled out the Easter egg dye.

Brooklyn contemplates her next design.

Ooh, the colors are always so pretty!

And now for Easter morning!

Aw, what a cute little bunny!

When Brooklyn and Talia noticed how Annie's pajamas made a great costume, they decided to dress up as well.

Naturally Eli wanted in on the excitement as well.

Just had to point out the nail polish.  Hey, at least it's blue!

This baby bunny certainly has something to say!

"I LOVE EASTER!!!"

And now for a more subdued after-church photo shoot.  Just in case you are lamenting how our life is so calm and perfect, let me assure you that all of the drama getting between here and there left me practically in tears.  Thankfully I have a forgiving husband who loves me even when I am an ornery mama bunny.  Anyway, here are our cherubs at their finest.

I confess, I totally bribed them with a malt chocolate Easter egg in exchange for their cooperation.

I may have even threatened that they wouldn't get any bunny cake if they didn't smile...

But hey, the results were worth it.  :)

Our three princesses.

Mom and Dad join in the picture.  Oh, what a wonderful Wheeler world!

Just kidding.  Annika decided she'd had enough.

But hey, life is lovely with Easter dresses from Papa K and matching bows created by NomiAnn.  Thank you!

 We arrived back home to a rather shocking sight.  Our Easter buns had been left to rise on the counter for what appeared to be many moons!

At last, it's time for our Easter feast.  With two new front teeth for nibbling, this Talia bunny is ready to dine.

Happy Easter!

Happy Tax Day

Five returns all ready to go: federal, Utah, New York, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Gotta love tax day!

On a lighter note, here are a some entertaining photos of our crew.

I'm also happy to report that despite waking up yesterday to a blanket of snow, spring is back and the sun is shining once more.

Keep smiling!

It's Always Fun When Grandma Comes!

Let's travel back in time again to the middle of March when Grandma Susie came to visit during Spring Break. We had so much fun!

Here we are picnicking outside the Henry Doorly Zoo.  Yummy bananas!  They'd fit right in with the orangutans.

Our kids don't get much punch, so Eli's drink was a real treat.

Our Brooklyn McCall is certainly growing up.

A few years ago they tore down Rosenblatt and built a new stadium to host the College World Series.  This commemorative ball diamond marks the spot where the stadium used to stand.  Here's Eli rounding third.

Talia on her way home.

NomiAnn and Papa Kay were able to join us for the zoo picnic and excursion.

When riding a komodo dragon, it's best to mount a sculpture instead of a live one.

Susie and Brooklyn's turtle is a bit less dangerous.

Wow, something's sure got Papa K amused!

Grandma Susie likewise seems quite entertained.  So what is it?

This Siamang gibbon was hilarious, marking its territory through the most outrageous hoots and howls.  As you can see, Siamangs inflate their entire throat to "sing."  And I thought my kids were noisy!

A visit from Grandma Susie was the perfect excuse to ride the carousel.

Here's Brooklyn with Baby Annika.  Brooklyn is so wonderful with her little sister!

The peacocks are some of my favorite zoo residents.

Eli asks the kid goat, "So when I'm done brushing your hair, do you think you could help me with mine?"

Talia Lily has been working very hard at growing some new teeth.

Annie Mae hitches a ride back to the car on Papa K's shoulders.  Fortunately she seems to be behaving herself.  A few times she's taken after Mike Tyson and chomped her grandpa's ears.

Saturday March 15th found us in Red Oak, Iowa where we ran the Shamrock Shuffle.

We were so lucky to have Grandma Susie there as crowd control, even guiding the troops through the 1 mile course.

Our speedy Daddy took first for the entire race, a feat that Brooklyn considered worthy of a homemade ribbon.

Jason and I stood out as the only ones not dressed in green.  Oops!

When the race was over I looked down and decided that I need new running shoes--pronto.  Thanks to the small field of competition, I also took first for my gender and age division.  As this was the inaugural year for Red Oak's Shamrock Shuffle, we look forward to defending our titles next year.

And now for our annual St. Patty's Day dinner.  Eli looked quite dashing in his green vest and beads.

Brooklyn snuggled in with Papa K in their favorite recliner, checking out some hilarious limericks like: "There once was an old man of Esser, whose knowledge grew lesser and lesser.  It at last grew so small, he knew nothing at all, and now he's a college professor!"

Annika in her cute green bows...

...and Grandma Susie in her fantastic top hat.

Many thanks to my parents for hosting our St. Patrick's Day dinner, including some lovely decorations.

On the menu, of course, was corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, green beans, green jello, Irish soda bread, and a yummy key lime parfait.  What a perfect farewell meal before saying goodbye to our grandma the next morning.

Thanks again for your visit, Susie.  We love you!