The Last Easter Egg Hunt

One of the main reasons we come home several times a year (besides to recoup our sanity) is to spend the holidays with the family, most of whom are conveniently based together in Northern Virginia (meaning we don't have to criss-cross the country to see everyone!) Besides having everyone together in the same zip code, it's also an invigorating place to visit, being just 15 minutes outside Washington, DC, and the weather is beautiful this time of year. The trees and flowers are bursting into bloom, the porch furniture is out on the decks, and people are already pulling their summer clothes out of storage.

So sets the scene for a traditional Lee Easter, complete with church, brunch and the annual Easter egg hunt! Six to eight cousins have been regulars in the hunt through the years, which takes place in Grandfather's back yard (or in the living room during inclement weather, much to Grandmother's chagrin.) Over time, the older cousins, having claimed multiple victories in the egg-hunt competition, have become the egg-hiders, taking pride in finding impossibly hard places for their younger siblings to uncover eggs - out of sight, out of reach, but never out of the yard!

This year we only had one avid egg-seeker, the youngest of the cousins, Jessie, nine years old and, growing up with three older brothers, wise beyond her years. Dressed in her cream colored polka-dotted Easter dress, cool white sweater, matching flats and headband, and manned with not one, but two Easter baskets, Jess was ready to set a new egg-hunting record. Add to that, our youngest daughter, Maggie, agreed to tag-team with her, so between the two of them, the eggs didn't stand a chance!

Since her brothers were content to sit on the couch and consume chocolate bunnies, Jess finally stood a chance to win Grandmother's coveted Bunny Prize as champion of the Easter egg hunt! But then Grandfather, once a fierce competitor himself, added some needed incentive to get the boys up off the couch. Hiding ten eggs stuffed with money throughout the yard, Grandfather promised there was anything from a single penny to a ten-dollar bill awaiting anyone - including Jessie - who could find the precious eggs. Suddenly, the chocolate bunnies looked dull in comparison!

Jumping up and grabbing their own Easter baskets, the boys stood ready to claim yet another victory in the Easter egg competition - certainly they could collect the most colored eggs, win the prize, and find the camouflage-colored money eggs in the process - it was a win-win situation! But Jess and Mags had different ideas. Mapping out a carefully considered egg-collecting strategy, the girls sprinted off the starting line, heading for opposite sides of the yard. The boys were caught completely unawares, suddenly having no idea which direction to turn, searching frantically for the moss and rock colored eggs that held the precious Easter treasure. All the while, the girls slowly and steadily filled their baskets, racing across the grass, targeting their quarry, coming ever closer to winning the ultimate Easter prize. It was wonderful to watch!

In the end, Jess won Grandmother's Easter prize, having collected over 42 eggs from the yard, including two of the money eggs! The boys reluctantly conceded the win, having found the rest of the eggs and splitting about $7.50 between them. Although the motives for the revitalized hunt might be slightly questionable this year, based on the vigor and enthusiasm of the hunters, this will definitely not be the last Easter egg hunt!