http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956 Sorry for missing a week, but since everyone was on spring break, I took the week off from doing any school work. This last weekend was Easter, and so we did our yearly ritual of driving out to the country near Yoakum, Shiner and Moulton to spend the weekend with the in-laws and extended family. My extended family grew when I got married from about 10 people to well over 250. This was quite a shock at first to me but over the years I have grown to enjoy having a large family to visit with several times a year. This year, we went to visit my mother-in-law’s family and spent the day out on the farm. We did the traditional flower picking in the country, followed by nest making for the Easter bunny. This involved 5-6 pickup trucks full of kids and adults riding along dirt roads looking for wild flowers to pick and carry back to the farm to build nests in the driveway. The kids would then all run of and the Easter bunny would come and leave candy in the nests. It is a very cute custom and everyone has a blast. This was the first year for my little girl to participate and she loved playing in the flowers. She actually didn’t eat any of them, which was a relief. One final note this week. I discovered that many of my in-laws who live in that part of Texas, have been reading my blog regularly and had many nice things to say about it. I guess this means I will have to keep it going long after my class ends since, I have a growing fan base that I hadn’t even thought about. Thanks for reading!     Sorry for missing a week, but since everyone was on spring break, I took the week off from doing any school work. This last weekend was Easter, and so we did our yearly ritual of driving out to the country near Yoakum, Shiner and Moulton to spend the weekend with the in-laws and extended family. My extended family grew when I got married from about 10 people to well over 250. This was quite a shock at first to me but over the years I have grown to enjoy having a large family to visit with several times a year. This year, we went to visit my mother-in-law’s family and spent the day out on the farm. We did the traditional flower picking in the country, followed by nest making for the Easter bunny. This involved 5-6 pickup trucks full of kids and adults riding along dirt roads looking for wild flowers to pick and carry back to the farm to build nests in the driveway. The kids would then all run of and the Easter bunny would come and leave candy in the nests. It is a very cute custom and everyone has a blast. This was the first year for my little girl to participate and she loved playing in the flowers. She actually didn’t eat any of them, which was a relief. One final note this week. I discovered that many of my in-laws who live in that part of Texas, have been reading my blog regularly and had many nice things to say about it. I guess this means I will have to keep it going long after my class ends since, I have a growing fan base that I hadn’t even thought about. Thanks for reading!     en-us 29.574866 -97.142937 What a wonderful tradition!  In our home, we usually leave carrots outside the front door and the Easter bunny leaves baskets in return.  The Easter Bunny, unlike Santa, never comes in our home, my son is still a little uncomfortable with the thought of a huge bunny roaming the streets early in the morning.  Kids have such a wild imagination! http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_42739 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_42739 What a wonderful tradition!  In our home, we usually leave carrots outside the front door and the Easter bunny leaves baskets in return.  The Easter Bunny, unlike Santa, never comes in our home, my son is still a little uncomfortable with the thought of a huge bunny roaming the streets early in the morning.  Kids have such a wild imagination! Haha, roaming giant rabbits! I love it. You should write a childrens book about it. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_42748 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_42748 Haha, roaming giant rabbits! I love it. You should write a childrens book about it. Hello Gabe, Yep, I'm one of those in-laws that enjoys reading the city kinfolk's blog.  What a great recollection of the Easter tradition, Gabe. It makes me appreciate it even more from your perspective. My boys are really into the flower picking and the nest buiding, and I know one day this will be an even fonder memory for me. One year we were picking in a huge patch of bluebonnets, and a cottontail jumped out and ran away, as we disturbed it from its home.  Grandpa told the kids that was it was the Easter bunny, and the little ones were all amazed. That was one of my best memories. Thanks for posting this. Mary Ann http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_42751 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_42751 Hello Gabe, Yep, I'm one of those in-laws that enjoys reading the city kinfolk's blog.  What a great recollection of the Easter tradition, Gabe. It makes me appreciate it even more from your perspective. My boys are really into the flower picking and the nest buiding, and I know one day this will be an even fonder memory for me. One year we were picking in a huge patch of bluebonnets, and a cottontail jumped out and ran away, as we disturbed it from its home.  Grandpa told the kids that was it was the Easter bunny, and the little ones were all amazed. That was one of my best memories. Thanks for posting this. Mary Ann Gabe, that sounds like such fun!  I dream of owning a home in the country.  That would be so relaxing to me.  Just to get away from the hustle and bustle of things.  The children seem to be treated with such love in your family.  Keep up the good work!  Glad you had lots of fun.  Speaking of, "the thought of a huge bunny roaming the streets early in the morning."  My son felt the same way about Chuck E. Cheese, except there is a great big difference between a bunny and a BIG GIANT UGLY RAT!  My son use to have a complete fit when he would see that big rat coming his way.  So I understand about the huge bunny roaming the street being an uncomfortable feeling for "Pogofire's" son. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_43019 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Gabriel/6956/#c_43019 Gabe, that sounds like such fun!  I dream of owning a home in the country.  That would be so relaxing to me.  Just to get away from the hustle and bustle of things.  The children seem to be treated with such love in your family.  Keep up the good work!  Glad you had lots of fun.  Speaking of, "the thought of a huge bunny roaming the streets early in the morning."  My son felt the same way about Chuck E. Cheese, except there is a great big difference between a bunny and a BIG GIANT UGLY RAT!  My son use to have a complete fit when he would see that big rat coming his way.  So I understand about the huge bunny roaming the street being an uncomfortable feeling for "Pogofire's" son.